W108 Fuel Tank
 

Anyone know where to have a fuel tank cleaned and the cost associated. I was also wondering on the cost of a new fuel tank. Are they plastic now vs metal or is there an option. Thanks

The last new 108 tank I looked at, and this was just last week, was around $2,300.

And getting one from a pick n pull is out since that always punch holes in them to drain them before putting them on the lot.

Throw an ad in the parts wanted section here. Maybe someone has a spare they would be willing to part with.

Well, last week I took a 6-gallon plastic outboard boat gas-tank over to Mike's place. We filled it with 6-gallons of high test, set it in the trunk of his '72 280SE (M130-6) and ran a hose to the inlet of the electric pump. The car started and ran better than it had with the original tank connected. We were able to confirm the new injection coolant thermostat pellet I installed a few weeks ago is now functioning, as the air-flow through the idle-air port gradually deceases as it warms up. However, my boat tank installation wasn't secure enough to be able to actually test drive the car. Also I had not provided a way to connect the fuel-return line to the boat tank, so I simply pinched it off with a vise-grips where it attached to the original tank.

How critical is the fuel return for testing purposes? I can run another line and add another fitting to the boat tank if I have to.

I also removed the fuel-tank sender so we could use a hand-pump to suck the gas and additional rust from the plastic well around the tank-screen, and confirmed the holes from the main part of the tank to the well are pretty much plugged-up.
(We had pumped some rust from the main part of the tank a couple weeks ago)
I was also able to pull the tank screen out the bottom, and found it punctured and surrounded by rust and sludge!

Will the 280SE plastic well setup complicate trying to get this tank cleaned or repaired?

Anyway I had to reconnect Mike's original fuel-tank plumbing, and pour all the gas back in his original tank, as it wouldn't have been safe to leave my temporary tank hooked-up after he put the car back in his garage.
So the car proceeded to run worse again, with several stalls while Mike put it away.

Happy Motoring, Mark

I have run into the plastic well thing before on other cars. They just rip them out and replace them with a stainless well from a later car. You can get these at a pick n pull yard but you have to remove the tank, cut it open, and then chisel out the pan.

There is also the need to cut the tank open on the top to make a hole big enough to install the pan, but due to the way the 108 tank mounts a hole in the top that is then patched would never be visible after it is installed.

All in all a very labor intensive deal.

Have you tried to find a good used one? I have always found that to be the best option. Many times they are full of rust but there are also those that look nearly new inside. You just have to spend some time looking.

I will keep my eyes open. I sometimes find these 108's and normally the gas tank is still in them.

I think the return line is important, even for testing.

Here's a photo of my temp gas tank, it's only 1.5 gallons. It works fine in a car trunk for a carb or fuel injected car or on the fender for a carb car (that isn't moving).

I've cleaned the tank on my W111 and it wasn't that difficult. Lots of threads on the topic.

Scott