165 lb boat anchor

I dropped my fuel tank today and found a giant piece of metal bolted above it. I'm guessing most of you have this weight removed long ago? should I remove it while I have access to it?

the fuel line that goes into the top of the tank was in bad shape. it looked like somebody had spliced a piece of copper tube and wrapped the ends in rubber (no flared ends) ... possilby to fix a leak? I tried to follow that crusty and cracked hose and it seemed to go UP into that corner just under the driver's tail light and then did a U and back down and ducked into the frame rail..., does that sound right?

is that a fuel return from the engine? I want to replace the whole piece of hose. it's not easy to figure anything out under there as there is around an inch of hardened tar (some sort of old undercoating) and years of mud. does it NEED to go up and loop back down? I'm guessing it needs to be higher than the fuel filler?

maybe I'm not making sense after all those gasoline fumes. btw, inside of my tank looks to be in good shape, fuel filler neck is a bit rusty.

This video will show the importance of the weight. I know it's a pick-up, but the same thing can happen with a van. I hear that some work vans were ordered without the weight because they were going to be adding a lot of weight themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D1nqEqs0iY

The fuel tank vent line goes up into the left rear corner of the van. If you crimp the line, expect to be at the pump for a while when filling up!

That video was funny..it needed some bad porn music behind it.
Best part was the backwards wheelie..

that is a great clip. OK, I get to leave the weight in.

but that fuel vent line, is it just open at the other end? that'd be great as I need to replace the whole thing. it's all split and cracked.

I assume it goes up into that corner and has an upside down U fitting and then got piped down into the frame rail? that is what mine looks like.

Definitely leave the weight in!

Anyone know if the added weight from the factory was suffiecient to keep the nose from diving and the rear wheels coming off the ground in a panic stop. Also, that is the third time I have seen a picture with the tailgate not as high as the bed sides. Was that pre-production or did the early 1961 Econolines get sold with the short height tailgate.

twday wrote:Anyone know if the added weight from the factory was suffiecient to keep the nose from diving and the rear wheels coming off the ground in a panic stop. Also, that is the third time I have seen a picture with the tailgate not as high as the bed sides. Was that pre-production or did the early 1961 Econolines get sold with the short height tailgate.

The short tailgate was optional. It was referred to as a grain gate. The farmers or whoever could put the gate all the way down with no bumper on and back up to the loading docks that way. The normal tailgate would drag the ground.

there is a video like this comparing skodas and octavias. strangely they are quite evenly matched. within seconds of driving on mud both cars became stuck. when oxen were used to pull the cars free both vehicles tore in half at roughly the same spot. similarities abounded in a hard brake test as well. when brakes were fully locked at 27mph (top speed) all of the magnesium brake drums suddenly ignited. other suspicious coincidences were noted for tests including:

1) elapsed time from depression of cigarette lighter to total immolation
2) number of pints of oil consumed per hundred feet
3) hill climb/ head gasket consumption ratio
4) rates of monoxide fatalities per mile
5) number of oxen and or goats needed for a tow back into the village.

and if these facts alone did not suggest industrial espionage between these two automotive mega powers, then what about the hard fact born out by history itself.... that the skoda and octavia decreased in market value fully 15/16ths once towed from the dealer by the happy new owner. yes friends we have seen this type of collusion before.

so there yugo...

I knew there was a logical answer to my questions! LOL

Sounds strangely like General Motors.

I thought I was wrong was but I was mistaken...

HA! I'll have some of what steve is having.

back to my fuel hose. I found an auto shop w/ that section that goes between the fuel filler neck and tank, I had to buy more than a foot of it. goodyear type a2 hose. cost me $25 and I'm gonna have enough left over if anybody else needs some.

I took the weight off my '65 van and replaced the rear bumper with a steel angle that weighed about the same.

i took mine out and replaced it with something i made out of plywood to look like the cast iron one. it adds support to the floor and keeps the gastank in the right spot. i also added a 65 lbs trailer hitch and 2 deep cycle marine batterys in the back thats got to be close to what the cast iron thing was

Its not a big issue with the vans, but the pickups tend to be lighter in the rear and can actually tip forward in a panic stop.

I took the weight out of my old stock 67 with auto and a 240. Rear end would like to come around on a fast stop in the rain. I'd leave it in a p-up but take it out of the van--assuming I usually had it loaded with something. Just drive it nice when empty. Of course, probably best not to f with somebody else's engineering--just hard to justify so much rust weight. I thought it weighed closer to 200 after a hard, hot day trying to drop it and drag it to a dumpster.

Good luck and don't sue me if you wreck as it is just an opinion :-)

I do plan to add an auxilary batter back there and some HW flooring. but the 9 inch rear end must also be adding a good bit of weight.

I also might tow a trailer at times, adding tongue weight. I can't see dragging that extra weight all the time. extra weight makes things accelerate slower and makes brakes work harder while hurting MPG.

OK heres my question - as im not aware of this weight. Do all 1st & 2nd gen vans have this weight above the fuel tank or just the ones with a 6 cyl. engine?? Thanx in advance .

since we are talking econolines, they were all 6ers and all early (first gen) had them as afar as I know.

ok great thanx

therefore this 61 econo I have here will have that weight?

Only 1st gens had the weights,not 2nd gens. Early 61's came without them but were recalled to have it dealler added. If dealer added,the holes in bed floor were drilled and therefore round. Factory ones were stamped square. I have extra weights if anyone needs one.

EconoUSAparts wrote:Only 1st gens had the weights,not 2nd gens. Early 61's came without them but were recalled to have it dealler added. If dealer added,the holes in bed floor were drilled and therefore round. Factory ones were stamped square. I have extra weights if anyone needs one.

Tim thats good to know but Im sure shipping would be a buck or two?.....

Thanx -ill look for the holrs in the floor