tank mounting on 2001 smallblock

i had been fighting the tank mounting on my 2001 since i got it. when i first put this bike together i called the factory and they told me the little tabs on the front frame mounts should be pointed up twords the blinkers and the front side of the long fame mounts. i never did like the way my tank fit and decided to try to fix it. i called the factory again a year later and asked for sure where the little extension tabs should be and was told that the early 2001 bikes did have the tab on the front side but they decided that wasnt working very good and said i should try putting the little extension tab on the front mounts on the back side of the longer frame mounts. then i heard from some on this website had drilled a hole directly into the frame for the rear mount and i decided to take the front extension tabs off altogether and finally my tank fits like i think it should. the factory told me that later the location of the tabs off the frame had been moved but i am not sure when that was done. thats why the tank had set so tight to the seat pan and i had so much trouble because i was trying to make the early mounts do the impossible. while i was at it i made some little tabs the same shape as the tank mount tabs and took them to the chrome shop to solve the problem of the paint being messed up from taking tank off and on. im not saying that what i did was right but if anyone with a 2001 has the problem of their tank sitting too tight on their seatpan thats what i found out and did to solve the problem. hope this helps somebody.