94CivicSi

iTrader: (1)

Has anyone here tackled fuel tank replacement on 98-02 F23 Accord?

On my Civics, I can have the tank out in under 30 minutes. My Niece's '01 Accord started to leak, so I figured, no big deal to replace it for her. Come to find out the tank is installed on top of the rear subframe on the CG6, so the entire thing has to be dropped w/ suspension and brakes intact to replace it.

Among my concerns:

• car is very rusty. Do the (4) subframe-to-body bolts tend to get seized up on the body side? If I shear even one of them off, I'm sunk.
• Am I going to be able to get the car up high enough on jackstands to slide the subframe and tank out from underneath it? Videos I've watched of the process usually have the car on a lift.

Looks like a crap job to tackle in an unheated garage over the next couple of weekends. Is it not as bad as it seems, or should I steer clear of this project?

shipo

I did my 2001 on a lift and used an impact gun to pull the bolts; the constant hammering allows the bolts to work their way out while shrugging off the effects of the rust. If I had to do it again, I'd pay someone to do it; this is a stinky job and a couple hundred dollars is, in my opinion, worth it to get this job done.

As an aside, while the tank is out, I'd have the brake lines and fuel lines replaced as well, trust me, if the tank has rusted through on the top, the lines are not far from the same fate.