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Where to buy new gas tank / brand

My questions are: What grade of "stainless steel" (there are literally several grades thst may be suitable) is used? What is thickness (or gauge) of the material used? How is the perimeter seam (joining the top half and the bottom half) completed.....TIG, MIG, STICK, just mechanically crimped? How are the inlet fitting, outlet fitting including the sending unit attached? Is the completed assembly pressure tested and documented? Are they fabricated in the USA or China? Perhaps these are just my concerns....others may not care....
BOB RENTON
 
My questions are: What grade of "stainless steel" (there are literally several grades thst may be suitable) is used? What is thickness (or gauge) of the material used? How is the perimeter seam (joining the top half and the bottom half) completed.....TIG, MIG, STICK, just mechanically crimped? How are the inlet fitting, outlet fitting including the sending unit attached? Is the completed assembly pressure tested and documented? Are they fabricated in the USA or China? Perhaps these are just my concerns....others may not care....
BOB RENTON
304 18g stainless steel tig welded in Taiwan.
 
304 18g stainless steel tig welded in Taiwan.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION. To me, 18 gauge seems a little light, but if there are enough reinforcing ribs in the bottom half, flexing, due to road irregularities and fuel weight, will probably be OK. SS 304 stainless (8% nickel, 18% chrome, balance iron) would be OK, as long its not 304L (low carbon, <0.03%), as its not as stong. Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON
 
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION. To me, 18 gauge seems a little light, but if there are enough reinforcing ribs in the bottom half, flexing, due to road irregularities and fuel weight, will probably be OK. SS 304 stainless (8% nickel, 18% chrome, balance carbon) would be OK, as long its not 304L (low carbon, <0.03%), as its not as stong. Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON
You have me questioning the 18 gauge now, I’m gonna message the guy on eBay. I wanna make sure if it is 18g.

304 is the best you can get, that’s what your exhaust is made out of. It’s 409 you don’t want which magna flow and all those other exhaust companies make mufflers, that does rust.
 
You have me questioning the 18 gauge now, I’m gonna message the guy on eBay. I wanna make sure if it is 18g.

304 is the best you can get, that’s what your exhaust is made out of. It’s 409 you don’t want which magna flow and all those other exhaust companies make mufflers, that does rust.

SS304 is a decent grade, in terms of cost, availability and strength....SS304 is an austinetic stainless, which containes, chrome, nickel and iron. SS409 is a FERRITIC stainless steel, which contains predominantly chrome and iton and no nickel which allows better corrosion resistance.
DEFINATION: Alloy 409 is a general purpose, chromium, titanium stabilized, ferritic stainless steel whose primary application is automotive exhaust systems. It contains 11% chromium which is the minimum amount for the formation of the passive surface film which gives stainless steels their corrosion resistance normally austinetic stainless is non magnetic; FERRITIC stainless is magnetic. If I had a choice, I'd opt for SS316 for more corrosion resistance and strength at a higher cost.
BOB RENTON
 
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If it tank was made out of SS 316 stainless steel it would be about $1000.

Not necessarily.....Most, or nearly all stainless steel products (plate, pipe, fittings, gauge material) are sold based on the PERCENTAGE of nickel in the alloy PLUS a nickel surcharge, that fluctuates on the commodity price of nickel at the time the material order is placed with the supplier. In another lifelifetime, I've purchased all pipe, plate, etc as mill runs, example: 25,000 ft of 3" SA312W-TP 304/304H 20 ft long pipe plus the cost of production or 25 pcs of 1/2" thick 4'x12' SA240-304/304H PLATE......basically its total of the weight, alloy, nickel price in effect at order date.....its not like buying lunch meat......
BOB RENTON
 
I doubt anyone's going to spec 316 stainless on a repop fuel tank for corrosion, the cost is prohibitive for the application. next step - hastelloy gas tanks for b bodies? just go basic and keep fuel stabilizer in it for times of low use. the EFI-ready tanks are tempting though.
 
I doubt anyone's going to spec 316 stainless on a repop fuel tank for corrosion, the cost is prohibitive for the application. next step - hastelloy gas tanks for b bodies? just go basic and keep fuel stabilizer in it for times of low use. the EFI-ready tanks are tempting though.

To know conclusively and to make an informed decision, one would need to know the material cost for the alloy being considered. There are several grades of Hastelloy to consider although Hastelloy is best suited for high temperature extremely low Ph applications; likewise, Carpenter 20 or generic Alloy 20 are possibilities as well. SS 309 and SS 310, possibly as well as Inconel 800H or 800HT. After all, price is determined by the pounds of material used and the chosen alloy......but it's up to the consumer to decide for his/her application......
BOB RENTON
 
I agree Bob, it looks like the marine applications they definitely keep a very close eye on SS vs non-stainless along with the welds as you said. For us I think a quality 304 or 316 SS would be great, but I have heard a lot of good things about the canada-made spectre (AMD as distributor) with the ni-terne coating. The price appears to be a value for the reviews they get, my tank is due for a change and this is the one I have been looking at. I think the taiwanese SS304 tank would be a good option as well if the welds are solid.
 
I agree Bob, it looks like the marine applications they definitely keep a very close eye on SS vs non-stainless along with the welds as you said. For us I think a quality 304 or 316 SS would be great, but I have heard a lot of good things about the canada-made spectre (AMD as distributor) with the ni-terne coating. The price appears to be a value for the reviews they get, my tank is due for a change and this is the one I have been looking at. I think the taiwanese SS304 tank would be a good option as well if the welds are solid.

TERNE coat has been the standard fuel tank materials for many years. Terne material is an alloy of Terne plate and is a form of tinplate: a thin steel sheet coated with an alloy of lead and tin. The terne alloy was in the ratio of 10-20% tin and the remainder lead. The low tin content made it cheaper than other tinplates.
The country of manufacturer of the SS304, is not as important as the chemistry of the alloy. IF, it has an ASME material designation, as in SA240 - 304/304H, or 316/316H, then you should be able to acquire the material certification and test document (CMTR) which shows the heat numbet and its composition and mechanical properties....if this important to you. The joining weld procedures should be available as well, being TIG, MIG, SPOT or SubArc as well as a warranty for the vessel. Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON
 
Have you heard anything about the ni-terne?

Ni-terne steel is a lead-tin alloy of approximately 92% lead and 8% tin, which has a dull gray finish, is very ductile and has a lubricating characteristic that enhances formability in drawing operations. Terne is the least expensive alloy and is available in a variety of gauges and widths. Don't know about it's available or costs....
BOB RENTON
 
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