Embarrassed to say I more than a year ago mounted a 50 gallon barrel style gas tank on the passenger side of 1955 C600 Ethyl *The* Tool Truck... what is embarrassing is that it has only been hung...its never been plumbed. This gas tank purchased off of EBay is a military surplus item and it appears to be of great quality etc. I hung it on the passenger side because the other side is where my 8kw Diesel generator sits...I figure the weight will be evened out with the tank across from the generator. The truck leans to the left now without any gas in the tank.
I am seeking suggestions on how to plumb this tank in. I have the Y block 272 with 2 barrel teapot carburetor and factory style mechanical fuel pump with the vacuum assembly as part of its function for the windshield wiper motor. Once the added tank is plumbed, I would like to use the 21(?) gallon original tank located under the driver steps as the fuel tank for the diesel generator positioned on that same side. Currently the generator is using a portable fuel cell. This is a farmer type fix operation at this point for the generator. It has functioned but its time to get things right. I will be doing suspension spring work soon. I want to know where the weight sits and the big gas tank is part of that spring equation.
To Address 1. I do NOT have a functioning gas gauge. I believe the factory tank sending unit is bad but have not verified the gauge works really either. I always knew I would be adding the big tank so I just guess when to get gas. The odometer and speedo also don't work(the speedo needle was bouncing badly on the test drive after the box was installed and before we could get out of traffic the cable broke...none of this has been addressed). I carry a full 5 gallon can in the Store...and have had to use it a few times...opps. So I will need guidance : the added 50 gallon tank will need to have a sending unit compatible with the factory gauge. 2. I would like to add a functioning electric fuel pump as a backup to the mechanical one. Advice is appreciated on what to use for a quality electric pump and if a particular type of pump is better (pusher style?)...brand preferences?? 3. I would like to plumb in a mechanical fuel pressure gauge and a regulator to make sure the electric pump isnt going to have the wrong pressure for my teapot carburetor... 4. should the electric fuel pump, pressure regulator and gauge all be mounted close to the tank or should the gauge and regulator be mounted closer to the carburetor? I would like to keep the underhood clean and as original as possible but I also want function. 5. What's the best way to tie the two fuel pumps together? 6.Teflon Coated or just plain old Steel gas lines? 7. Teflon tape or something else on all the threaded sealing points? 8. Other things to consider?

barrel style gas tank needs to be plumbed in.

 

First questions: Was the "new" tank previously used for gasoline or diesel? Does it have a mounting flange for a sending unit? Is the filler cap vented? Does it have female pipe fittings on top (illegal to draw gasoline from the bottom of a chassis mounted tank, diesel ok)?

 

Bob, can you cite the section and code that says that it is illegal to draw fuel from the bottom of a chassis mounted gas tank? Curious.

Thanks

 

MIXERMAN....gas fill inlet is a screw on heavy brass type maybe 3"- 31/2" diameter cap. Non Vented. I was told by the company who built this tank that it could be used for either gas or diesel as I recall..Somewhere I have a picture of the welded tag that shows the manufacturer etc...I contacted the manufacturer at the time to ask questions regarding fuel it could hold...They never offered any suggestions about venting etc and I was clear with them what I wanted to do...Did I blow it buy installing a non vented tank? .I bought this STEEL tank when I got the truck in 2016 just before joining here. It sat for a year and a half before I hung it. I have been living with the factory 20 gallon tank for all this time...For the most part my driving is within an 8 mile radius mostly city so every 3rd day to get fuel....I want to eliminate that....too much time at the pump...people in cars dont act very nice to me in my truck sometimes pulling in front, taking a long time to move away etc..... I know all the threaded areas for connecting lines etc are on top. Im not sure about the sending unit area.There are 3 flange type threaded holes for lines etc and one 1 1/2" (+/-) diameter screwed down cover over some other inlet in that top area....as you can see...

 

There ya go. 49CFR §393.67 (a).
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.67

"Fuel withdrawal fittings. Except for diesel fuel tanks, the fittings through which fuel is withdrawn from a fuel tank must be located above the normal level of fuel in the tank when the tank is full."

It should be noted that most of 49CFR is written in blood.

 

Ok. Your tank is good to go but you will probably have to drop it to install a pickup tube/pipe that extends to 3/4" above the bottom and cut at 45°. You can install a p/v vent in one of the threaded bung fittings. The screwed down plate is where the sending unit goes, and with any luck your Ford unit may fit it. Nice tank.

 

That looks like its setup like a normal truck tank. Should be able to get a sending unit for it. It also looks to have feed and return ports, and well as a place for a vent.

 

1234567890

 

More on the new tank.
It won't hold 50 gallons since that is probably the calculated volume. More like 43 gallons to the bottom of the filler neck.

Where,
Dia² x .7854 x depth x 1728 = gallons.

 

Toolman, don't be embarrassed. You are just a member of the Ford Truck Procrastinators Club. We have a lot of members.

Why this winter I put on the under hood radiator rubber that I bought in 1999.

 

Bob,
Thanks for the section. Good information but as I expected it does not apply to our 1/2 ton trucks (or even my '02 F-250) and more importantly hot rods, but it is still great advice for safety reasons.

To the OP , great looking truck.

 

Yes, I knew that it does not apply to trucks under 10,000 GVWR, but we weren't discussing the small trucks. It would however, apply to hot rods over 10,000 GVWR used on public roads. On a farm or other private property you can do just about whatever you want.

 

A hot rod weighing 10,000+ lbs would not be much of a hot rod.

 

Hahahaha.That's the rating, not the actual weight. That said, I would consider anything on a drag strip a hot rod.