Fuel tank “baffle”
 

Not sure what else to call it but while chasing an issue of not getting any fuel to my mechanical pump all of a sudden I removed my fuel tank. There’s always been a clunking from inside which I now know is from what I can only describe as a baffle, I think, that the pickup and float live inside of and it’s not secured. With lower fuel levels it moves around and clunks.

Didn’t have a lot of time to poke around in there before work but I imagine there probably isn’t any way to redefine something like this right or is there? Don’t particularly want to buy a new tank if I can avoid it for now anyway.

Thanks.

No baffle, tank is empty other than filler pipe that inserts a fair way. Otherwise just a fuel pickup on a sock and the float which is like a birdcage perch on a rod that moves up or down with fuel level. You probably know that already. I can't think of anything else, I've had new and used ones out and looked around in them when flushing. Is the tank out now with sender removed, can you see what's loose? I'm also imagining a plate of sorts that separates the filler pipe from direct blast on the sender nearby, but I can't recall if that actually exists or not! Otherwise I have a brand new tank in box i could dig out and see what I can see. I'm trying to think of any plate guard on the sender, have new and used here also.

I do have the tank out and sender removed. Working now and didn’t think to or have time to take photos before I left but I will try to capture some to post this evening or in the morning.

Pic

I don't recall anything like that.

Never seen anything like that "cup" either inside of a stock mid 70s to 81 2nd gen firebird. Can you reach in with a long screwdriver to see if its loose?

I get a clunking sound at the tank when the fuel level is very low too, i always figured it was the sender float hitting the bottom of the tank or maybe the pickup sock, from what i understand a mech pump "pulses" the fuel which can cause that sound.

once it gets past 3/16-1/4 tank it stops, ive always thought it was fuel level related & never really worried about it too much.

I couldn’t see anywhere that it appeared to be attached to so I reinstalled the pickup as it was, inside that can (baffle, whatever). Turns out my fuel issue was the pump. The arm broke away from whatever rod is attached to the diaphragm it appears.

I dragged my Spectra tank out of storage. Thought perhaps some sort of cover on the inside of the breather to prevent sloshing when full or similar. But nothing, just a pipe poking through.

Odd. Thanks for checking though.

Hopefully someone replies, or check their used tank stored nearby.

Still hopefully some replies.

I put a new tank in my 81, sumped a new tank for the 79 Camaro swapped sending unit in my 78 with a factory tank and none had that. 79 Camaro factory tank also does not.

Maybe this one is an old aftermarket oddity or something.

It almost seems like something that the sender would sit in, has drain holes to allow it to corner with massive G forces lol and maintain somewhat accurate fuel level, not that it moves that fast either. Just haven't seen it before.

Yea that’s what I thought. I wouldn’t even really care if it didn’t move around and make noise when the fuel level got around a half tank.