The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk looking for a replacement fuel tank

I pulled the old tank,from behind the seat.I want to relocate a new tank between the frame rails.Is it more cost effected to buy a after market tank,a buddy told a 95 suburban,fits perfect.What is the board collectives opinion?

Do a search and see what you find, we have covered this before.

My opinion, leave it in the cab, its safer. The cab is the part that offers most protection, behind the rear axle is not a good place to have a gas tank if you are in an accident. With good hoses and tight connections you will never know the tank is in the cab.

Grigg

Yeah, that was the whole reason Chevy put it in the cab, wasn't it?

but it is nice to have the extra room in the cab

True, but how do you make use of it?
My 48 originally had the frame mounted tank, and I am installing a 75 gallon diesel tank in the same place, I am not so worried about it as it's only diesel.
But any how, what can I do to make the seat move out of the way so I can use the behind the seat space for storage?

Grigg

Hey Grigg,

Some time back a guy had a thread on modifying the AD seat so that the back would flip forward without going askew. He used a couple extensions that went down inside the alignment holes. It also gave you additional room as the back of the seat will slide back inside the metal tube frame to give you a more comfortable driving position. I didn't save the thread but did the modification on my truck and have a couple pictures in my "Tips and Tricks album on page 2. I agree that the tank is best protected in the cab and for that reason built a shelf above my tank for some additional storage. If you want any additional info send me an email.

Dave

I have a pair of saddle tanks from a mid-80's Chevy truck. Trial fitting looks like I can place one between the driveshaft and the frame like the 1948 truck. Then I can still route the filler hose to the stock cab location. I hope to get this worked out in the next month or two. The I can keep the spare tire up under the bed.

If it does not work out then I am going to use the Tanks, Inc universal steel tank and route the filler out the rear fender. I do not want the filler in the bed.

In my case the tank was under not behind the seat. I am thinking about a drawer on each side and open the door and the drawer slides out sideways from under the seat.

im putting electric leather seats that are very cush and need the room back there to tilt them back a little

If you look at the engineering specs, you will find that they located the tank inside the framerails on panels and 'burbs. It was obviously done for space reasons, but also consider that there are no Chevrolet vehicles made today with tanks in the cab. Even with good connections, why risk the chance of fumes accumulating? They moved the tank outside the cab for a reason, too.

john55,youll get lots of opinions here.the resto guys are usually opposed to movin the tank out back.well heres one more opinion,i moved the tank on my 49 to behind the axel and in front of the rear crossmember. used a rci aluminum fuel cell its 12w 9h 30l 15 gal and has a sender.had a buddy weld up a frame of angle and 1 1/4 heavy wall tubing and it fits like a glove.i didnt want the fumes and slosh in the cab with me..........dave ps ,welcome to the bolt

With good connections,etc. I see no reason to move the tank.Most people say they smell gas in the cab.If that is true there is a problem.Fix it.For more in cab room I can understand that.That is the reason the newer trucks have the tank underneath.

I put a custom aluminum tank between the rails. I think it will work out well.
http://community.webshots.com/album/556111970egYVwn?start=108

i moved mine out for two reasons one is the smell of fumes on filling and the additional weight in the back in snow season helps. ron

I'm planning to move mine. I want it out the cab for smell & in case I ever roll over. The storage will be nice too. I'll get a Summit 16 gallon fuel cell. Plan is to flip my shock crossmember around instead of moving the the one at the rear suspension hangers. I'll mount my stock sender into the Summit and if its too deep for the sump, I'll try cutting and soldering it. Getting the shock crossmember repositioned will be the trickist part, but I have some ideas. I'd like to do a throught he license plate fill, but I'll settle for through the bed. The bed crossmember might be an issue too, but I won't really know if its right about the inlet unitl I get ahold of a fule cell. I've been looking into this for a while

I'd rather have it outside rather than in the cab with me. I'm putting mine in the back with bracing around it plus a receiver hitch, plus the bumper. If it gets punctured after all that, at least it's 5-6 feet away.

