New fuel tank for an 8N

[MitchellB]

Well my old 49 Ford got a new gas tank installed today. The old one had so much rust in it that it continually stopped up the carbonator requiring it to be removed every few months to be cleaned. However the old tank finally developed a pin hole gas leak last time I used it and all the fuel leaked out of it. I decided it was time to pull the trigger on a new tank. One of the things I love about this old Redbelly is that all the parts are still being made for it even though it is well over 60 years old. Not many things that old are still around and working, much less new replacement parts still being manufactured for it. I lucked up and found a brand new tank on eBay for about half price of my other sources I have been looking at and bid on it and won it. The tank is installed under the hood with 3 castle nutted bolts, so the hood and grill had to come off first to access the old tank. 4 bolts holds the dash to the hood and 2 bolts hold the hood doglegs to the lower frame around the grill. Another 4 bolts hold the cyclone air cleaner assembly to the hood. Then disconnect the fuel line and head light wires are all that is left. Breaking loose the 63 year old rusted nuts was a bit of a chore, but I tinkered with it yesterday until I got everything loose. I rolled my cherry picker over it and tied a rope around the hood and lifted it off this morning. I was amazed at how much rust and crud was in that old gas tank when I turned it upside down. It is a wonder it ran at all the 14 years I have used it. I guess I will fuel it up sometime next week and get to the yearly leveling our 2 gravel driveways. The old tractor has been out of commission for a couple of months, so it is going to be really handy to have it back up and runner better than ever. It makes yard work so much easier and faster around here.