Ive got the same problem with my 79 150. Not to sure whats holding it up there.

 

Has anyone since made this part in desperate need of one

 

I have everything .. taken off my rust free 79 tow truck-Steel midship tank, straps, plastic guard

But Im in Kalifornia and getting it east would be expensive

I also have the elusive 19 gallon plastic rear tank that fits duallies that is impossible to find

 

Well figure out a price for the straps and guard lol and shipping to 19348. Unless anyone else has ideas

 

I just thought I would butt in and make sure there is no confusion here. Many years ago I bought the second last brand new steel shield for the plastic midship tank that was available from Ford. I have kept my eye out for used ones ever since and they just don't seem to come up for sale. You might get lucky and find something in a southern salvage yard. Remember, everyone & their dog is looking for these so that drastically reduces the chances of finding one.
1. The plastic midship tank was only installed on the 1977-79 F150 & F250 4WD trucks. There are no mounting straps used--anywhere. The steel shield is a one piece unit that cradles that tank and it is bolted to the frame/underside of the truck.
2. As far as I know, the "normal" steel midship tanks from any 2WD truck (even a F350) will not fit the 4WD trucks. If I recall correctly it is because there is not enough space for a steel midship tank to be used on the 1977-1979 4WD trucks…….hence the very specific shape of the plastic tank.

 

Yeah what are people doing if they can't find a replacement ?

 

Good question. There was a thread on this website where another member fabricated a metal shield that looked pretty good. It wasn't a factory correct copy buy still well made and useable.

Unfortunately, I don't have the metal working skills or tools to make one that meets my own standards and looks correct. That shield does have some bends & formed sections that make it considerably more complicated than just making a rectangular metal box.

The one that I bought from Ford 15-20 years ago came with a price tag of $465 (Canadian Pricing). I would love to undertake the project of reproducing these but there are a few things stopping me (maybe feeble excuses):
1. I know nothing about manufacturing something like this & don't have a clue where to start.
2. They would likely need to be priced similar to what Ford priced them at back in the day in order to make a small profit. Most truck enthusiasts work a normal job and would not want to drop that much coin on a fancy metal box. Reality sucks.

Question to FTE members: Would any of you be interested in buying these at a price of $465 each if they were reproduced? If there is enough interest from you guys then maybe it is time for me to take the next step and look at getting someone to do a small production run on them since I have an original shield that is still intact and could be used as a template.

 

There was nothing left of that steel shield on my truck either so I fabbed some straps out of stainless steel. They're not perfect but the definitely do the job. I can post pics if anyone is interested!

 

don't suppose anybody has a source on the mid tank sending units for 1979 F250?...I can find lot's of rear tank ones but not midship tank.

 

I think bronco graveyard has what you're looking for!

Sending Unit, Side Mount 1973-79-Broncograveyard.com

 

Maybe ND put some #'s in here that will help you?

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...nk-bronco.html

 

I have a '77 F250 reg cab 4x4 made in San Jose also with what I believe is the factory plastic midship tank. The sending unit goes into a neck with an external thread and the cap (~3" dia. pitch = 6) for it that would hold the sender in place was lost at the resto shop. By trial / error I found a Spectra sender through JC Whitney but can't find the cap anywhere. It works like the old mason jar with vacuum lids--basically a ring with threads to match the neck on the tank. Anyone have an extra one of these before I spend $$$ at a machine shop?

btw: I've been working on these issues with the tank for years. There are no replacement tanks that will fit this truck, plastic or metal. I'm using an epoxy sealer and boot shine to go back to the original one, knowing straps and skid have to be fabbed.

 

One other question: Since I have never seen the tank mounted, can anyone post a pic of the underside to show the fore / aft placement. Also the orientation of the filler neck--I suspect mine has been flipped 180.

 

this one is pretty much an exact copy of a rotted out one. You can see there are no straps, it just sits in the pan. I have 2 tanks & some parts around here...maybe that ring too.

 

I think all i need is the screw-on cap that holds the sender in place. Name your price. I'll take 2 if you can spare them.