I wouldn't draw them all the way! You'll crush the tank. I tighened mine until they were nice and snug, then I hit it with *maybe* 2-3 turns more.
I also placed a piece of FatMat across the top of the tank to insulate the metal-to-metal contact to prevent gouging or scoring.
I cut slices in it and laid it down over the depression.
Then I snugged it all securely. The only thing I wish I did (and still might do...) is lay a piece of rubber onto the straps before installing them.
Hope this helps!
John you could use bicycle inner tube to do this! Also is that an after market gas tank or did you modify it yourself?
The tank I picked up on e-Bay a while ago. I don't remember from who... They are on there often, so it's not hard to find. The sump is from JEGS and that was about $60. THEN another $75 to have it professionally installed by a trusted radiator shop out here on Long Island. I finished it off with a few coats of Krylon hammer-tone spray paint. The paint gives the "hammered" effect when applied. It's sold as paint for outdoor metal furniture (so it *should* hold up well) and cost about $6-7 for a can big enough to do the tank and more....
Thanks for the bicycle inner tube suggestion. Good idea!
You want to have a constant supply of fuel under hard accelleration, such as when you launch at the strip. Before the sump is soldered to the tank you drill several large holes throught the bottom of the tank to fill the sump portion. That's why there's a fuel feed line coming off of the sump. It then feeds to a quality filter, then to the electric pump. I'm installing a second filter in the engine compartment just before my carbs. I'll plug the fuel outlet on my stock sending unit and hook up the wire for the stock fuel gauge. The only modification you'll make to the stock sending unit is to provide a seperate ground from the sending unit to the frame. The stock set-up uses that clip which connects the sender to the fuel line, which is connected to the frame, which in my opinion, is a poor design to start with. Too many places for a bad connection, and a faulty fuel gauge reading. The second outlet on the sump is if you use a return line sysem, or a seperate supply for Nitrous. I just capped mine closed. It also gives you an easy way to drain the tank if need be.
While I'm assembling my car I went over-kill on a few things becasue I might get crazy later on and I didn't want to replace stuff I replaced already. For example, the sump has 1/2" openings (-8 AN) where I could have gone with 3/8" (-6 AN) which is what the rest of my system is plumbed as.
I figured what the hell... 8)