DK45 Fuel tank removal.
Tools needed: 10, 12, 14 mm sockets/wrenches, 3 1/4" smooth dowels, and a loose tongue ready to cuss.
Step 1: Remove side doors and top panel.
Step 2: Disconnect battery and remove all electronic attached to the fire-stop (leave all wires attached).
Step 3: Disconnect the wire to your fuel gauge at the connector on left side of fuel tank.
Step 4: Disconnect fuel vent hoses and fuel hose at the fuel pump (it's the one on the bottom). Use your 1/4" dowels to keep the fuel from leaking out your tank.
Step 5: Remove your fuel filter assembly by loosening 2 bolts to bracket on fire-stop.
Step 6: Disconnect the tach cable and pull it through the fire-stop. You may need to remove the rubber grommet to pull it through.
Step 7: Remove the bolts attaching the fuel tank bracket from tractor body and engine. Starting from the left: remove left outer bolts to disconnect the bracket from tractor body. Then remove the inner bolt to disconnect the bracket from engine. Next is the top, remove the two bolts to disconnect the bracket from the console. Moving to the right: remove right outer bolts and then the inner bolt (I couldn't take a picture of the inner bolt but it's similar to the left).
Step 8: Prepare to swear. Pull the tank out from its location. It will be really tight. I was afraid I'd damage the flimsy coolant storage so I remove it. To get the room to pull it out you may remove the muffler or loosen the console and pull it back a little. Since I needed to replace the rusted bolts on the console I elected to loosen the console and pull it back.
Step 9: Remove the fire-stop from the tank and repair or replace the fuel tank. If you elect to repair the fuel tank, clean the tank well and fix it with appropriate epoxy resin for metal or plastic then prime and paint it. Go ahead and paint it anyway even if it's plastic. Take it from a plastic engineer, the Koreans and Chinese are notorious for using cheap plastic grade. Painting the tank helps keep it from cracking. My steel tank was still solid except for the bottom since the saltwater settle to the bottom and rusted it out. I laid down a layer of epoxy then put a metal mesh on it and topped it with another layer of epoxy. That works like a charm.
Step 10: Reverse step 1-8 to put every thing back together.
Last step: clean your hands and have a beer.
