28 Essex Fuel Tank Leak

blaine
blaine Member
in Parts & Pieces
I have gone through three electric fuel pumps in the past year.  Finally giving up and trying to put the original vacuum tank back in.  But it appears to have a leak where the base meets the main cylinder.  I am inclined to use a permatex product to seal it, but that feels like a “band-aid.”  Does anyone know a good welder or have a replacement tank for a 28 Essex?

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  • Hans
    Hans Senior Contributor
    Some times there are replacement parts available.

    Start with the assumption  some one in the last 90 years had not used another  vacuum tank that was different.
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    Does the top of the tank look like aluminum ( white metal ) ? 
    How many screws are used to hold the top on,  8  or 4. 



  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    These were soldered, not welded.   Do not use a naked flame if there is any chance of residual fuel laying around the inner.  A good clean, and re-solder around the joint should do the trick, if it is indeed the joint leaking, and not the bottom rusted through.  
  • blaine
    blaine Member

    The top has 4 screws.

    I’ll try to solder it and see how it goes.
  • blaine
    blaine Member
    Do you know what kind of metal these Stewart tanks were made out of?
  • ESSX28-1
    ESSX28-1 Senior Contributor
    blaine said:
    Do you know what kind of metal these Stewart tanks were made out of?

    the body of the bell in tinned brass (which splits!!) & the bottom of the bell is tinplate that is prone to rusting.. Just been thru soldering one up.

  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Further to Dave's post, the float is brass, the tank body is made of tin plated steel.
  • Traderquinn
    Traderquinn Member
    I'm curious what went wrong with the electric fuel pumps?
    What did you try that didn't work? I'm getting ready to switch mine over and would appreciate insight on what to do & NOT to do. 
  • Hans
    Hans Senior Contributor
    The two loops that connect to float, I have only seen that style on my Dodges.

    The exterior and other interior parts of the Pressure tanks are very similar, but the Dodges did not use the vacuum booster as Hud and Ess did in 1929.

    I did use a Dodge  tank until I obtained the one I wanted. I recall one tank was not as tall as H and E tank 

    Fuel pressure to carb from vacuum tank is VERY LOW, remember it is just gravety feed from aprox 12 inches.


  • tigermoth
    tigermoth Expert Adviser
    Mine being a ‘35, I am not an owner of a vacuum tank car, but everything I have read over the decades is, once these are set up they work really well. So my question is, why change over at all? 

    Regards, Tom

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