Hi Folks,
waaay back in 2011 (which feels like it was just a few years ago...sheesh, when did I become an old person??? ) my front fuel tank sprung a leak. I collected the fuel, stored it away, and went on about my life. Well, the rear tank finally caught up to the demise of the front tank and sprung its own leak last week. I've so far collected about half the fuel. The rest is still in the tank and will have to be pumped out.

I now need to embark on replacing one if not both tanks. I might as well do both right? I have a replacement front tank (steel) but need to order a rear tank. While ordering the tank, I want to order anything else I might need. I'm just going to assume most anything steel is rusted to nothing. Can anyone give me some suggestions on what might need to be replaced? I was also considering doing the harpoon & hutch mod. DieselTechRon had a great video on the process. I figure I should replace the tank straps at the very least, maybe the fuel lines at the top of the tank as well. What else should I replace now while the tanks are down? Should I replace the sending unit? As I recall, the sending unit is working just fine but I'm sure after messing with the tank and I re-install everything, that's when It'll start to act up. Would it be going overboard to replace the tank selection switch as well? I've heard they can stick and push return fuel into the wrong tank...

Any input on parts and advice in general about replacing the tanks is very greatly appreciated. I'm super mechanical, I've just never had the "opportunity" to drop a fuel tank before.

Thanks!!!

 

I'd go with tank straps and padding/insulation, sending unit, filler neck, and confirm vent is still venting. Sending unit and/or tank should include a new lock ring.

 

Don't forget fuel line clips for the selector valve depending on what you decide to do. I broke mine taking the lines off.

 

bought my rear on amazon for 100 new un painted and came with lock ring and oring

pulling bed is easier for the rear, the lines go over something that makes it a pain to do from under

 

Left my bed on because I'm only one person and really didnt want to open another can of worms. But you are 100% right. Getting the filler hose hooked to the tank and the tank back because of the way it routes through the frame is a horrible job.

 

Here’s a tank I bought on Amazon, it’s a 38 gallon tank! That with the ~20 midship you can travel a good way before stopping for fuel!
this kit comes with strap extensions and everything you need to tune the fuel gauge!

and yeah taking the bed off is definitely easier, I’ve done it both ways.. if you have a tractor or a good shade tree that helps with the bed!

Spectra Fuel Tank F26D https://a.co/d/cq77lS5

 

In addition to the above, the padding is essential or the tank will straps and frame will cut you new tank in short order. I used several layers of self-adhering bituthene to patch up the worn OEM padding. The bituthene by itself is too soft to hold up for long. The OEM padding has a thick layer of flexible plastic, which you will soon see doesn't last all that long. Also line the tank on the bottom outside to keep it from sitting in water that collects on top of the skid plates that hold the tank in place.

Add to the must buy order is the pictured fuel strainer. if you manage to get your sending unit out without messing up the float during removal, try not to mess it up when handling it outside of the tank, especially trying to clean the electrical contacts that send your fuel gage information. The screen at the bottom of the sending unit is plastic, which breaks down over time. It breaks up from road vibration. Small fragments that get sucked the up fuel line can very well mess up your selector value. If your selector value isn't operating well, try removing it, but before replacing it back flush it to see if you can dislodge something that may have been sucked in.



As for removing the bed, you will serve yourself well by removing it. Before lifting it off, disconnect the filler neck hoses, and the ground wire and two electrical harness clips that control the rear lights . Soak the six bolts (eight foot bed) with penetrating oil well in advance. These bolts are a special shape (pictured). The long neck fits the hole in the bed. The center bolts tend to corrode faster for some reason, but do take your time and ease them off. They are replaceable aftermarket (LMC Truck if you can afford them or maybe ebay). If they can be saved, clean them and use anti-seize when you put them back. A hoist with a 1,000 lb capacity should work fine on an empty bed.

In the future you will thank yourself for making the bed easy to remove the second time you need to get access to the rear chassis.

Good luck

 

Good call out on the padding for the straps. Yes pulling bed makes it easier. When I pulled my tanks I did them one at a time so I could keep the truck going. Did the front with bed on, and back with bed off. Totally doable with bed on, but definitely makes it easier with bed off. If you don't have access to a hoist, bed is really not that heavy, couple helpers and you can lift it off fairly easy.

Sounds like you've already looked into some of the common modifications. I would consider extending the pickup tube as an alternative to the factory style strainers. I was disappointed how flimsy the plastic seemed on new strainers. So I went with the option of extending the pickup and return lines. Example photo below. Good luck with the project.

 

WOW thanks everyone for the great input. I suppose I'll start with the front tank since I don't need to pull the bed. I'm working on a gravel parking pad off a driveway so pulling the bed isn't an easy option for me. Was it THAT difficult or just incredibly time consuming? Maybe I should have a shop do it? Hmmm.

Thanks again everyone!