advice for broken mounting stud for gas tank.

I have an old, rusted 89 aries with unibody construction. The car is
dead because there is no fule pressure. I suspect the fuel pump. To get
to the fule pump, I had to drop the tank which means I had to undo the
nuts holding the gas tank mounting straps.

When I attempted to undo the nuts for the gas tank mounting straps,
they both broke.

The nuts were on a threaded rod that seems to have been welded to the
unibody.

So what to do now?

I figure the best solution is to drill near the broken stud and and if
possible thread the hole. Then thread a threaded rod into the hole and
place nuts on both sides too secure the threaded rod. Use locktite so
they won't come undone. This will then once again give a threaded rod
to mount too.

I think this is a solution. Does anyone have a better solution?

How would a professional handle the situation? Would the weld a nut to
the unibody?

thanks!

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004, jeanluc wrote:

> I have an old, rusted 89 aries with unibody construction. The car is
> dead because there is no fule pressure. I suspect the fuel pump. To get
> to the fule pump,

It's spelt "fuel".
And before you condemn the fuel pump, you ought to have checked the fuel
pump control circuit (fuel pump relay, ASD relay, fusible links, SMEC).

> How would a professional handle the situation?

Probably with a call to NAPA. There are gas tank mounting supplies
(perforated steel strapping and tank bolts) in the Balkamp catalogue.

Forget threading a hole. You need to hang something, like a perforated
bar, from the stud, then attach to that at either end.

Right.
He can't do that because the stud broke off. He doesn't say any part is
left and I would not depend on a stub of a piece that might be left
either. I doubt that NAPA has an off the shelf fix for this unless it's
real real common and I don't know what it is. This sounds like a
situation requiring a DIY fix. If the poster can do what he says with
a nut on both sides for insurance that should be fine. Whether the
pump actually is the problem, he better put one on anyway while the
tank is off and go from there.

On 30 Dec 2004 10:39:31 -0800, "jeanluc"
> wrote:

>I have an old, rusted 89 aries with unibody construction. The car is
>dead because there is no fule pressure. I suspect the fuel pump. To get
>to the fule pump, I had to drop the tank which means I had to undo the
>nuts holding the gas tank mounting straps.
>
>When I attempted to undo the nuts for the gas tank mounting straps,
>they both broke.
>
>The nuts were on a threaded rod that seems to have been welded to the
>unibody.
>
>So what to do now?
>
>I figure the best solution is to drill near the broken stud and and if
>possible thread the hole. Then thread a threaded rod into the hole and
>place nuts on both sides too secure the threaded rod. Use locktite so
>they won't come undone. This will then once again give a threaded rod
>to mount too.
>
>I think this is a solution. Does anyone have a better solution?
>
>How would a professional handle the situation? Would the weld a nut to
>the unibody?
>
>thanks!

Could you drill a hole through the spot where the stud was and put a
long carriage bolt in from the other side? You could put a fender
washer on the bolt to keep it from pulling through.
Just a shot in the dark.
FWIW
YMMV
DFB




"When a legislature undertakes to proscribe the exercise of a citizen's
constitutional rights it acts lawlessly and the citizen can take matters into
his own hands and proceed on the basis that such a law is no law at all."
- Justice William O. Douglas