Hey! its late, let me ask some stupid questions

[bighappy]

I was debating on using my fuel cell in the 78 I just got and got an answer when I noticed some sort of redneck patch job on the gas tank tonight. Theres bolts on both ends of the straps, which ones come out first to get the tank out? There was a single core radiator in the car to be replaced by a 4 core aluminum one I have. Would that single core be for a 6 cylinder car? Is it worth trying to find someone who needs it? And lastly, the dreaded electrical questions. Theres 4 red wires spliced together in the harness on the firewall. I figured out the 2 for the starter but the other 2? Theres a pink wire for the distributor and a seperate red wire for the alternator. The remaining 2 red wires have connectors on the ends and one also has a black wire along side with a double connector. The repair manual I have has the worst wire diagrams Ive ever seen. Half the wires arent even on there and most that are shown dont match the colors in the car. Thanks in advance.

[jade76]

Take any bolt out first but technically the bolt closest to the differential will have to come out for the filler neck to slide out of the opening. I usually remove the bolts furthest away first though and let the tank come down enough to disconnect the wires from the sender. The rad sounds like a 6 cylinder and you could offer it to someone if it's in good condition. Finally, I have an extra large red wire with a brown snap connector in my harness as well and I believe it normally would go to a junction box on the firewall for accessories and stuff (It stays constantly hot). The other one may have been for A/C, but don't quote me on that.

Hope this helps some!

[Green Dragon]

Can't help with the electrical, unfortunately without seeing it or more details.. sounds like someone butchered it for you :confused:

As for the gas tank, we took the rear-most bolts out first ( backwards of Tony), then the front one on the passenger side only - the front end of the straps need unbolted then pushed upwards to get out , they have a sort of 'hook' bend on the end that fits up into the bracket.
we found them easier to remove when the bak end was unbolted.

you can not get the tank out with just the back bolts undone, unless you have a lift, or it's very high off the ground (then you could bend the straps forward enough to gett he filler neck out - for us, the straps hit the ground and can't be bent forward enough to get the filler neck out .

just carefully 'play with it' until it comes out, being carefull of the fuel sender wires as Tony noted ( one black ground wire screwed intot he floor brace, and a second brown/orange wire that goes up through the floor intot he trunk - this has a rubber grommet that can be pushed out the bottom for removal (be sure to unplufg from the trunk harness, of course, lol )

the Radiator sounds like the 'generic' 2 core ( never seen a single core ever ),as used in 6 cyl or small V8 cars (21" wide ? ).
I'd replace it, or have recored - I knoe that a 3 core radiator core can be installed into a 2 core rad ends, since that's what we had domne on my bro's 73.
We did run a 2 core in our 396 car, with minimal trouble unless you made it into late rounds and had to go 'round-robbin' , then it'd overheat.

since you;re talking a 4th gen car - my reccommendation would be to find a long ( wider ) radiator, as used on air conditioned cars - you might have to cut the core support, but the marks are there from factory.
actually, if your 2 core * IS * the wider version, i'd have no second thoughts about running with a mild street V8.
otherwise hunt down a good 3 core A/C rad and top holddown .

~ AL

[bighappy]

Jade, Id have to go with you on the wires. As they still have all the connector type ends I dont think they were "butchered". It is a V8 a/c car so Id also guess the remaining wires were for a/c or some sort of emissions crap. Green, The radiator is a single core. Maybe its not even a Nova unit all together. This car was a stripped down sbc drag car so it was probably just good enough to keep water and reduce weight. I have an aluminum Summit radiator Id bought for another project thatll be going in. As for the tank, I had a 79 T/A that I had to take a tank out of and it seems like a similar setup. I took the bolts out near the diff. first and it too had the "hooks" on the end of the straps. Now that Ive had some sleep Ill get out and get some work done.

[jade76]

I forgot about the front side of straps having the hook in it, it's been a while since I did mine. But if you loosen the back side first to remove the wires as I mentioned, you'll already be half way there.