The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop In cab gas tank, should I take it out?

I've been worried about that big old gas tank sitting behind me as I motor along. Should I replace it with something under the bed? Are there any kits for this? Any comments"? Oh, its a '59 Fleetside LB. :confused:

There are company's out there that make kits that fit under the bed. I personally want to keep mine in, because I want to keep the truck as origional as possible ( except the wheels). But if you do decide to move it to the rear, you will have quite a bit of room behind the bench seat for speakers, or some extra tools or something. Having the tank behind the seat isnt really dangerous, but somtimes gas fumes get into the cab, which are really annoying. good luck.

can't it be more dangerous in event of an accident?

Yep plus its in the way.

I'm with gmcfan, keep it inside. Think its more likely to be ruptured in an accident if outside anyway. These older trucks have twice the steel than the new models. And tight connections will eliminate most if not all fumes. My 2 cents worth.
Bruce

If its installed right , you should have no problems. In the event of an accident ,its in a great spot, behind the seat. You can go to any RV shop & have a tank installed between the frame rails if you want.

Like some say, it gives you more room, that's why sooner or later I'm buyin a kit and putting it under the bed. Some people put S-10 gas tanks under there beds also, instead of buyin' a new one, which is specifically made for between the rail behind the rearend. I would think it'd be better under the bed btw the rails because then it's less likely to get punctured in a crash, and it's further away from the engine which can always start on fire. But that's me, I have no idea which way is really better, you'd need to test both ways to see which one held up better. It just comes down to: do you want more room? or do you want it stock looking?

Nate

[img]http://streetrod.50megs.com/images/adgastank2.jpg[/img] Sorry about the rust but tanks are not allowed to live in my shop(only for install than it goes back to the customer)Tank out of a 87-88 chevy van(35 bucks at the salvage yard)materials to install about 30 bucks. Fills behind the left fender or in the fender your choice. Holds 20-22 gals . Gas tank in the cab is dangerous cause when it gets opened up in a wreck(most times the filler neck comes off) you get splashed with fuel and are all done) If its out side and gets opened up the fuel is not on you, Ask Koolkar and Bill about gas tank ruptures,i am sure they have there horror stories i know as a towing contractor i have seen some i would rather forget.Plus you can carry more fuel and with the tank in the rear it will ride better.Having said that ,i have not done mine yet either. But it is the smart thing to do. Its your choice but fire dont give yah a second chance.

I put rear mounted fuel tank in my 37 pu years ago.I bought a universal tank from "Tanks". The job was easy since the bed was off the truck at that time. I liked the smooth look of the 16 guage welded steel tank.Phat's point about the gas spillage should not be taken lightly.In a low speed roll over ,which is a common accident in a truck, the filler neck breaks or the cap flies off spilling fuel on YOU.So there you are,safely hanging from your seat belt ,soaked in unleaded. Panic time?In the late 60's ,a series of drivers burning to death after surviving the initial accident,pushed truck makers to relocate the gas tanks out of the cab.But, our other 3 Stovebolts, still have cab mounted tanks, Oh well.

hey Phat, I really like that solution! much cheaper then the $500 converstion tanks, and I like the idea of having it between the frame rails in the very rear. that is the way it sits in my k5, and I like the weight distribution idea for a truck (and the extra weight in the rear for traction).

there was no question mine was coming out of the cab for both safety factor and for the space. great suggestions here guys!

Why did they move the gas tanks inside in the first place? The original tank of my '48 is between the rails and I like it there.

I tried to take mine out of 52 GMC 1/2 ton, took the seat out, and the tank straps out but still could not take the tank out. What else should be remove? What fuel geauge did you guys use after the conversion?

The Federal gov't. crashed lots of trucks to check this and believe me if you get center punched you will die by fire ! the filler neck disconnects and as the tank gets squeezed by the collapsing cab it sprays all the gasoline out in about 1/10th second then your day gets real bad - fast ! the movies of this happening are scary to watch , they used bright red dye in the gas so you can see it splashing everywhere , primarily on the dummy driving . that being said , my old '46 1/2T was center punched on the driver's side bad enough to where I had to scrap the cab (neat spare tire tread marks pressed in though) , filler was on the other side and it drove that way for years .
I keep the tank in the cab , remind me how stubborn I am if I survive the crash .
Dying in a fire is really awfull - you don't actually burn to death - you breathe in superheated air and that destroys your bronchial tubes so you actually suffocate whilst felling the pain of your burning flesh
- sorry but you really should know the facts

my '91 Phorde ranger supercab had it's tank between the frame rails next to the drive line. It was skinny and long and plastic, and held 22 gallons if I remember correctly. You ought to be able to get two of those cheap and put one on each side of the driveline and get lots of tankage. The other tank that should fit easily between the rear frame rails is a Jeep CJ-7 or Wrangler tank. They are pretty narrow and fit right behind the bumper. You can get them in oversize capacities for cheap from a 4WD parts supplier. They have all the fittings for modern return-line systems too.

