update . . .
Fuel tank woes :/
So I decided to fix my tank ( when i renewed the fuel line the little pipe from the tank snapped off as they invariably do ), so I removed all interior trim, the estate is particularly awkward in this respect, and exposed the tank. I disconnected the filler hose ( it fell away in sticky bits is what i mean ) and removed all the screws and sender unit.
The sender unit was in a bad way, covered in grey sludge, i can only assume that what ever the unit was made from had decided to disintegrate after so many years with old petrol fumes attacking it. I lifted the tank...well tried to, it was bloody heavy so i guess it was full. I positioned a catch tray under the tank and tipped it so all the old fuel came out of the filler pipe... it stank, and was a deep red, like wine, bit odd. Anyway after draining most of the stuff out i lifted the tank, which was still bloody heavy, again I thought 'odd', so i poked about with a screw driver and pushed a caked mass of crunchy black 'stuff' out of the filler hole, more oking about and i discovered the entire tank was full of this stuff, it was caked all over the bottom of the tank, there was no way i could get all this rubbish out so i decided to take the plung and cut the top off the tank.
This is what was in it . . .
nasty huh . . .
so i cleaned it all out . . .
cut a piece of steel to fit the top and fitted the breather tube and sender fitting ring . . .
Made up a baffle plate and welded it on ( welds are a bit *Bleep* as i'd ran out of wire so i used the trusty arc ) . . .
And using a special petrol resistant bonding agent ( local farm stores supplied that one ) I fixed it to the tank ( yes i did remember to repair the fuel line in the tank i just forgot to take a picture ) and left it overnight to cure . . .
And gave it all a lick of stone chip black and re-fitted it in the viva. . .
not a bad job i think