The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop '54 1/2t under bed gas tank

OK, doing a '54 1/2ton for a customer. He wants the gas tank under the bed instead of in the cab and had heard of using the panel truck tank with the filler neck out the side of the bed like a '47-'48 truck.
I went to the Jim Carter web site where they sell a conversion kit for this. Only trouble is that they list it for trucks up to '53. I called JC, and the sweet young thing that answered the phone assured me that their kit(part#MEG-159)will not work with a '54 but couldn't tell me why.
Has anyone ever used this on a '54, or some other method of adapting the early under-bed tank to a '54?

Aren't the frame dimensions on a 54 different? I know the box sides are different, that could be part of the confusion?

The way I understand it, the '54 suburban had a different mounting arrangement. Jim's tank is made from a Suburban tank to be a replacement for the burb tank. I haven't seen the kit referred to. If it has brackets I don't see why it couldn't be fitted.

Seems like I remember someone successfully putting one under a '54 burb.

The fuel tank in a 54 suburban differed from the earlier Suburban by having the fuel gauge sender and fuel pickup in one unit and that unit entered through the top of the tank.

It is my understanding (but, I am not certain) that the suburban tank that Jim Carter sells has openings on the side AND on the top, to allow it to be used on 1954 Suburban.

Yes, all 1954 frames are different from earlier frames. The rear-engine cross member is different and there is a difference in the "kick-up" in the rear.

The the kick up on 54 isn't as tall as the earlier ones, allowing the 54 bed to sit lower on the frame. You're filler neck won't fit through without notching the frame.

http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/blog/...-articles/1947-55/frame-chassis-1947-55/

That must be where the snag is, Whitedog.

Looks like it's time for plan B. Not really sure I want to notch the frame. Thanks, guys. It's always nice to know the "why?" of something.

Here's some input for your pick up issue…

I put a 20 gallon tank from a 71-73 Mustang in my 51 Panel; mounted between the frame rails where the spare tire carrier used t one. I did this at the recommendation of the older gentleman at jim Carter some years ago when he was a tech advisor. The side saddle tank gets in the way of exhaust, trans cooler/lines
etc… so it had to go

He was right..it fit perfectly and looks factory. Tucked way up there and not hanging down. You DO have to relocate the filler opening from the center rear to wherever in the bed you want it to exit. I put a covered recessed "well" in the rear right of the cargo area just inboard of the frame rail & used an AutoMeter sending unit. You can use the stock Mustang hanger straps, but you'll have to lengthen them…. or, just make new ones. Really nice to have 20 gallons on board with a 455 Buick up front!

mike

My own personal '54 Panel(actually, my wife's)has some sort of car gas tank mounted under the back of the truck with the filler exiting right in the center below the doors. Eventually we'll be going back to the stock tank, but other issues take precidence over that right now.
On the customer's pickup, I believe he didn't want to use the across the rear tank because he wanted to retain the spare tire mounting(Justin, if you're reading, feel free to chime in).
Brother's has a tank with a top exit in the left rear corner. Looks like we can come up through the bottom of the bed and angle it through the bedside behind the fender. We'll have to fabricate a cover plate to dress up the tube where it runs through the bed. Not the ideal solution because there goes the spare tire location, but I'm not crazy about notching the frame for the panel truck filler neck either.

After I read your post, I got to researching this topic myself. Looks like the late 40's early 50's Chevy car tanks might be worth looking into.

Maybe mount behing the axle.

http://www.classiccarautoparts.com/images/pics/GM41-48.jpg
http://www.classiccarautoparts.com/gastanks.html

Chris

Lots of options for behind the axle tanks. My panel has one that looks like it came out of a Chevelle or something, but the owner was trying to leave that space open for the spare. I think we're just going with the LMC or Brother's conversions and running the filler neck up into the bed side behind the back fender. We can fab a box to hide the neck where it goes through the bed.

The LMC / Blazer tanks hang down pretty low, some folks don't like that look... I'm a card carrying member of that group.

FWIW: Here's a link to how I installed a '49-52 Chevrolet passenger car tank in the rear frame of my '65 short bed stepside. Start with post #8: http://talk.classicparts.com/showthread.php?t=13928

If nothing else it might give ya some ideas