I stopped to pay my insurance at a place about a block and a half from a stoplight.i jumped in my truck(53 1/2 5-window)and looked back,the traffic was clear and the stoplight was red(stays red from both sides). I proceeded to pull out onto the road and was almost straight in my lane when WHAM!!! the truck that was at the stoplight a block and a half back(I saw him sitting there stopped) hit the midle of my rear fender,up along the side of the bed and into the back of the cab and accorddioned my driversdoor. The fuel line at the bottom of the tank goes through the floor and was pulled out of the bottom of the tank. Fuel was all over the floor and all over the street. (Luckily no sparks) This was in a 25mph zone.I was amazed at the damage to my truck by the 78 chevy right front corner that hit me.There was no way he was going 25 mph and do so much damage to my truck.
I was lucky to only have to pull glass out of the back of my head and incur a small puncture wound to the back of my shoulder from the seat spring.
I am happy with the tank that is inside the frame on my 48. I guess the question on the fuel tank placement should include HOW LUCKY DO I FEEL????

Good Points by All;

Anywhere you put it, that darn gas tank is still a time bomb!

Between the frame rails all the way at the rear? Thats's where it was in my '36 Chevy 1/2 ton, also in my '61 Willys.
Isn't that also where it was in the infamous Pinto? :rolleyes:

The only "down point" I've heard about the '47-'49 under bed tanks was the tops rusting out.

Mechainiac's hair-raising story points out a greater menace than a 17 to 25 gallon gas tank full of ethyl:
Stupid "other drivers!" :mad:

My daily commute takes me onto I-81 between Scranton & Wilkes-Barre, for about 18 miles each way. It's two lanes each way, and heavily travelled, particularly by semis, and the speed limit is only 55 (Yet folks still try and go 80+ !).
Every day, I see at least half-a dozen "near-misses", usually "SUV"s or expensive cars with "important" drivers.
Everyone tailgates, passes on the right, changes lanes abruptly with out signals, etc.

Often, I'm glad to drive one of the "old pieces" that can't handle the interstate, and I have to take the "milk route" on the old US & WPA roads, even though it adds 20 minutes to my trip!

Wherever y'all put that tank, make sure it's in good, sound condition, with good lines, firmly mounted, and keep your eyes open!

Drive Safely1

a bad idea was the saddle bag gas tanks. They sat outside the frame, right next to the side of the bed. If you were hit right there, they would break open and spill gas all over the road. I am pretty sure the brake light wires ran along that side, so if you caught a spark, kiss your A$$ goodbye.

I seriously toyed with the idea of a tank behind the read btwn the frame rails. Go to tanks.com and look at the 3 options for suburnad/chevy van tanks. Will fit perfectly between rail and you have options up to 31 gallons.
Positives: weight on rear end for traction, run for ever on 31 gallons, frees space behind seat. Look at Holvarths site - he has a nice install and pic of one.
Negatives, where did my spare go? I opted for under seat 17 gallon because it was factory, and primarily I could not find a good spot for my spare. I tried to fit spare back there could not do it so I left it alone. NO SPARE on FENDER- no discussion there.
They do fit in nice and clean on the installs I have seen.
Send me private note and I will send you a nice clean shot of an install. I will stick the picture on my Webshot link to. It is a easy swap and as so is much cheaper than any kind of kit. Heck you get a brannd new tank for 129 dollars... no rust and run.
Cavebull

I grew up with pickups and bobtails with a seat tank. I have 6 GMC's with a seat tank and 1 with saddle tanks. I grew up opening gates for a bob tail to deliver gas out in the country. I never give it a thought. I buy repop gas tanks made in Canada because the old ones are so hard to clean. Gas is not as easy to ignite as people think. It takes a spark. And it is the vapor that explodes. 50's pickups were not very safe by design. I remember people getting killed from a front end hit. The steering box mounted to the frame and the steering column becomes a spear and goes right through the driver's chest upon impact. On a hit from the side, the driver is outboard of the frame and there is literally no protection. They are much more prone to rollover and doors fly open during rollover. Seatbelts and headrests were unheard of when they were build. Yet I drive them. But I think the guys who drink beer at Luckenbach ,which is 10 miles from here, and then jump on their Harley with no helmet and no shirt are crazy. As far as saddle tanks, we had a saddle tank get hit in 1968. Tore off the saddle tank and rolled it in the ditch. The other driver was killed in the impact from the steering column going through his chest. Texas has always had a lot of pickups. I never remember a seat tank exploding. but lots of drivers got killed from the impact.

I agree, the issue should be spare tire placement and cab room. If your concerned with th safety by a Volvo. I am putting seat belts in my 46, not becuase I am concerned about me, but to keep possible BS at a minimum when I go jack with TX DPS over title and tags. I have a better chance of getting killed at the DPS than on the highway in the bolt. Jesus, the folks behind the counter there!
Anyway, I like the idea of it behind the the rear and btwn the rails so you have room for the 12" Wolfers and Amps. I opted for underseat factory tank and a drive in speaker hooked on the ciggarett lighter.
Cavebull

Wow, 7 years old. Someone dug this out and blew the dust off...

Rustednuts,
Good catch! Dang, did not catch the date. No one anything new. Crenwelge and I just started answering the post. So we can guess Jim Bow probably don't care about my picture eh?
What's up Moneypit? There was no "new" post. At least somebody is in the archives. I bet my answe is.
Cavebull