Panel removal.

[T1 Terry]

"roll the edges of the piece you remove, or add a rolled edge, to keep that reasonable rigid, then you would have access to the fuel tank area'"

Can you elaborate more about that quote Terry How would one roll the edge or add a rolled edge ?...plus that would if done make it smaller a lot more than the hole it came from.
Bernie.

Sorry for the late reply Bernie, started the reply this morning but had to travel to Adelaide for that exciting "needles in the eyes" trip, an all day event because I can't drive afterwards, Brian (Homeless) enjoys the day out and Margaret enjoys having Brian along as a shopping buddy, so I get to sit in the car and babysit the dogs while they check out the shops at ... well, just about anywhere/every where in Adelaide

If look on You Tube, there are a heap of tutorials ranging from hand tool only up to hand held tools to do the job.

But personally, I'd go for the likes of these https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_fro ... s&_sacat=0
where you use the piece you cut out of the body as the filler in the frame of the door. The easiest method would be to bolt the new tank to the piece you cut out and mount that in the door, then you can open the door complete with the tank so you can drain tank each summer, change the filter, Part fill the tank with kero and run the heater on straight kero for about 15 mins to clean out any diesel that could wax or gather a fungal growth in the lines or the heater, plus it cleans the burner ....

T1 Terry

[BernieQ2]

Thanks Terry. But the small door wouldn't work it would have to be all that panel because of the location of the fuel flap.it would have to cover both plus all the heater tank to work.
Bernie.

[Greynomad]

The diesel heater we had fitted to GIRT (2003 Winnie Explorer — now sold) was plumbed into the main fuel tank.
The inlet pipe did not go to the bottom of the tank, so when the diesel heater had drunk its fill and sputtered out there was still 25% of your fuel left.
Good thinking on someone's part!
Never had any problems with air leaks or diesel smells inside.

[T1 Terry]

Thanks Terry. But the small door wouldn't work it would have to be all that panel because of the location of the fuel flap.it would have to cover both plus all the heater tank to work.
Bernie.

Hmmm.... If the door was the size of the heater tank, the fuel return from the diesel engine could feed into the heater tank and an overflow hose at around 3/4 capacity of the heater tank, return excess fuel to the main fuel tank .... but then, you may as well draw straight from the fuel tank.
You could make a screw on extension for the diesel heater fuel tank to get it to reach the fuel filler cap for easy refilling, then the door only needs to be the size of the diesel fuel tank.

Or
You could drill out the retaining screws for the broken tank, fit cross nuts to the holes in the new tank, slide it up into position and screw it in place ....

T1 Terry

[supersparky]

Yep, I reckon plan B is the go. I've got a rivnut gun if you need it Bernie.

[BernieQ2]

It's not as easy as one thinks...first I would have to remove said heater tank....I need very small hands plus some how get a spanner in there to get onto the nuts which are in the recess so someone else then to undo the bolts from outside. About two inch's between both tanks...
Bernie.

[BruceS]

Bernie the heater tank is buggered so how about drain it & smash/cut it out enough to get to the nuts easier?
Or grind the heads of the bolts off & let the tank drop?
Come on people put your thinking caps on!
Used to get told that when I was in school but never helped much!

[T1 Terry]

It's not as easy as one thinks...first I would have to remove said heater tank....I need very small hands plus some how get a spanner in there to get onto the nuts which are in the recess so someone else then to undo the bolts from outside. About two inch's between both tanks...
Bernie.

You are over thinking it Bernie. Once the heads of the bolts are off, whether grinding them off or drilling out with progressively larger drill bits till the heads fall off, then the tank will come out easily if you have 2" clearance. The cross nuts in the new tank will give you a captive thread that will share the load across the whole piece of the mounting tab, like a big washer behind the nut ... you could even add that if you wanted.

T1 Terry

[BernieQ2]

Explain the cross nut's a bit more...I can't visualise it.
Bernie.

[T1 Terry]

Explain the cross nut's a bit more...I can't visualise it.
Bernie.

A picture tells a thousand words, in this case a link will have to do
https://championfasteners.com.au/product/scn5-50/