Any gen-1ers have any experience with IMS desert tank?

[dannygraves]

I got a killer deal on ebay on a NEW ims 3.7 gal desert tank for my gen-1 and it just arrived, but I'm at work and can't test fit it. Has anyone run it? How was the fit?
Thanks
Danny

[ShanMan]

Hate to burst your bubble man, but the fit for desert tanks on gen 1 AF's sucks...simple as that. You are going to have to do some serious reshaping of the tank to get it to clear the head stay and the flanges coming off the back of the head. Also, go ahead and pop for the shorty plug too...you'll be glad you did.

[dannygraves]

thanks man, yeah, I've got the shorty plug. I already reshaped the tank, what a PITA, but I think it will be worth it. The worst part was that my garage was already 120* inside and I was using a heat gun with welding gloves on. I drank like 8 quarts of water in the 1.5 hours I spent on the tank.
there was this one small part that connects the 2 sides that I had to mash in over an inch. after that I though I was done, but the next day I put the petcock on and it hit my intake so I had to do more shaping and moving the lower pedcock area out pulled the head stay area down again so I had to mash that in some more. its a nice fit now though. I'm glad I will be using your headstay design because it only bolts on one side, I think if I went with the rjacks headstay design theres no way I could make the tank fit.
I actually took you older plans and printed them to scale and cutout the headstay on some cardboard and bolted it up to see if it would clear.

[dannygraves]

Here are some pics. Sorry, I got too excited and forgot to take before pics.







There is actually more plug room

petcock after (it was touching the cylinder on the intake flange before)


the tools used
I got the head gun for $19 from checker and that old kicker with the rubber cover worksed great for reshaping and I rolled up that old hoodie on my stool to make a good surface for the tank to sit on while I worked it.

[iggys-amsoil]

You could offset the splines on the inside of the kicker shaft so it won't touch/rub/hit the pipe. Mine was bearly touching the frame (gen III), now there is a 3/8 gap between them. The bad part is I had the take the clutch basket off to get the assembly out. However I think it could be done without removing the basket, its just that the spring gets in the way.
I took a couple of pics of mine showing the punch marks but there not on the net yet.

[dannygraves]

You could offset the splines on the inside of the kicker shaft so it won't touch/rub/hit the pipe. Mine was bearly touching the frame (gen III), now there is a 3/8 gap between them. The bad part is I had the take the clutch basket off to get the assembly out. However I think it could be done without removing the basket, its just that the spring gets in the way.
I took a couple of pics of mine showing the punch marks but there not on the net yet.

you know, I was wondering about that. I tried just the outside splines and it either hits the pipe or the frame, so I chose to have it hit the pipe. how many splines over did toy move the gear and which direction? Can you get a full kick out of it? I played around with it and it hit the foodpeg before going all the way down and I'm worried I won't be able to start it ('86 with newer style thin head gasket requiring 100 octane), its a bear to start as it is!

[iggys-amsoil]

you know, I was wondering about that. I tried just the outside splines and it either hits the pipe or the frame, so I chose to have it hit the pipe. how many splines over did toy move the gear and which direction? Can you get a full kick out of it? I played around with it and it hit the foodpeg before going all the way down and I'm worried I won't be able to start it ('86 with newer style thin head gasket requiring 100 octane), its a bear to start as it is!

The inside splines are twice as fine. One spline is all you need. I went one clockwise, you'll have to go counter clockwise. But to make sure, offset it one put it on to check before fully reassembling.
I haven't had a prob about full kick but I'm very particlar about finding TDC and the starting drill. 3/8" may not even be noticed. Its rare that I hit the footpeg. Most of the decompress scalopes are gone in my cylinder so its near a 86.

[britincali]

('86 with newer style thin head gasket requiring 100 octane), its a bear to start as it is!

Both my '87 motors have the 01 gasket and run fine on pump.

[dannygraves]

('86 with newer style thin head gasket requiring 100 octane), its a bear to start as it is!

Both my '87 motors have the 01 gasket and run fine on pump.

the '86 had higher compression to begin with. I actually have an '87 head and you can even visually tell the dome is larger on the '87 head. On pump gas even with fattening everything up, I blow smoke everywhere while knocking and pinging in the low to mid throttle range, I even tried the DGH needle (fouled my plug in a couple minutes). But I run 100 octane on a dgn running slightly rich on the pilot and main to keep it cool and it runs tits.