Recently dropped the tank on my '53 Manhattan. It seems to be in decent shape structurally. Bottom is dented but doesn't seem to be any rust through. However, when I took the sending unit out and looked down in there I realized that the pickup tube on this tank is not like other tanks I've worked on. It is not part of the sending unit. It is actually a separate piece that is soldered/brazed into the tank from the side. The internal tubing looks pretty bad. I think It needs to be replaced. But how to get to it? Looks like you'd have to melt the solder, replace the tube, and re-solder. Or maybe cut the tank open and weld it back together. Has anyone dealt with this?
Even if I cleaned the tank out and the tubing wasn't that bad after all, how would you coat the inside of the tank with that tube in there? Wouldn't the coating solidify inside the tubing and clog it up?
