Pinto Car Club of America

Please vote BEFORE posting a comment, I would like to see everyone's initial thought on this matter before they begin discussing it, then see how it changes, if at all, after wards.



How many people here believe that the plastic shield in the rear end recall kit actually protects anything?


Last week I was in the muffler shop to have the 78's cat to muffler pipe looked at. While there, I spoke with a gentleman who used to install the recall kits on Pintos back in the 70s.

He told me that the source of the problem was the filler neck being to short and being pulled from the tank in a rear end collision, causing fuel to spill everywhere. The shield was installed primarily just to show the customer that the recall fix was actually preformed, that it (the shield) really had no purpose as far as safety was concerned.

I don't believe the bolts on the differential could puncture the tank, honestly. There are sharp enough edges around the differential that any one of them could break the shield and puncture the tank. From my understanding of physics, the tank would be more likely to cave in before it would be torn into.

I can't tell you for sure if the man was telling the truth about the shield serving no purpose to safety, but I would agree with him. The replacement filler neck is the key in this matter.

Dave,
I have no real proof of whether the shield helped or not, but it always struck me as rather too simplistic.  I seriously doubt its value.
Dwayne :smile:

Interesting question.  Did it help?  maybe as it certainly better that none at all but as was said before the real issue is the filler neck coming out.  Naturally the descussion also will evolve in that was there really ever a problem of such magnatude that it requires  a "fix"?

I guess the short answer is most most likely it's [the shield] real purpose was just to show that they did something.  Remember times were simpler back then.
jim

My daughter's 73 was hit by drunk driver that was going well over 100 mph on I-17 PHX AZ. It was a left rear 1/4 hit, the left rear leaf spring shakle put a hole in the tank, car went end over end then rolled 2 times to the right. The only thing I could save off car was gas cap and rear license plate. Suspension was severly damaged, all window's gone, asphalt between the tire beed and rims, from looking at the car you were sure some 1 died in it and yes there was fuel in the back seat. The filler neck was still in tank, it had the mod with longer tube. So since then I bought a foam filled dragster tank to use.  Fred   :'(

I believe it does help especialy on the early models that do not have structural members around the tank.  The Ford garage that I took my 71 to expained the retrofit as follows:  In a rear end collision, the tank gets pushed into the the rear end.  The sharp corners on the rear end  were puncturing the tank.  The plastic shield kind of dulls the rear end sharp corners reducing the chance of the tank being punctured.  The longer fill pipe allows the tank to move forward farther with out it pulling out and dumping the gas. 

The retro fit filler tube used different screws to hold its flange to body. The garage guy did not mention why (maybe they are designed to break away?). 

I believe the shield helps too. If it were just for show, why did it need to be so thick? I was told, and have read, that it is the edges and possibly bolts from the differential that, when the tank is forcefully pushed into it, will severely puncture the tank, causing a likelihood of ignitition from a spark, heat, etc.

Well ,
You be the Judge...

I am so sorry about what happened Fred, I truly am. :(


Good posts, and valuable information from them all, even pintosopher's (and that's just a picture!). Keep 'em coming, keep the brain ticking!

WOW! That was an exceptionally hard hit! Was that the fatality mentioned earlier with the teenagers? I see a van in the background.  Poor folks involved. Poor Pinto.

as far as i know it suppused to keep the tank form getting punctured is it not?

Quote from: rjernee on January 20, 2010, 03:10:22 PM
as far as i know it suppused to keep the tank form getting punctured is it not?

If hit hard enough at the right angle, any one of many sharp objects besides the axle would puncture the tank.
It was a Statistical "patch" type solution .  The publicity was aimed at Ford because of their attitude and their sales Numbers for the popular Pinto.

Pintosopher

Heres a sad story... My first 77 wagon and a CHEVY van met head on at 65mph. The 2.3 was pushed back under the passengers seat. The seat folded forward from impact and was pushed up leaving 8in from the back of the seat to the roof. The drive shaft broke off the diff, but stayed attached to the trany, and was pushed into the gas tank... leaving gas all over the road way. No fire. I know this isn't a rear end collision but it shows how any and everything can happen. Sad.

While taking the plastic shield out of my Pinto to remove the gas tank, I looked at it to try to figure out how much help it would be.  I too had heard that the sharp corners and bolts on the diff would tear open the tank in a rear collision.  While looking at it, I got the impression that rather than the tank moving forward and wedging in between the diff and the body, the recall unit would cause the tank to twist upwards and then possibly flatten.  At that point, even if gas was escaping, there would be a lot less risk of additional metal on metal friction that could start a fire.

Regardless, I am still switching to a fuel cell.

Interestingly...back in the day I had some buddies who worked at a couple of Ford dealerships. being *flat rate* mechanics....all I can say is that they led me to believe that there were quite a few plastic shields installed without the filler necks being modified!

Don't assume that if you have the shield you also have the better neck tube.


JIM

I think mine does... I had a heck of a time pulling the filler tube out of the tank! That thing goes WAY in!

As m my Pinto s going to the grand daughter, this year it gets a fuel cell.  Funny how it works out as this was all set in motion before this thread which is a good one.  Nice for the truth to be out there.  I sometimes get so tired of hearing about the big Lie...no it is not going to explode....... :mad:

Jim ,
Good choice, I'm going to contact Fuel Safe or ATL and check on design parameters for a OEM style install with stock Filler fender opening.
  This has to be doable for $700 or less in volume..

Pintosopher