1977 CJ7 Fuel Filler Hose - One of a Kind

I am going to post a few notes here and there that cover little projects that I have recently accomplished prior to starting this blog. The first such note is about the gas tank on the 1977 CJ7.

My gas tank had rust holes in it so it had to be replaced. I ordered a new 15 gallon tank and a new tank level indicator (TLI) from J.C. Whitney with no problem. I bought new fuel hose at my local NAPA (thanks Tommy) and I set out with a can of PB Blaster to get the bolts that hold the tank skid plate to the rear frame. In the end I had to attack two of the bolts with an angle grinder to get them off. I decided to replace the fuel hose and the vent hose since I was in there ... but guess what: you can't get them. I looked and searched and contact all kinds of vendors and it turns out that the 1977 CJ7 had a "one off" filler hose set up. They changed the setup in 1977 from 1976 and didn't like it so they changed it again in 1978. Which means you can't get pre-bent (preformed) aftermarket fuel filler hose for the '77. I used a piece of generic hose to replace the vent hose and I reinstalled the old filler hose since it was still usable. I know when I go to replace it I will have to make something work.

Let me throw in another comment about this little project. While I had the tank out I decide to get the wire brush on the drill and take off loose rust on the underside of the body and frame and slap a coat of POR-15 up in there before I put the tank back in. I had heard GREAT things about POR-15 from many people and I bought a few quarts for projects such as this so I decided to slap some on. Here is the teaching point: make sure you really cover up when you use this stuff! I used the cheesy latex glove they provided and they tore while I was painting and I had a few exposed areas to so I got POR-15 on me in a few places. I discovered that not only does this stuff stick to rusty metal permanently ... it also sticks to sweaty people permanently. I scrubbed and scrubbed and couldn't get this stuff off of me. Solvents, cleaners, thinners, even nail polish remover ... FORGET IT! I had to wait for it to wear off. I went on the POR-15 website and there it was in black and white ... it bonds permanently to skin and must be worn off. They said it would take 3-5 days. It took two weeks. I am glad to know how well this stuff sticks, but take my advice and really cover up when you use it! Next time I am going to wear a bio-hazard suit or something.

Footnote: I order parts from J.C. Whitney, 4WD, and Quadratec as well as NAPA fairly frequently. I am not getting paid by any of these folks and I don't endorse any one over the other. I am simply telling you where I got it. Most of the Jeep parts in the catalogs are made by a handful of companies anyway ... so go with the supplier that is cheaper! I get many smaller parts from NAPA because they either have them or can get them fast and I don't pay for shipping.