The fuel tap that fits to the opening in the base of the fuel tank was quite dirty and the tap itself was very difficult to turn. I took it apart and gave it a clean with emery cloth. 

I decided that the spring that holds the tap in place was far too robust and strong and that was what made it virtually impossible to turn. I therefore got hold of a new spring, made out of thinner wire, to reduce the tension on the tap.

 

Although the new spring is nearly twice as long as the old one, it is easier to compress. It still keeps a good amount of tension on the tap, which is important, as we don’t want any fuel leaks!

 

The tap was reassembled and the new spring fitted. I also fitted a new split pin as well.

 

Since I last posted, I have also clean out the inside of the fuel tank, using the caustic solution that came with the tank sealing kit. This was diluted with water and poured into the tank along with a handful of clean nuts, bolts and screws and given a good shake around. The dirty solution is then tipped out and the process repeated. This has removed most of the dirt and rust from the inside of the tank. 

Having had a week to dry, the second part of the process was to pour the sealer solution into the tank. This is sloshed about by rotating the tank in all directions to ensure that all of the internal surfaces are thoroughly coated. The tank is then drained and will now be left for a further week for the sealer to cure / harden.