steel fuel tank questions

[ski]

I have a 6 gal steel fuel tank that I got when I bought my 1960 starcraft. I have a couple of q's about the tank and hose.

I have a six gallon steel tank(Non presurized) that I am using with my 1960 18hp Johnson seahorse.

IS the bulb supposed to be rock hard , or somewhat hard after pumping a couple of times? Also,
My tank seems to be wet on the outside from fuel seeping out, even when it is sitting on the garage floor. Is this normal? I checked the gasket on the inside of the filler cap and it looks in poor shape. Can you replace these gaskets on these old tanks?

On my Johnson hose fitting, it has two holes and two small pins that are perpindicular from the larger holes. What do these do? When I attach my fuel hose to the gas tank there is a small gap where the two small pins insert into the connector. Is this normal? I think it is allowing air into the hose.
I have attached pics that I hope will help.
The motor worked ok 2 months ago, but yesterday it ran terrible. I'm wondering if it is the motor or the fuel sending system.


ski

 

[bassboy1]

Chunk the tank, and get a plastic one.

I'm usually a fan of old iron, favoring the older American made metal item over the new imported plastic item, but in the case of portable marine fuel tanks, the new plastic ones are actually better. It doesn't take much at all in terms of rust flakes out of a steel one to clog a carburetor, stranding you out on the lake.

If the fitting is allowing air in the hose, that is bad news too. If the fuel line is older, go ahead and replace it and the fittings. The ethanol in modern gas will tear up the inside of an old hose, and that stuff is not good at all for an engine. The check valve in the squeeze bulb only lasts a few years anyway, so once it starts getting fussy, I just replace the entire hose, as opposed to just replacing the check squeeze bulb.

 

[Pappy]

The gasket is easily replaceable and still available through any Johnson/Evinrude dealer. An easy repair. I like the steel tanks over the plastic ones. The plastic ones end up looking like a football (pressurized) when they have been in the sun for a while then they bleach out and look like He**.

 

[cajuncook1]

If you have the original tank that went with your motor, then click on the link below. It is a parts diagram of your motor, but on page 14 it shows the parts breakdown of the original tanks.

https://www.marineengine.com/parts/vintage-evinrude-johnson/378126/catalog.html?https://www.marineengine.com/parts/vintage-evinrude-johnson/378126/37812600001.htm

If you have a tank for the tanks used in the late 60's, 70 and 80's. Then here is a link for a parts breakdown for you as well.

https://www.boats.net/parts/search/BRP/EVINRUDE/1970/18002C%201970/FUEL%20TANK%20GROUP/parts.html

New hose, bulb, and connectors can be purchased at Academy, Wal-Mart, and etc

Good luck

 

[gottafish]

=D> For all the people who want to continue using metal fuel tanks go online to The Eastwood Co. at https://www.eastwood.com. They offer a coating for the inside that seals it completly and you won't have any problems. Besides their catalog is so full of way cool stuff that you will have a hard time deciding what to order first.