Help with gas tank carriage bolt

Help, tore out old gas filler tube thinking that would be hardest part now cant get stupid nut off carriage bolt, nothing to hold it, top of bolt just spins, i was going to cut it off with my dremel tool but sparks started flying and i figured that wasnt the smartest thing with gas fumes around, been fighting with this :;:/:;;;(,,:: thing for two hours, thanks

Thomas

If its long enough, run two more nuts up on the bolt and use them to jam together so bolt wont spin. Then use wrench on jam nuts to hold bolt and wrench on existing nut to loosen.

Nut is right on the end, not enough room

try body saw. or sawzall. Little to no sparks. To be honest, I wouldn't be afraid to use a grinder and whiz wheel.

Nut is right on the end, not enough room

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Since you have it loose and pressure off the tank

You should be able to use a hammer and any long tool to hit it near the head and just drive it over and it will drop out of the slot

The strap will flex enough, once down on the ground you can cut it off

Since the top of the carriage bolt still had four sides but was spinning up in there i managed to jam a large flat head screw driver up in there to take up the slack, luckily the nut came off, glad i didnt have to resort to hammer, thanks all, I don't know what i would do without this forum

Thomas

If you have the nut to the end of the bolt you should be able to get above the nut with vise grips and hold it. I just took mine off last week and the bolt is sooo long a deep socket would not go to the nut. I did not have a hollow 9/16 for some reason. Lift up tank and strap clamp vise grip and get the nut off.

I guess I got lucky with mine, the nuts came right off no problems. I did replace the 4" carriage bolts with 3/8 X3 1/2" GALVANIZED carriage bolts and nuts. Won't rust again. I would have got 4" but the store was out, 3 1/2" work just as well, but you'll need to push up on the strap a bit more to get the nut started.

See my post on replacing the fuel system. I would also look at your fuel lines, they are likely rusty inside. Replace with SS would be my best advice.

Did the same with mine on disassembly several years ago. Needed some help from the wife to undo the nut while I applied pressure to the flat of the carriage bolt. Definitely keep this issue in mind during reassembly.