My feelings are also swayed because I knew a family with a F*rd pickup back in the 70s. The fuel tank fire after a rollover claimed their little girl. I don't think the cab or the tank got punctured, but the filler neck either broke, or simply leaked gas when the pickup ended up on the left side.

One personal bad experience trumps all the engineering studies ever done.

Good point Canyon. My '47 AD came with the tank under the bed (near the front), and I want to keep it there. I'm not sure if it is still usable, since I haven't removed it yet, but no matter what, I still want it or one like it in the same spot. They make replacements for in-cab models, but why don't they make new ones for under-bed models?

lots of info here john. DO what YOU want to!! ....
do a search on under bed gas tank
below are some as well as spouts and the AD tilt seat one.

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Main/20093/Number/131776#Post131776

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Main/7859/Number/49359#Post49359

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Main/27547/Number/192464#Post192464

FILLER NECK:
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Main/28377/Number/199780#Post199780

SEAT MODS:
look at these two
>>>> modifying the AD seat so that the back would flip forward without going askew
>>>> https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=9&Number=162537&Searchpage=20&Main=23651&Words=What+Seat+Do+You+Recommend%3F+&topic=0&Search=true#Post162537

>>>> allows greater storage w/ easier access under the seat.
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h298/1951otter/?action=view&current=DSC00492_0008.jpg

That's great!, and simple.
I see he used thumb screws to secure the top of the seat back to the frame.

I think I will use two of these little quick release pins sold by McMaster Carr, part number 92384A012
Just click here http://www.mcmaster.com/
Then cut and paste this part number into the search 92384A012

Grigg

''''''I see he used thumb screws to secure the top of the seat back to the frame.''''''
actually someone else came up and did a one handed lever/slider (on drivers side) to a long bar that holds the seat in two (or the same locations as shown)

I have not found pictures of the lever, do you have a link?

Thanks,
Grigg

i'm lookin'

I was tempted to get a 1969 Camaro tank. It holds 16 or 18 gallons, I forget which, but it has a really long filler neck that comes straight out the back. It looks like you could mount that tank right behind the rear end and the filler neck would stick out just below the rear tail gate. That's what I'm gonna try anyway.

Those tanks are available through Classic Industries.

I would be interested in how you get it to work. That was my plan but my bed is not available so I was afraid to plan on something that would not work. I even found a vendor that sells the spring loaded license plate bracket. Let us know how it works out.

The Suburban NAPCOS had the fuel tank mounted on the outside of the frame on the side of the truck to make room for the transfer case. Scary.

My 48 6400 also had the tank outside the frame, right side, just behind the cab.

i found it

the tilt forward seat swing bar lever
'''''''''The retainer is made from 1/8"x3/4" stock, 43" long for the relay bar and 5" long for each of the "latches". The holes in the relay bar are spaced to match the hook on the seat back.'''''''''
http://www.chuckthetruck.com/page27.html#folding

Great, Thanks for finding that, I'll have to give it a try.

Here is a picture of my fuel tank I just installed this weekend, 75 gallon aluminum right side just behind cab, or just in front of wheels if you look at it from the other end.
[IMG]http://thumb9.webshots.net/t/58/558/9/35/46/2107935460080251109FnQmbG_th.jpg[/IMG]

Grigg

Big Chevy, the way I was planning to get that to work is with some custom bracketry. I was thinking angle iron between the frame rails to create the upper support, and then straps to wrap around the fuel tank between the angle iron. Stainless steel straps would be my preference. The tank would be situated so that the long filler neck that extends out the back would stick out from under the bed a few inches (below the tailgate) for access. Also, a center access means it doesn't matter what side of the pump you pull up to. That's a feature I love about both my Corvette and my Firebird.

I was thinking about maybe keeping the original tank as a spare. Long trips on the highway, it might be good to have the extra capacity. A simple ball valve could be used with hard line to switch between tanks. I was thinking about having another electric switch to switch between tank pick-ups, so that the fuel gauge would work with either tank.