1947 Knucklehead Tanks

This Chevy is short of a Chase. But chasing threads on these tanks sometimes might require quite a bit of concentration, something that I'm not always too good at.

"Now we've all had this problem"...

...Rusty boogered up threads sure are more of a rule than an exception when it comes to the handshift gas tanks. Since this is an honest uncut 1947 Knucklehead tank I found it even more important to restore the original thread and not cut them out and replace them. Cutting out and replacing the threads is a process that takes like 15 minutes - if you’re LeBeef that is ...if you’re me it takes like a week.

So to start out with I got a super solid, Made In Sweden, fuel shut-off valve alignment tool from Paulie Paul, the high priest of Magneto Zoo. This is the perfect thing to use when properly setting up your gas valve, well - if you’re not into gas leaks...

But as usual I just couldn't prevent myself so here's how I did it. The thread in the early Harley gas tanks is 3/4-18 NS, and those taps are all kinda hard to get, high priced special orders, so milling slits seemed like a sober idea.

If you don’t have a milling machine you could always use a file to make slits in the side of the threads to create a perfect thread chaser.

Now this thread is brought right back up to perfect Griswold Status.
And if you don’t own a fuel shut-off valve alignment tool you can just locate an old gas valve to mill or file slits in.

Now the original thread ain't a Chevy short of a Chase no more.
And thanx to the Mag Zoo alignment tool the gas valve sits just as straight as Ian MacKaye on a Saturday night. I only wish I could understand or remember why I’m restoring an original Knucklehead tank all of a sudden..?