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Water in gas tank

1969CoronetR/T

Well-Known Member
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3:51 PM
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
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Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I had my 440 engine re-built and put a stroker kit in it to make it a 499 cid. The head gasket de-laminated after about 300 miles and the coolant blew out the driver side head. The heads were taken off last month after the car sat for a month or two in my heated garage and the Indy EZ-1 heads needed re-built as one of the springs broke (luckily no damage). New seals and better (heavier?) springs were installed in the heads and the engine builder thought I had bad gas as the pistons had a coating of 'slime' on them when he took the heads off. He purged my gas tank to clean the fuel system and noticed about a gallon of water in the bottom of my tank. He told me that the temperature fluctuation from hot to cold will cause condensation inside of the tank. Has anyone had a problem with water in their gas tanks? Good news is that I decided to go with front non-powered disc brakes in the front to help stop the R/T and looking at a Gear Vendors overdrive unit as it screams at 3,000 RPM doing 60 miles per hour. I should have it back next week and he has to dyno tune it again as it blew coolant over his shop last time he tried to dyno tune it. He is claiming it should make over 600 HP and torque. Will wait and see.
 
The condensation is normal as temperatures fluctuate and the car is not driven. But it can be minimized by keeping the tank full when the car is parked for a period of time. There is an old product called " Dri Gas "( dry gas ? ) that is available from any auto store under different names that will absorb the water into the gas. That much water took a long time to accumulate.
 
I picked up the R/T after it being dormant since August and put Heet additive it the tank to combat moisture during its winter nap. It is going to be in the 70's this week so hopefully I will get some more wheel time before it goes into storage. I had disc brakes put on the front and it now stops a lot better than the drums. I am guessing the discs took 40 pounds off of each wheel as I threw my back out putting the old drum brakes, master and plumbing in my warehouse. Daylight savings is chewing into my driving time until the spring. I hate the winter.
 
A gallon sounds like a lot. I use Sta-Bil too. Even in the 09 Challenger when it lays for 6 weeks. I would consider Gear Vendors after my TKO 5 experience. Good luck. My 440 has been together for ten years and a mere hiccup pisses me off.
 
Gas line anti freeze works for me, cheap and it sucks up any water, another thing I do is keep the tanks FULL, seems to help a bit. Also I will check for water with the paste, put it on a coat hanger and stick it to the bottom, if it comes out purple you have water...
http://www.amazon.com/Gasoila-AP02-...446423511&sr=8-2&keywords=water+finding+paste


not sure why it is so much on amazon, I use the brand kolor kut which is $50 on amazon, but I think $8 at the supply house lol, that weird, if anyone needs some and cant find it let me know I have tons of it or I can get you a tube and send it to you...
 
Stop using pump gas and switch to Aviation Gas (available at any airport where there are piston engine airplanes)........no ethanol, 100 octane......car will start and run a lot better and won't have the water problem.
 
The closest airport is Pittsburgh International and that is about half hour from me as well as few smaller airports. My compression is 9.3 (give or take a tenth) so I was told to stop using 115 leaded racing fuel as it does not burn completely, but I will ask him about avaiation fuel.
 
On our last trip to Moparfest in August, we had a nasty experience on the way home. The 73 was kicking and bucking and wouldn't move over 50 MPH. We limped it into the thruway service area and I knew I wasn't out of gas but filled it anyway. Then I remembered that my friend had told me that some stations around the Toronto area had been nabbed for having water in their tanks. Coincidence, big one yeah but after I filled it and put a bottle of "Heat" in, it was fine all the rest of the way home.
Has been since, I've not been able to duplicate it. But if felt just like running out of gas.
So my point is you don't know what you are pumping into your tank.
 
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