I just found one on ebay for $2.00 plus $2.00 for shipping. I also see a fuel tank pad for sale online. Is this something that should be replaced while doing this work?
$2.00 ? Are you sure it is the black rubber grommet that goes around the filler tube ?
Because there are 2 gaskets for the filler tube. There is a thick black rubber grommet, which connects the filler tube to the tank, and a thin white foam gasket that connects the filler tube to the body by the gas cap. The black grommet usually sells for around $10-$14 and the thin white gasket sells for around $2.00 Both can be had on E-bay.
And you should always have a tank pad. More than likely your 40 something yr old pad is going to crumble when the tank comes out. Replace it with a new one.