Impossibly tight fit between fuel pump and tank

[HornedToad]

After spending four hours unsuccessfully trying to install the fuel pump into my new-to-me ebay fuel tank, I whipped out my big calipers and took the following measurements comparing the opening of my old tank with the new:

Old opening parallel w/ tank longways (5.593in):

New opening parallel w/ tank longways (5.415in):

Old opening perpendicular w/ tank (5.589in):

New opening perpendicular w/ tank (5.525in):

So the new tank opening is 0.178in smaller longways and 0.064 smaller shortways which is a tremendous difference. I've tried everything short of using a 20-ton press (sarcasm) but I don't suspect the gasket would survive that anyway. Any advice from those who have successfully wrestled a fuel pump back in to a warped tank opening? Has anyone else observed this much variation in fitment with the fuel pump?

 

[macleanflood]

Heat it up, get it soft, force it in.

Insert warnings about open flames around gasoline vapors.

-Mac

 

[TheBoogieman]

Heat gun.

 

[Moglocker]

After spending four hours unsuccessfully trying to install the fuel pump into my new-to-me ebay fuel tank, I whipped out my big calipers and took the following measurements comparing the opening of my old tank with the new:

Old opening parallel w/ tank longways (5.593in):
View attachment 553270

New opening parallel w/ tank longways (5.415in):
View attachment 553271

Old opening perpendicular w/ tank (5.589in):
View attachment 553272

New opening perpendicular w/ tank (5.525in):
View attachment 553274

So the new tank opening is 0.178in smaller longways and 0.064 smaller shortways which is a tremendous difference. I've tried everything short of using a 20-ton press (sarcasm) but I don't suspect the gasket would survive that anyway. Any advice from those who have successfully wrestled a fuel pump back in to a warped tank opening? Has anyone else observed this much variation in fitment with the fuel pump?

It helped me to install the ring on by itself then heat everything up and then hurry up and install it with the pump on it,.use lots of grease too

 

[HornedToad]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I’ll try heating it when I get home next weekend and report back.

 

[TJ Jim]

No fuel in the new tank hopefully?

 

[OldBuzzard]

I believe it was @mrblaine who mentioned that a long-dry gas tank (from a wrecking yard, perhaps) will drop right into a Savvy gas tank skid, while a recently used one will have to be shoved pretty hard. They grow and shrink.

 

[HornedToad]

I believe it was @mrblaine who mentioned that a long-dry gas tank (from a wrecking yard, perhaps) will drop right into a Savvy gas tank skid, while a recently used one will have to be shoved pretty hard. They grow and shrink.

I can confirm this is absolutely the case with mine. The new tank dropped into my savvy skid easy peasy whilst the old one had to be wrestled out.

 

[DuckNut]

Can you stuff a deflated football in there, pump it up to desired size, stick it in the sun for a while.

Just thinking of the wall as direct heat can play some crazy, unsuspecting tricks.

 

[HornedToad]

Just wanted to follow up—I ended up carefully using a heat gun and @DuckNut ’s idea to inflate a rubber football inside the opening. It was a very effective combination and the fuel pump installed easily afterward. Thanks everyone for the input.

 

[DuckNut]

Just wanted to follow up—I ended up carefully using a heat gun and @DuckNut ’s idea to inflate a rubber football inside the opening. It was a very effective combination and the fuel pump installed easily afterward. Thanks everyone for the input.

Glad my made up chit worked. Glad you are back in business.