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| | | | Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 4,095 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 4,095 | I don't know where to ask this. My fuel tank on my 54 is an aftermarket aluminum 20-gallon. I have never been able to put more than 15 gallons in it in the last 16 years. I have an electric backup fuel pump and I am thinking of unhooking and running it dry into a large gas can and see how much it will hold.
Ron, The Computer Greek I love therefore I am.1954 3100 Chevy truckIn the Gallery 2017 Buick Encore See more pix1960 MGA Roadster Sold 7/18/2017
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,215 Moderator | | Moderator Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,215 | What exactly are you asking? | | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 7,441 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 7,441 | If your question is should you do it ..... why not? The results will ease your mind.
Martin
'62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress)
'47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project)
‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily)
‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence)
“I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one!
Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop!
USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 6,377 Ex Hall Monitor | | Ex Hall Monitor Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 6,377 | You say you've not been able to put more than 15 gallons in it. What metric are you using to tell you it's empty? If you're using the gas gauge and filling when it says empty your float may not be at the bottom of the tank. You might have another 5 gallons that the float doesn't see. Run it until you're at empty then stick a siphon hose in the tank and see how much, if any, is still there.
Save a life, adopt a senior shelter pet.
The three main causes of blindness: Cataracts, Politics, Religion.
Name your dog Naked so you can walk Naked in the park.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,366 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,366 | Right after I got the '51 on the road in a dependable fashion I threw a full 5 gallon jug of gas in the back and just went about my normal driving. It seemed like it took forever to run the tank empty. When it did run dry (after giving plenty of warning it was about to) it was a simple matter to put the emergency gas in, saving a little to prime the carb and crank her up. Then drive to the gas station with the concrete knowledge of where empty on the gauge truly was (it's right after the gauge hand hits the lower leg of E on my truck).
RonR
RonR
1951 3600 with Clark flatbed, T5, 4.10 rear
1970 340 Duster
1990 5.0 V8 Miata (1990 Mustang Gt Drivetrain)
1964 CJ5
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,660 Curmudgeon | | Curmudgeon Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,660 | You may not want it to be full. The original tank gas cap is not pressurized.
Gas station tanks may be underground so the gas is at ground temperature.
Here in the South, where temps usually hit 90 in the summer, that cool gas heats and expands a lot.
On original trucks the cab heats up like a toaster oven in the sun and so does the gas in the tank behind the seat.
Gas can force it's way past the gas cap seal and ruin a nice paintjob.
Back in those days you had to remember not to "filler up".
"Adding CFM to a truck will only help at engine speeds you don't want to use."
"I found there was nothing to gain beyond 400 CFM."
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 184 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 184 | Or, park it on a slope with the passenger side down. | | | | | Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 2,195 Insomniac | | Insomniac Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 2,195 | Don't do a "filler up" on modern cars either. You can mess up the EVAP system by overfilling.
Since most of us now use a credit or debit card to pay for gas there's no need to top it up to the next highest dollar.
Gord 🇨🇦
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1954 1/2 ton 235 4 speed
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,286 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,286 | Ron,
You need to live closer to the edge. Drive your baby till she's out of gas. I'll bet she'll take 20 gallons then.
I run mine until the needle quits wiggling from the sloshing gas. I know that I have 20 miles until I need to be next to a gas pump.
Edgy Carl
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 1,049 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 1,049 | I would just figure the volume using the basic L X W X H. There are 7.48 gallons to the cubic foot.
Old enough to know better, too young to resist.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 58 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 58 | | | | | | Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,258 | Back in those days you had to remember not to "filler up". Yep. In 1990 I bought a 29 Ford in college. Went home next summer and gas forced itself out and dripped a nice hole into my parents newly paved driveway. | | |
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