Gas leak near steering column

[bluesman31]

I just acquired a 1928 A and drove it 40 or so miles and at the end of the drive noticed dripping from the end of the formed channel by the firewall where all the wires, cables, etc run behind the gas gauge. It was clear that the gas gauge was old and had been leaking for some time, BUT this was the easy part I think.....

The car sat for 2 weeks and I noticed new stains by the brake Pedal on the floor mat in line with the steering column. Upon further inspection I also noticed some stains in the paint under the dash by the steering column bracket. I have attached a pic.

I rebuilt and replaced the gas gauge last night, but I am wondering if this leakage by the steering column could be caused by the gauge? It is not close by and some of the stains are high towards where the column attaches. It is too salty and nasty out here in the northeast to go for another drive and splash some fuel around and see if it keeps leaking.

When I removed the gas gauge I looked inside the tank, and it looks like new, beautiful grey with no evidence of rust, almost too new.

Is there any way to inspect the bottom exterior of the fuel tank above the steering column without huge dis-assembly? Is the steering column riveted directly tot he tank?

How is this repair done without dis assembly?

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by bluesman31

I just acquired a 1928 A and drove it 40 or so miles and at the end of the drive noticed dripping from the end of the formed channel by the firewall where all the wires, cables, etc run behind the gas gauge. It was clear that the gas gauge was old and had been leaking for some time, BUT this was the easy part I think.....

The car sat for 2 weeks and I noticed new stains by the brake Pedal on the floor mat in line with the steering column. Upon further inspection I also noticed some stains in the paint under the dash by the steering column bracket. I have attached a pic.

I rebuilt and replaced the gas gauge last night, but I am wondering if this leakage by the steering column could be caused by the gauge? It is not close by and some of the stains are high towards where the column attaches. It is too salty and nasty out here in the northeast to go for another drive and splash some fuel around and see if it keeps leaking.

When I removed the gas gauge I looked inside the tank, and it looks like new, beautiful grey with no evidence of rust, almost too new.

Is there any way to inspect the bottom exterior of the fuel tank above the steering column without huge dis-assembly?

this has been discussed many times here:
the repairs varied form using jb weld, or assorted epoxys to soldering the tank and reinforcing the rivets or removing the tank and cutting it open to fix it right.
regardless its not a pretty sight
thats one of the top 10 items i check when looking for a car..

[bluesman31]

I didn't realize how common an issue this is. Thanks found the links

Does the cowl have to be completely disassembled and removed and repainted on a 28 Phaeton to remove the tank??

[29Cabriolet]

Originally Posted by bluesman31

How is this repair done without dis assembly?

I did mine by removing the tank. A pretty significant task. On the Cabriolet the tank is under the cowl not a part of it like many other body styles. Once the tank was out, I had the rivets welded in place and replaced the column mount with the later '31 style. And I had interior of the tank coated with a sealer by a local radiator shop. Since most of the firewall had to come out to allow removal of the tank, and much of the ignition wiring was disconnected, I took the opportunity to replace all the ignition wiring.

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by bluesman31

I didn't realize how common an issue this is. Thanks found the links

Does the cowl have to be completely disassembled and removed and repainted on a 28 Phaeton to remove the tank??

On a 28 you can remove the tank relatively easily (vs a 30-31) and must do this to do a proper repair. You might be able to make some sort of patch with the tank in place, but if you want to make it pretty it will have to come out.

[bluesman31]

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Originally Posted by 29Cabriolet

I did mine by removing the tank. A pretty significant task. On the Cabriolet the tank is under the cowl not a part of it like many other body styles.

Wow, that is good to know that the tank is not the cowl!

[fredski]

Remove the steering wheel bracket by cutting it off close to
The tank. Buy a new bracket available aftermarket that
Attaches under the dash just under the windshield frame.
It will look pretty well stock.now try and seal area from outside tank.

I did this modification with out leaking tank just in case !

Others here may recommend a good type of sealer.

Fredski

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by fredski

Remove the steering wheel bracket by cutting it off close to
The tank. Buy a new bracket available aftermarket that
Attaches under the dash just under the windshield frame.
It will look pretty well stock.now try and seal area from outside tank.

I did this modification with out leaking tank just in case !

Others here may recommend a good type of sealer.

Fredski

You don't have to cut the bracket off the tank. Just remove the lower half, then install the dash hanger. People leveraging themselves in with the tank bracket in place is one of the causes of the leak. The dash hanger eliminates that stress.

