Hoping to find some obscure knowledge on the 48 Business Coupe. I believe this matches the sedan delivery as far as what I am after. Briefly: Does the 48 Stylemaster business coupe's filler neck really just unbolt from the gas tank as it appears to?
More details: due to my car going through fuel filters like their coffee filters, I am having a new stainless steel tank made this winter for my 48 Stylemaster Business Coupe. Luckily someone (Rock Valley Auto - RVA) knows how to make a tank for the business coupes. Unfortunately, they don't have schematics on the filler neck, which I would also like to have replaced as it too is looking a little worse for wear on the inside. And unfortunately, nobody sells a replacement neck for the business coupe.
RVA offered to make a new filler neck though, they just need me to send them mine. Well, I have gone down to the neck before and indeed just got the wood back up so I could look at it again, and unlike what I can find of other 48 Chevy models, it seems the business masters neck is bolted on? There are two nuts on two bolts that appear to hold it in place. I can see the separation between the base plate of the neck and the tank, and I know for semi-fact that the neck is held in place by its connection to the tank, and nothing else. So, it would certainly appear at first glance I can undo these two nuts, and ta-da, the neck is off.
Well, I tried, and they don't have an interest in budging so far. I think someone coated the outside of the tank in something which has effectively blocked the threads as well as frozen the nuts in place, so I still think this is doable with some cleaning. But, I thought it worth asking to make sure this is indeed supposed to be removable before I try anything drastic. None of the manuals really clarify if this is possible from what I have seen - some of them mention removing the neck but it's not clear what exactly they mean by that.
If the interior of the tank is as bad as you describe I would not waster any more time and effort saving it. Unless the shop cuts the tank apart they will never be able to remove all the sealer that someone put into it. My guess is that there is some sealer still adhering to the walls but it will keep flaking off after you start driving the car.
I kept trying to “save” the original tank on my ‘37. Every 2 or 3 years I would have to remove it and have it cleaned. I also had a Fram G5 filter at the tank outlet that I had to change every 750 miles. The tank kept shedding a very fine rust.
If I had kept the car much longer I was going to replace the tank. I had way more money in it than the cost of the new tank.
