Hi all, I haven't posted much before now because it usually seems like you guys have answered all the questions already...

Anyway, my 1973 F-250 Camper Special has the age-old problem of a leaking filler hose at the rear tank. I can fill the tank half-way but any more than that and I leak fuel driving down the road for the first while. Obviously that's neither safe nor fuel efficient

I've searched and read and scratched my head on the best way to fix it. I could drop the tank quite easily and support it on the tow hitch frame, but I'm not sure that'd leave enough access for that nasty-looking filler hose and vent tube. The hitch frame is WELDED to the truck frame, thanks to some rocket-surgeon of a previous owner... that's another project.

It seems that lifting the bed is the most "popular" method to get at this p.o.s area, but I've come up with a plan, wanted to bounce it off some of you guys to see if it makes sense:-

1. Disconnect wiring harnesses/fillers etc as in other posts.
2. Completely remove all bed bolts down the driver's side of the bed
3. Loosen (not remove) bed bolts down the starboard side of the bed, holding it in place laterally.
4. Attach a cable winch or hoist to a 4x4 wood beam secured in the rafters of my garage.
5. Spread the load with a rope/chain to the driver's side of the bed and tilt upwards, gaining suitable access to hoses.
6. For extra safety, block up the bed with wood so the hoist isn't taking all the weight while I work under it.

Does this sound plausible to any of the experts out there in Truckland? I've read in various posts that the bed weighs about 350-500 lbs, so I'd really only be hoisting about half of that in theory...

If it doesn't seem too ridiculous I'll give it a try and post some pics of the entire process.

Thoughts anyone?

Thanks all,
John

 

I just lifted an 8ft bed last Monday and we did it with 3 guys easily. Just recruit a few buddies and lift it off and set it to the side.

 

I don't have open space big enough to lift the bed completely off and lay it down, and I kinda want to tackle it myself without having to coordinate a crew of ham-fisted buddies all together in my garage at the same time...
;-)

 

You could use lumber to put between the bed and box. Just cut up some 2 x 6 into 1' pieces and screw together, you can usually find lumber in the bins at construction sites. I've got a s load of 12"x12"x7" blocks that I made from pallets and plywood. They make great jack stands and nobody asks to borrow them so their always around when I need them
They aint fancy but they sure work good

 

I was figuring on using wood blocks between the bed and the frame, just trying to find an easy way to raise the bed single handedly. I can get any of a large choice of hoists for pretty cheap from a certain tool store we all know and love...

 

Getting all the bed bolts loose can be a pita by yourself. As soon as you get the nuts broke loose you need a friend to stand on the the head (or something REAL heavy) to keep it held down in place so the bolt stays locked from turning while you are under there taking the nuts off.

I do not think there is enough length and or play in the bolts length and mount area to get the bolts to hold the bed laterally and let you lift one side. You could always use a longer piece of "all thread"?

With you not dropping the tank it will be a PITA to lift the bed AND get the neck slid off the tubes all by yourself. If the bed lift idea does work, then controlling the bed back down and getting the new filler neck back on by yourself (without breaking the plastic fill neck mount piece) will not be any fun.

Get only 2 your ham fisted friends under control (JK) and get them help with the bolt removal and lifting of the bed. Yes with the welded on hitch there is no way to change the filler necks, cause you need some wiggle room under there.

I just changed my rear tank all together and only had one friend to help. Dropping the tank is way easier, maybe its time to address that welded on hitch and leave the bed lift idea alone.

It could be a one man job dropping the tank.....if it had to be. But I hate working that hard. lol

 

I removed my rear tank from the 75 blue & white f250 by myself and I got 1 good arm and 1 that tingles and goes to sleep on me. It's a good thing I got Frankie to bail me out, and an e cylinder o2 bottle. Being half senile might help also.

 

Hmm... you make a compelling point... I'm hoping that my bed bolts aren't too horribly rusted, as the truck has spent it's entire life in So Cal, although that may be wishful thinking. I'm not opposed to cutting them out and replacing them with stainless.

So... If I bust out the grinder and cut off that ugly hitch frame first then drop the tank, isn't it going to hang up on the filler hose between the frame and the bed, still preventing access? How far does the tank realistically have to be dropped to get access (just in case I can drop it and rest it on the welded-in hitch)?

Then... with the tank dropped and the old perished hosed cut out, how do I get the new hoses in before the tank goes back in place?

A couple more :
1. Can I use bulk 2" filler hose and fabricate a protective metal shield in way of the frame instead of the spendy custom hose?
2. Any pics of the bed mounting bolt locations?

 

I've removed beds by myself, using saw horses and 2x4's slid under the bed to the horses to support the bed and drive the truck out from under.
If dropping the tank, the filler hose has to be attached to the tank first, before sliding the tank in place.
I had to cut of the PO welded on hitch to drop the tank on my 87.
If you are going to grind off the welds on your hitch make sure the fuel level is low enough so that nothing is leaking. Maybe even spray H2O around tank and filler.
I hate it when sparks cause a fire.

