- Thread starter
- #26
95REGF150
10+ Year Contributor
- 447
- 242
- Mar 7, 2012
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Elk Grove,
California
To actually mount the AWD gas tank in the car there are again some studs that have to be added front and rear of the gas tanks for the AWD tank straps. The front 2 studs for the FWD tank are still there but farther inboard than the AWD tank. And in the rear we cut the FWD tank mounts earlier. Luckily the holes are already in the chassis for where the AWD tank studs should be you just have to figure out how to get bolts in them.
Here is another place where I found that AWD swap guides will differ. I saw many people taking a hole saw from inside the car and make an access hole so that a bolt could be dropped in from above. I found this method to be pretty messy and hard to keep looking good. So I went for a more subtle approach.
There are some other preexisting holes in the body near the holes where you need to add the bolts. These holes are already fairly large but I just took a die grinder and enlarged one of them slightly, enough for a bolt with decent size washer to fit through. Then I used some stiff wire and fished it from the large hole through to the smaller hole where I was looking to put the bolt. Tied some fishing line to the bolt and just dragged it through.
Took some fiddling but the results are that you can get the bolts in for the AWD tank without any serious cutting on the body. Only down side is the bolts are not held in place, I just welded some arms to them so that they cant spin in there. You just have to be careful when hoisting the tank into place that you dont push the bolts through. End result is this...
You can see the larger holes I'm talking about to the left and right of the strap bolts in this picture.
Here you can see the original FWD studs. About 2&4 inches inward from where the AWD studs go. I didn't bother to cut them off and grind them. May be able to use them for something else later on.
The FWD exhaust hanger also just barely cleared the tank. I would have cut this off if I had realized ahead of time.
And lastly I got all the lines hooked up and the filler neck installed. Everything fit great and much cleaner than the FWD stuff.
Next comes the AWD sub frame install. Finally!
Here is another place where I found that AWD swap guides will differ. I saw many people taking a hole saw from inside the car and make an access hole so that a bolt could be dropped in from above. I found this method to be pretty messy and hard to keep looking good. So I went for a more subtle approach.
There are some other preexisting holes in the body near the holes where you need to add the bolts. These holes are already fairly large but I just took a die grinder and enlarged one of them slightly, enough for a bolt with decent size washer to fit through. Then I used some stiff wire and fished it from the large hole through to the smaller hole where I was looking to put the bolt. Tied some fishing line to the bolt and just dragged it through.
Took some fiddling but the results are that you can get the bolts in for the AWD tank without any serious cutting on the body. Only down side is the bolts are not held in place, I just welded some arms to them so that they cant spin in there. You just have to be careful when hoisting the tank into place that you dont push the bolts through. End result is this...
You can see the larger holes I'm talking about to the left and right of the strap bolts in this picture.
Here you can see the original FWD studs. About 2&4 inches inward from where the AWD studs go. I didn't bother to cut them off and grind them. May be able to use them for something else later on.
The FWD exhaust hanger also just barely cleared the tank. I would have cut this off if I had realized ahead of time.
And lastly I got all the lines hooked up and the filler neck installed. Everything fit great and much cleaner than the FWD stuff.
Next comes the AWD sub frame install. Finally!