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Copyright 1996-2004 Dan Wentz
Fuel Tank Relocation |
quick liNksmaintenanceSpecifications modificationsF-Series historyCanadian Ford & Mercury Trucks Early F-Series in Film & Television Online ToolscommunityMy 1950 f1 |
The basic idea: The gas tank on a 48-52 Ford truck in in the cab, behind the seat. That makes a lot of people nervous about explosion in an accident, explosion while smoking a cigarette, explosion from electrical short, asphyxiation from gas fumes--and some people just want a little more storage room behind the seat. The solution is to move the gas tank under the bed, attached to the frame. What's available? As usual, you can buy a tank made for your truck and bolt it in. You can also scour the junkyards for something the right size. A common tank to use is 1985(ish) Izuzu Trooper. It's the right size and goes in easily. I've also heard of people using early Mustang tanks. There are 3 things to consider when choosing a tank: 1.) Will it fit between the frame rails? 2.) Does it hold enough fuel? Anything under 15 gallons and you should probably keep looking. 3.) Where does the filler neck go? If it points straight up you're filling up from inside the bed (which works for some people). If it points elsewhere you might be in trouble. BonusBuilt.Com suggests: We don't usually suggest this, but save your pennies and buy one of the pre-fab tanks for your model truck. No fuss, no muss. Well, let's be realistic--less fuss, less muss. How do you do it? You will lose your spare tire mount as that's exactly where the tank goes. I say sell it--they're hard to come by. No matter what tank you use you always have to do 2 things: 1.) move the rear crossmember up a few inches. 2.) box the frame for strength. Any idea what a full gas tank weighs? This is all best done with the bed off the truck, by the way. After the tank is mounted you have to make it so you can fill it--people usually go through the bed or the rear fender. After that you plumb it, fill it, and drive it. Any common problems? Not boxing the frame would probably be a bad thing. Awkwardness of the new fueling location--so plan that one out ahead of time. |
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Copyright 1996-2004 Dan Wentz |