 

What I do to lift beds found an old aluminum ladder and cut it so it fits underneath the bed rails and then I use a cherry picker or a hoist to lift the bed and move em off. Solo work made easy.

 

I did this myself with a 2" x 12" and cinder blocks stacked on either side of the wheel openings. The bed balanced perfectly on the 2" x 12".

I also put the bed back on the same way (reversed) to move it to a different area of the yard.

I'm thinking that with a Camper Special having the wheelwells 7 inches further back than on a standard 8" bed this might not work. The balance point would be too far forward.

 

1. Remove said ugly hitch.
2. Make sure tank is empty or at least very close.
3. Now you loosen the hose clams at the filler neck and gas tank end (if you can't get to them, you will be able to in a sec)..take a flat tip screwdriver and make sure they are broke loose from the neck. Not pried off, just not stuck on there.
4. Remove the 2 bottom support straps front hardware. 1 nut bolt each.
5. Push tank over to the dvrs side as far as possible and so the r/h tank corner edge will slip down and out past the passenger side frame rail and drop is just a bit.
6. Now you can get to carefully pry off the sending unit elec connector, on the front of of the tank.
7. With the r/h hand side free of the frame rail and the send unit disconnected continue to drop the tank and pull it towards the r/h truck side. The filler tubes will either come with or stay on the filler neck side.
Do not yank do hard the filler neck connection area inside the gas flap is plastic.

Notice I had a leak at the l/h rear corner and some JB weld PO work on the few l/h side. Lots of crud crap and moisture and the rust started.

Take the straps wire wheel clean them and make your own anti-chaff material (old 2" strap). Glue in place.

Paint the road side (bottom) of the straps and tank with truck under coating or primer or something to protect it.

Reverse is new tubes installed on gas flap side and the in position for new tank. Its was a $120 for a new tank $65 for the sending unit, since you are right in there.

Make sure you get the correct Spector sending unit cause they the sale one with the wrong/smaller diameter hose connection point. Can't recall the thread but it is in here.

 

I took my 8 foot box off my Supercab with a chain fall attached to my rafters with a 4x4. Wile the bed was in the air I just drove the truck out from under it. It worked like a dream!!



For safety purposes I would suggest undoing all the bed bolts, lifting the bed straight off, then rolling the truck out from under the bed and then lower the bed down on the garage floor. That way your rafters don't have to support the weight of the box wile you are under it, if it's on the floor the rafters can't break and the box fall on you wile your are fixing the tank. Then when it comes time to put the bed back on just lift it up and roll the truck back under it!

~Hunter

 

Few years ago I was filling my '77 (F-150 4X4, rear mount tank only) up at a station and suddenly fuel was pooring out behind bed side, squirrels had eaten away part of filler hose.

I stopped by NAPA and bought a piece of filler hose and new clamps. I was able to change mine sitting on the ground and using some 5/16" (or maybe it was 9/32" OEM clamp?) 6 point socket and extensions to loosen up OEM clamps, used long knife to slit old rubber, peeled off, lube new with something like Armor All and slid into place, slid new clamp in place and using extensions / adapters / and 5/16" socket to snug up.

Filler end was easy, had to contort some to reach that one over behind frame rail.

After I was done, I wrapped some thin aluminum around the whole large rubber hose part loosely, it slid in place over frame rail .... and secured with a larger worm clamp.

Worst part of it was I did it in the yard where truck was slanted with right side down hill and I used a 9/32 or 5/16 nut driver as well, and when I finished and put my tools up, I mowed the yard .... and still recall that noise when the blades hit the Excelite Nut Driver I had left in the grass .... it was one of a set that my Dad had as far back as 1950s when he ran "Queen City Radio & TV Repair" in Del Rio, Texas. I have a lot of his old tools, they mean a lot to me .... and every time I use them I think of him.

Glad to see bed comes off easy .... but my '77's bed bolt's heads are under the second floor that I made out of 11 gage sheet steel.


.

 

Wow, seems like a lot of different opinions on how to do this. I have to say, I'm leaning towards dropping the tank, having inspected it more closely today.

I don't know how to post a pic here, or I'd show the world what I'm actually dealing with. The hand-knitted and welded hitch frame by the PO actually looks like it's been made to allow the tank to be removed without any obstruction, so that's what I'm going to try, probably next weekend.

As for draining the tank, I can only fill it half-way right now, and a lead-booted right foot means it's really no problem to get the fuel low enough to render the tank unheavy.

There always seems to be a great deal of debate for this particular repair, maybe I should make a photo journal of the process...

Thanks for your input everyone, it's very enlightening!