The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Gas Tank Solution for my '52 3/4 ton part 2

I wanted the filler on the driver's side because it is more convenient and also because the exhaust will run down the right side and I wanted to keep them separated. I built a filler from the neck of a '93 Camaro tank and pieces from some various sizes of mandrel-bent U-bends. I kept reducing one size at each joint to end up matching the relatively small filler inlet on the tank. Here are shots of the filler. One shows how the vent tube, which starts right under the cap, follows the top of the curves and comes out through the side of the filler so it can be connected to the vent on the tank with a piece of 1/2" hose.
[img]http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank11.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank12.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank07.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank08.jpg[/img]

Here's the hole in the side of the bed, centered between the fender welt and the flange of the bed pocket. I thought I might have to remove the fender to "screw" the filler into the hole, but it just makes it with the fender in place.

[img]http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank04.jpg[/img]
The top of the hole is even with the bottom of the bed wood, so that I get the maximum downward run to the tank for good fuel flow.

Here are a couple of shots showing how the filler neck lines up with the tank inlet. In the second one you can see the vent tubes on both the filler and the tank. I kept both the filler and the vent on a drain grade to prevent traps and air pockets. I think it will work very well unless the truck is sitting on a grade with the front up...but in that situation I'll just pull in the other way, headed downhill.
[img]http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank05.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank06.jpg[/img]
I need to dress up the welds on the filler a bit, then paint it to match the truck.

This is the last major bit of engineering for me. It won't be long till I'm on the road. It has LT1/700R4/3.73 rear end running gear,Old Air ac, US Speedometer Encore gauges, and '78 or so GMC 3/4 ton IFS. I have a few details left under the hood, heater hoses and overflow and such, and about a day's worth of wiring under the dash to finish mating the American AutoWire harness with the engine computer and the Encore gauges.

Gonna be my daily driver and fifth-wheel tow vehicle.

Joe

Joe-

Many thanks for these informative posts and pics. WIth so many asking about ank relocation, it is most helpful to see the pics and get the description. I should note that I am not getting the first 4 pics on part #2. You might edit the links.

I really like your filler location. I am in the process of planning this aspect of my rig, with the tank in a similar position. The side-mounted filler is an interesting option. Hope you get enough down force to fill at a rate equal to the output of most nozzels at the pumps these days!

What is the external cap going to look like in the end?

Thanks again!

51PhatBoy, the photos are all in the same directory and listed in the same format. They work for me here and in two browsers. Anybody else having trouble with them?

Try it this way. The links for the first four are:

http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank11.jpg
http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank12.jpg
http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank07.jpg
http://www.brakecylinder.com/images/52chevy/gastank08.jpg

Even at the tank where it is smallest, the inlet is maybe 4 times the area of gas hose nozzles. You can see in the last photo that I've got a fair downhill run all the way through, so I think it will work fine...but I won't know for sure till I try it at the pump. Soon!!!

I think that after the filler neck is painted to match the truck it will not stand out too much. The cap itself is black plastic. I have bought special paint for plastic in the past. I think I'll check at the parts store and see if they have it in red.

Joe

Joe-

I can "see" all the photos now. Not sure what happened earlier today. Thanks for the links as well.

2Many-
I used the same tank set up with a different mounting technique. Those saddle tanks work well. Now I just need to decide how to route the filler through the fender or to use Jo's idea.

Looks nice indeed. I'm going to get around to putting one on the passenger side somehow one of these days. I saw a Dodge lil red trucks once that had kink of a neat filler and have been thinking something like that might work for me. Anyway there is about 8-10" exposed. Looks good to me.

TM2C, I had heard about using those side tanks, and have been planning to go to the dismantler and look for one to complete a two-tank setup. I have a junker '74 in the back yard, but it's a long bed and the tanks are WAY too long. So...just got back from the dismantler with a short bed tank, and it looks like it will work in the 3/4 ton frame. BTW, these tanks are the same left and right. Filler necks are different. Now I get to engineer another fill setup, working around the side-mount spare.

I looked at a couple of late '70s Suburbans while I was there. Those tanks are just about square--maybe 26" by 26" or so. The 1/2 ton trucks must not have the crossmember between the rear spring hangers like the 3/4 ton trucks have. I only have about 17" between the crossmember and the back cover of the differential. I had to use a mallet to beat a depression in the front of the tank for clearance.

Joe