New (yes....) fuel tank, cap won't twist into place? 72 Satellite wagon...

[Triplegreen500]

So I went and started putting my wagon together today. New carb, new battery, and installed my NOS fuel tank. Car runs off a can under the hood at the moment - I haven't filled the tank, because the cap won't fit.

The car has the original cap. Two prongs/tabs that go into slots and as you turn the cap they follow a ramp, and click into place. Normal.

This tank has a deeper ramp. The cap goes through the slots, but will NOT turn. There needs to be more space between the cap and the tabs; it needs to be deeper, if you will.

Has anyone else encountered this? Or do I have some factory reject, and I have to dig out the Dremel and make ramps that work?

 

[wagonman]

Is there a Fill neck like the charger or dose the fill hole sit behind the door? Not familiar the design but sounds like it may be tweaked a bit. A NOS tank from 72 has been around the block a time or two, shelf wear? Pic of offending hole and cap would help.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

Didn't Mopar make a change sometime in the early 70's to a cap that had longer "prongs"? Could it be that the NOS tank is an earlier or later part? I would imagine that the same body was used 1971 to 1974 for these cars??

EDIT: I went to Rockauto and looked up the caps for a 1971 Satellite. They list two different ones. Made in April and earlier or made in May or later....

1971 PLYMOUTH SATELLITE 5.2L 318cid V8 Fuel Tank Cap | RockAuto

 

[Triplegreen500]

The "and newer" definitely looks like the deeper design. Odd that the break is in 71 and my car is a 72...and it uses the shallow cap originally (I've owned the car since 92).

I was so happy the car was running (been sitting about 8 years) I didn't get any pics of the flanges.

No neck. Tank sits in the quarter panel like a suitcase, with the fill hole right behind the door. In the quarter panel is why I have to replace it - 50 years of crap getting kicked up by the driver rear tire, and it's got pinholes in the bottom.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Here's the original tank

You can see the shallow curled lip. New tank:

That curled lip goes much deeper in from the seal surface.

I never even thought there could be more than one cap style, at least not before everything switched to the current plastic ones.

Vin and production date:

 

[Triplegreen500]

Well new cap came in at local AutoStoned. Deeper. Worried maybe too deep, but...nope. Works perfect! Tank has about 2 gal in it, no leaks yet (fingers crossed - they're a stupid damn design with a seam right down the center of the bottom), and I have it running off the tank now.

Next step (assuming no drips on the ground tomorrow): bleed brakes and put 'er on the ground for the first time in...a bunch of years. And DRIVE it!

 

[71RRHI]

Nice looking wagon. Looks like it will make a nice cruizer

 

[Triplegreen500]

NO DRIPS!

Checked it this morning before work, zero stains on the cardboard and NO fuel smell in the shop. YAY!!!

(I know....baby steps though...I've had this car for ages, and want to take my time and get it right putting it back on the road...)

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

That cap/filler neck change took place April 1, '72

 

[SattyNoCar]

Geez, how long did it take you to find an NOS tank? In my '73 I ended up getting a clean used '78(?) tank because I couldn't find an NOS or even a good same year tank. I agree it's a stupid design and I even contemplated modifying my floor pan to accept a '68-'70 tank.

Good luck with your wagon!

 

[Triplegreen500]

We won't get into how long (or how MUCH, ugh)...but I did it. Finally. Been bugging the tank folks at Carlisle for nearly a decade about making them...even offered mine as a template. No go.

I'm trying to figure out a shield setup that will block stones and crap, but won't add to rotting the bottom of the quarter panel....

 

[Robert Schaad]

So I went and started putting my wagon together today. New carb, new battery, and installed my NOS fuel tank. Car runs off a can under the hood at the moment - I haven't filled the tank, because the cap won't fit.

View attachment 1417479

View attachment 1417480

View attachment 1417481

The car has the original cap. Two prongs/tabs that go into slots and as you turn the cap they follow a ramp, and click into place. Normal.

This tank has a deeper ramp. The cap goes through the slots, but will NOT turn. There needs to be more space between the cap and the tabs; it needs to be deeper, if you will.

Has anyone else encountered this? Or do I have some factory reject, and I have to dig out the Dremel and make ramps that work?

I put a new fuel tank and filler neck on my 72 Satellite. The factory fuel cap is to lose and will not tighten. After a little research, I got a factory 1971 fuel cap and it works great. It seems that the filler neck changed from 71 to 72.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

Except Station Wagons, the fuel cap/filler tube change took place March 1, 1972, it was a mid-year ‘72 change.