[Synchro909]

RHD brackets that go under the dash rail are not available so I made my own. They are just long enough to lower the column a few millimetres so that there is no pressure on the original bracket. The bottom half of the original bracket is used to clamp the column to the new one. In some cases, that has been enough to stop the leak, others I have sealed from outside with an epoxy putty. It doesn't look original so it won't please everybody but works well and provides an excellent place to mount those extra instruments discussed in a recent thread.

[fredski]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

RHD brackets that go under the dash rail are not available so I made my own. They are just long enough to lower the column a few millimetres so that there is no pressure on the original bracket. The bottom half of the original bracket is used to clamp the column to the new one. In some cases, that has been enough to stop the leak, others I have sealed from outside with an epoxy putty. It doesn't look original so it won't please everybody but works well and provides an excellent place to mount those extra instruments discussed in a recent thread.

They are available order a3520 snyders. 1931 model a fords used
this revised bracket and not attached to tank.

On search ther is inf on this bracket.

Fredski

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by fredski

They are available order a3520 snyders. 1931 model a fords used
this revised bracket and not attached to tank.

On search ther is inf on this bracket.

Fredski

Fredski, this is LHD. RHD is not available. Please re read my post.

[fredski]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

Fredski, this is LHD. RHD is not available. Please re read my post.

Did not realize car was lhd. Still wonder why it would not work the same,but what do I know.

Fredski

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by fredski

Did not realize car was lhd. Still wonder why it would not work the same,but what do I know.

Fredski

Because of the curve of the dash, the angle at the top is reversed. I bought a LHD one and cut it up to use as a pattern to have some cast in aluminium. Worked a treat. I have even sent some to the US.

[2935ford]

Hopefully a warning to those of you who get in and out of your A's putting leverage on the steering wheel.......like stated.....a very common practice but not healthy for that area of the gas tank.
I was also guilty of this but after hearing about this problem stopped using the steering wheel to help me in and out of the car.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by fredski

Remove the steering wheel bracket by cutting it off close to
The tank. Buy a new bracket available aftermarket that
Attaches under the dash just under the windshield frame.
It will look pretty well stock.now try and seal area from outside tank.

I did this modification with out leaking tank just in case !

Others here may recommend a good type of sealer.

Fredski

This was done on mine before i bought it.

[Tom Wesenberg]

If I was looking to buy a car, I would give the price quite a deduction if the bracket was cut off. My 29 Tudor has solder around the bracket, and the dash rail bracket added. They simply left the rubber off the old bracket, and all is fine. I also make sure I don't grab the steering wheel for leverage getting in and out.

[29Cabriolet]

Originally Posted by bluesman31

Wow, that is good to know that the tank is not the cowl!

I can only say that for my Cabriolet. I know that is not true for many other body styles, but do not know which ones may have the "under cowl" design.

[ericr]

I think we have discussed here previously that it was apparently a common practice in that era to enter parked cars from the passenger side, at least with closed cars....at least that is how the old movies consistently depict it. I believe technically many cities have traffic laws forbidding entering from the street side of a parked car, though they don't enforce those laws.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

You don't have to cut the bracket off the tank. Just remove the lower half, then install the dash hanger. People leveraging themselves in with the tank bracket in place is one of the causes of the leak. The dash hanger eliminates that stress.

Way back in July '14 when I was shopping for my first A, the guy I eventually bought my '30 Town Sedan from pointed out some trouble areas to inspect while shopping. This was one of them.

Altho I don't have this problem (yet) this thread has prompted me to install the dash hanger on my '30 TS as "preventative maintenance". I had my Bratton's "wish list" made out and after reading the above post I realized I didn't need to buy the lower half, saving me ~ $11. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Synchro909

...provides an excellent place to mount those extra instruments discussed in a recent thread.

Yes... In my thread about the water temperature gauge I was wondering where to mount it. Another good idea. Thanks.

Partz on order...

[Tom Wesenberg]

Another thing you should never do is turn the steering wheel when the car isn't moving. This puts undue stress on everything from scrubbing the tires to the gas tank bracket, and every part inbetween. Even slow movement, like parallel parking removes much of this stress. I see people cranking the wheel from side to side while parking, with the car NOT moving, and I cringe. Even on a modern car with power steering, all those parts feel the stress, even though the power steering removes that feeling from the driver.