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Sovereign PS Gas Tank Pads


PhanDad

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Can anyone tell me the purpose of the gas tank pads that are used on a Sovereign with the spool type powering steering?

They can be seen in the following 2 pics of a factory PS Sovereign 18 I picked up recently:

IMG_9484.thumb.JPG.268afaac54399281eadceb2684521193.JPG

IMG_9486.thumb.JPG.83745765ee5cf101ac42877e4fb20742.JPG

When I installed the PS kit on my 75th Ann Sovereign, I didn't see any purpose to them and didn't install them and everything fit fine.  Interesting that the PS install instructions show the pads mounted perpendicular to the tractor center line while the OEM install have them parallel. 

59ce98b692fc9_PowerSteeringSetupInst1692856Pg2.thumb.JPG.1d31f95b323e4e4f0ed097337e7236fe.JPG

The only thing I can see the pads do is make depressions in the bottom of the gas (not a good thing IMO) and cause the front of the gas to to be tilted forward and rub on the engine blower housing:

IMG_9489.thumb.JPG.ab25a468ea29584985045bb582bdf340.JPG

I think I'm going to remove them before I reinstall the fuel tank.

Am I missing something?

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The spool causes the gas tank to be shifted forward just enough that it contact the hood when you close it. By putting those pads under the front of the tank it's tilted back so the hood doesn't hit. That's what I have found at least.

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Josh,

Thanks for your thoughts.  I'm going to have to investigate further. 

My 75th has the translucent gas tank.  I wonder if they're shaped a bit different. 

Your explanation may also explain why the PO pop riveted a 3/16" strip of aluminum to the front of the top dash plate:

IMG_9492.thumb.JPG.3355ceffab23de1d9a6e6df6fc68ac6a.JPG

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When I installed the PS on one of my Sovereign tractors, I did not have or use those.  There is no hood interference with the tank.  However, Josh has a good point.  Every Sovereign that has PS, the tank is shifted forward & you can visually notice this on all PS tractors.  If the tractor does not have PS, the tank fill sits perfectly in the center of the hole in the hood.  I know of one individual that used heat to re-form the rear of the tank where the spool interferes, to make the tank fill fit perfectly in the center of the hole in the hood.

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When PS is installed on 7100 the hood will make contact with the fuel gauge.  Perhaps that is due the the higher angle of that hood vs a Sovereign 18?  

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10 hours ago, Talntedmrgreen said:

When PS is installed on 7100 the hood will make contact with the fuel gauge.  Perhaps that is due the the higher angle of that hood vs a Sovereign 18?  

I think your right.  That would explain why.  I think the guy that modified his tank used a propane torch & a pice of pipe to "crease" the tank where the rotary spool valve makes contact with it.  After purging the vapors of course.

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Pretty sure the hoods are the same on my 75th Ann and Sov18 tractors.  Both tanks are against the PS spool support.

75th Ann without gas tank pads:

IMG_9493.thumb.JPG.a46a189e1f39b9997c4e515ea9940f35.JPG

Sov18 with pads repositioned at front of gas tank support (perpendicular as shown in install instructions):

IMG_9499.thumb.JPG.2183840724bde129834e520222039cec.JPG

As you can see, the gas cap clears the 75th hood about the same as the Sov18 hood with the pads "properly" positioned.  So apparently the translucent tank is shaped a bit differently from the black gas tank.

Based on the wear on the Sov18 gas tank hood hole, I'm guessing that as the pads slowly sunk into the bottom of the gas tank (hard to see in pics), the cap started to interfere with the hood and the PO added the aluminum strip shown above.

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 I will take some pictures of mine. It's a 7100 with the power steering at dded and there's no way I can clear the hood with the gas cap. It contacts every time. I figured it was due to the different positioning of the hood on the 7100 series.  It would make sense that they changed the gas tank shape to accommodate this at some point.

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Yes hoods are the same.  

It's the front frame that is taller on the 7100-GTH-L series to allow clearance for the KT air filter.  When they went to the Command powered Sovereign & later, the front frame height was reduced.  This changed the trigonometry (angle) of the hood rake or slope if you will. 

I'm still not sure if the translucent gas tanks are different shapes as the black ones though.  The individual I was referring to above performed the tank modification on a translucent tank on a model year 2000 Sovereign with PS only because he wanted the tank fill to be in the center of the hole on the hood.  There was no interference or clearance issues.

My personal thought is the change of the front frame, thus changing the angle, is the reason for the clearance not having any interference.  When the taller front frame tractors were manufactured, the new style power steering was not an option if I remember correctly so this issue would have never reared it's ugly head in the R&D department.

Edited by ShaunE
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Did a bit of "thermoforming" of the gas tank today.  Used a heat gun to warm the tank, then pressed it against the spool valve.  I didn't want to be too aggressive and rupture the tank.  Here's a pic of the reformed tank:ThermoformedTank.thumb.JPG.c762853f51dcfa8e90230db6f4c8be64.JPG

Maybe have 1/8" or so depression.  Without pads and the aluminum strip still in place, the hook will close without interference, but it's very close:

NoPad_Metal.thumb.JPG.946bc1390486cdc86499345e9d0320c0.JPG

With the pads in place, it's an almost perfect bull's-eye:

Pad_Metal.thumb.JPG.368ca00b5751f2b2d38fbe4853ef6532.JPG

I decided to remove the metal strip and use pads. 

Pad_NoMetal.thumb.JPG.1c939ddb544c1cf7f6fafb94f6691e94.JPG

I could probably "thermoform" the tank some more, but since the spool valve body also starts to interfere with the tank (not just the mounting flange), and I don't want to risk rupturing the tank, I'll quit messing with it.

 

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