I'm going to be replacing the filler neck on my 71 so I can use an NOS later model deluxe Maverick gas cap. I know there is a gasket between the outer lip of the filler neck and the body. Inside the trunk there is some kind of boot screwed down and the filler neck goes into a hole in the middle of the boot. The question I have is will the neck just slip out of the boot once I remove the outer screws or is it fastened somehow? Should I replace the boot and if I do should I be worried about some loose crap falling into the tank?
Unscrew the boot and leave it in place. Remove the screws from the filler pipe to tail light panel. Lift the boot and use compressed air to blow the debris and dust from around the tank seal. I use penetrating oil like pb blaster or wd40 to allow the pipe to slide up out of the seal. It will need a little wiggling to get the oil between the seal and pipe. Be careful, if you aren't replacing that seal, you don't want to tear it. The boot just keeps dust out of the trunk.
