[BillC]

And now, let's go after this lovely bunch of holes:


First step is to cut access holes in the outer three layers:


I found this little surprise inside the first layer. You can just see it in the bottom of the hole in the above picture. It's one of the bits that was hole cut -- it fell inside and was left there. Unfortunately, it's useless as a patch, so it goes in the scrap bin.


Second layer access:

The cut pieces for the first two layers will be saved and welded back in later.

Then, the third layer.

Once I got a little further into making the patch for the innermost hole, I realized I needed to make the third layer hole a little larger. I'll just make a larger patch later.

Now it's time to make a patch for the innermost layer, the heat duct tube. This is the masking tape method. First, put masking tape over the hole:


Then, use an x-acto knife and cut out the tape over the hole:


Remove the cut piece and place it on a piece of sheet metal:


Then, cut out the piece of sheet metal, and you have your patch:



Since this patch goes on a tube, I found a socket that's about the same diameter as the tube and shaped the patch over the socket.

[BillC]

The lovely bunch of holes, continued:

Here's the first patch in place. The screw is used as a handle to place the patch. After the patch is tacked in place, the screw will be removed and the hole welded over.


And all welded up:

I'm not going to bother grinding down the welds inside the hole. No one will see them once this is all done, and they will add a little strength.

I use the masking tape method to make all of the patches to replace missing metal. I'll spare you the repeated steps and just show each major step completed.

Here's the third layer patch completed:


The first part of the second layer patch -- re-attaching the piece that was cut out for access:


And the finish of the second layer patch:


That's enough for tonight. I'll tackle the outer layer patches tomorrow.

[BillC]

Since I know everyone is just dying with anticipation to see the end of the "lovely holes" fix, here it is:

Yesterday, I welded in the outer layer patches. Didn't get anything else done since CINC-House had other plans.


Today, I ground the welds down and then primed the patch.


Once the epoxy primer dries, I'll hit it with some high-build primer, sand it smooth and the holes will be gone.

I also installed the new Tangerine Racing stainless steel fuel lines. While I was in the engine compartment, I found this stunning example of prime DAPO-ism:

Instead of proper rubber grommets, they sleeved the holes with aluminum flashing. They did put some thought and effort into this, shaping the aluminum to hold the hoses centered and also not fall out. Just too bad they didn't think to do it properly. SMH

[BillC]

Time to do more work on the fuel system.

First, need to fit a new vinyl overflow tube to the gas tank (the old one was broken off too short). This was kind of a pain, since the tube has to stretch quite a bit to fit over the nipple. But, here's the result:


Next, is to mount the fuel pump and fuel filter. I'm mounting them up front, and need to make sure everything will fit and clear. I'm using a Tangerine Racing fuel pump mount. I decided to also make a mount for the metal fuel filter. Here's how I did it.

First, start with a strip of aluminum, 1" wide by 2.5" long and fold a "Z" bend in the middle:


Then, shape one end over a socket:


Here's the finished bracket:


And, all the brackets mounted:


I'll install fuel lines and run wires tomorrow.

[HoodPin]

FWIW, I've been doing some hot tub repairs lately, and heating the end of the vinyl helps A LOT.

[BillC]

Originally Posted by HoodPin

FWIW, I've been doing some hot tub repairs lately, and heating the end of the vinyl helps A LOT.

Yes, it does. Still was a pain, though.

Anyway, finally got the pump, filter and hoses installed. Also ran a pair of wires from the rear to the front to power the pump. Here's what it looks like, before the tank goes in:

I ran the wires through the center tunnel, and drilled a hole in the bulkhead to connect to the pump. I fitted a grommet to protect the wires (can be seen in the above pic).

Since the snorkel tube was cracked open, I took advantage of the break to run the wires through it and up into the engine compartment.


Once the pump wires were run, I decided to fix the snorkel. If you are very careful with CA glue, the factory rubber bits glue together nicely. A tip for accurately placing the glue is to put a drop on the tip of a small screwdriver and then use the screwdriver to spread the glue. And, work in small sections, starting at the ends of the crack and work towards the center.

Almost as good as new.

[Dr K]

Hopefully you can get to the fuel filter without removing the gas tank, right?

[rothaus]

Originally Posted by Dr K

Hopefully you can get to the fuel filter without removing the gas tank, right?

Based on the picture above, the tank is out. It need also to come out to access the fresh air blower and the wimpy wiper as well. Ask why I know, LOL.

Cheers
Engelbert

[racer]

Originally Posted by rothaus

Based on the picture above, the tank is out. It need also to come out to access the fresh air blower and the wimpy wiper as well. Ask why I know, LOL.

Cheers
Engelbert

I think the good doctors point was how accessible will the fuel pump be once the tank is reinstalled. That's why when Porsche moved it up front they made an access panel in the front trunk to get to the fuel pump w/o having to remove the tank.

Bill - keep up the good work!

[BillC]

Yes, with this setup, the tank will need to be pulled to change the pump or the filter. However, since the car is now in "toy" status, and given how long modern pumps and filters last, changing the filter will most likely be something my kids/grandkids (or maybe a future owner) will have to worry about. And, as Engelbert pointed out, the tank has to come out for almost any work under the hood anyway; except for draining it, the tank is pretty easy to remove/install with two people.