One day I happened to be walking past my 1946 2n Ford tractor and thought I smelled gasoline fumes. After a quick once over, sure enough I found a leak coming from the bottom of its fuel tank. I have seen this type of leak before on a different tractor that I replaced a fuel tank in, and I knew that I would have to replace this tank as well. Things just seem to go wrong at the most inopportune moments. I ordered the tank and waited for its delivery.

It was not long before a delivery person left a nicely-painted, well-made fuel tank at my gate. I picked a nice day to tackle the job, and grabbed a few tools. This repair really is not difficult, and one person can do it, but it helps to have two people when lifting the hood from the tractor. The tank is attached to the underside of the hood and together the weight adds to the degree of difficulty.

The repair began with the bumper removal first. If you do not have a bumper, then there is one step less to do. The carburetor fuel line is next on the removal list, followed by the fuel filter. Oh, I forgot to mention that you will want to drain the tank of all its fuel first. Usually this sort of tank leak is caused by a very tiny rust spot on the inside, and it is more of a seep than a running, dripping leak, so there may be some fuel left in the tank. You can attempt a patch repair instead of a tank replacement; however, you may have to address the leaking issue again later. I recommend replacing the tank.

Next, I removed the lower hood bolts. These are located at the bottom of the hood and close to the front axle. The battery was next on the list and after its removal the upper hood/dash bolts were easier to get. The carburetor air intake and filter pipe needs to be disassembled and removed to make lifting the hood from the tractor. After all this is done, and a quick check to make sure nothing else is attached such as the electrical lines for the lights, and the radiator cap, then the hood can be removed.

Now the fun begins. The hood needs to be jockeyed up and away from the dash. It can be frustrating getting past the steering wheel and I often thought of removing the steering wheel just to make that task easier. However, I have not removed the steering wheel yet in two tank repairs, and an alternator / generator conversion repair. As I mentioned before, it helps to have two people when lifting the hood off, but I have done it alone at least twice.

After the hood is off, I place it upside down on the ground. The tank is attached with four bolts and the removal is quite easy. The tank has rubber insulating strips to avoid rubbing contact with the hood and I recommend replacing or renewing these with some tape or old inner tube rubber.  Once the new tank is installed I just reverse the steps and soon my old 1946 Ford 2N is as good as new. Anyway, at least the fuel tank is. This is not a difficult repair. You can do it!