Have you check your local laws for that? Some places have issues with setups like that, especially if the tank is not DOT cert. Might be something to consider before jumping all in with it.
My 1973 K10 Chevy Cheyenne
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
Have you check your local laws for that? Some places have issues with setups like that, especially if the tank is not DOT cert. Might be something to consider before jumping all in with it.
I'm not usually one to poo-poo another's build choices. However, besides the legal aspects, to me the larger issue is danger in a crash. Ask Niki Lauda's ear how much fun it is to be trapped in a gasoline fire...
Granted, I'm not sure federal safety standards had addressed fuel tank safety on your '73 truck, so the OEM setup likely isn't the safest, either. I think it was the '78 Pinto disaster that spurred the fuel tank safety standards.
You're pretty limited on fuel tank options with a short box. Have you looked at the fuel tank/tool box combos? I pulled a pretty nice one out of the bed of my latest duramax when i bought it. You'd have storage for your single cab too
Yes! I was looking at those. The reason I liked this one is that with the diamond plate it sort of gives the appearance of a tool box. It will sit below the bed height so you won’t really be able to see it unless you’re actually looking.
At this point I would really love all the extra fuel. These damn 16 gallon tanks go by quite fast and filling them is like some sort of circus at the pump!
I don't think it should be an issue.
The amount of diesel trucks I see around here with auxiliary tanks in the bed that look just like this is astounding. Before we moved to Wyoming I'd never really seen this before. Now I see them everywhere we go, I'd say 3 out of every 10 vehicles I see here has one.
Probably because of all the oil rig work that goes on out here.
Chris you have to remember in 1973 this was a big deal , in 1972 all you got was a in cab 19 gallon tank . As I think back , This is the only failure I have heard of with saddle tanks , Us , my brothers , dad , friends , all had 2 or 3 square bodies each over the years . Lucky you . The quick and dirty big single tank should work out great ! And we need some photos !!! Thanks man you got this !
Yep, I always have to remember it. They did it right with the Suburban though. Having a 40 gallon tank is a great thing, especially on these gas guzzlers.
My F150 had the 36 gallon tank which was an option. I believe the standard tank was something like 25 gallons. Every time we would go on a trip in that thing I was so happy to have the bigger tank.
Had the 37 gallon tank on the F150 ecoboost I just traded in, gave me about a 650 mile range. Back to a 19 gallon on the new Ranger for an acceptable 400 mile range.
The Suburban had the spare tire mounted inside the body , the pickup had the spare between the frame rails where the Blazer , Suburban tank mounts .Big tanks are a good thing , until it is time to fill up ! How soon are you getting the new tank ?
I agree!
Not sure when it will be here. Amazon had the best price on it by a landslide. The reviews all say it was delivered very quickly. Hopefully that’s the case. Won’t take me long to install it. Then I gotta get this thing to the body shop so they can put my new floor pans in!
The 46 gallon tank got here the other day. It looks good and it fits perfectly in the bed without taking up too much room.
The only thing I'm going to have to do here is cut off this threaded mount and slightly enlarge the hole so it will fit my fuel pump. I'm also going to have to tap and thread some holes around it for the fuel pump bolts. Next to it I'll also have to drill another large hole for the fuel level sensor and tap and thread some holes for it as well.
I was surprised how fast this came. Not too bad for $760 I'd say.
The only thing I'm going to have to do here is cut off this threaded mount and slightly enlarge the hole so it will fit my fuel pump. I'm also going to have to tap and thread some holes around it for the fuel pump bolts. Next to it I'll also have to drill another large hole for the fuel level sensor and tap and thread some holes for it as well.
I was surprised how fast this came. Not too bad for $760 I'd say.
speeding_infraction
TJ Addict
Yep, off-the-shelf unit. I could have had it custom made but it would have cost considerably more. The modifications I have to make are relatively simple I think.
Then I just have to mount it in the bed of the truck. The fuel lines and wiring has already been ran.
I'll get an extra 14 gallons with this setup over the dual tanks which will be nice considering just how bad the MPGs are on this thing. Man do these square bodies suck gas!
We put a similar sized tank in the bed of the old '63 GMC, ca 1977 or so. In those days, such things were custom only. I don't think the cost was that extreme, even for the day, but I don't remember TBH. As for sucking gas, the old GMC got about 8, the '78 Chevy with a 454 got about 10 - my dad was surprised, he thought he'd get worse mileage, but it was actually a bit better.
But if compared to another 389" HIPO 4X4 truck , is it really bad ? You're just fine Chris .
It doesn't surprise me at all that a Mark IV BBC would get better mileage than a GMC V-6 . They weren't efficient at all , especially for the power per cubic inch .
Yea, they'd drag a house down the street as long as you stopped at every gas station on the way. Wonderful engines though - I'd love to see what could be done with that design given "thoughtful modern improvements".
Oh I’m not complaining about anything other than the fact that I need a bigger tank. Now I’ve got one!
Okay, so I finally got everything I need to get this truck going.
First off, I found flanges for the fuel level sender and the fuel pump. I had my buddy in town who does welding weld them both into the tank for me as you can see in the photo.
I'm going to mount this thing behind the cab in the bed of the truck and mount it using two bolts that will go through the bed of the truck and have steel reinforcement plates, nylok nuts, and hardened washers. I'll make sure to take it down to bare metal in the area that those plates contact the frame on the underside so that I get a good chassis ground for the tank.
I was wondering about a vent for this tank but ATI says that this fuel fill cap is a vented cap so I think that'll do the trick.
Fuel lines have already been ran so all I need to do is mount the tank, hook up the fuel lines, splice the wires in, and then I can hopefully have this fuel tank fiasco behind me at which point I can move on to installing the American Autowire harness, new floor pans, etc.
I'm sure I'll find a new rabbit hole to go down on my way there, I always do!
First off, I found flanges for the fuel level sender and the fuel pump. I had my buddy in town who does welding weld them both into the tank for me as you can see in the photo.
I'm going to mount this thing behind the cab in the bed of the truck and mount it using two bolts that will go through the bed of the truck and have steel reinforcement plates, nylok nuts, and hardened washers. I'll make sure to take it down to bare metal in the area that those plates contact the frame on the underside so that I get a good chassis ground for the tank.
I was wondering about a vent for this tank but ATI says that this fuel fill cap is a vented cap so I think that'll do the trick.
Fuel lines have already been ran so all I need to do is mount the tank, hook up the fuel lines, splice the wires in, and then I can hopefully have this fuel tank fiasco behind me at which point I can move on to installing the American Autowire harness, new floor pans, etc.
I'm sure I'll find a new rabbit hole to go down on my way there, I always do!
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