Replacing fuel tank - 87 300E

[simmo300e]

Been having a few misfiring issues lately, engine not firing cleanly. I know it's not the usual fuel injection woes because I've been there, fixed that. Plugs were soiled, but dry, so I cleaned them up and started thinking about mixture problems.

Starting with the basics, I removed and cleaned my fuel filter, which is less than a year old, and there was a whole bunch of water and corrosion that came out of it. Looks like I found the source of my problems.

I plan to drop the fuel tank and clean it out at some point but I would consider changing it for the later plastic model, mainly because of the corrosion issue but also because it would have the newer baffle design around the outlet which would cure the misfiring when coming out of right hand turns with less than a 1/4 tank of gas. The design was changed in 1988 apparently.

Before I do this, I would like to know in advance whether the original bits and pieces like the level sender, outlet pipe, etc would fit in the new tank or whether I would need to buy new parts.

Can anyone shed light on this replacement procedure and whether the plastic tank drops right in?