I need your opinion on if I should leave my fuel tank behind the seat of my 57 ford truck or mount it some where else. And if i mount it some where else where do you recomend I do this and what type of a tank should I get????
Mike

 

well the only bad thing with the tank in the cab is that if you put the truck on the side it will rub on the cemeant and then the truck blows up so unless you plan to do that theres no problem.

 

Thanks for the reply I think

 

Mike,

I think 1nice56 has a point but I've seen a few other comments as well. The safety issue, obviously, is the danger of having the fuel ignite while it is right behind you. There are really two things you need to consider with respect to this issue. First, behind the seat the tank is in a fairly well protected place and so the risk of ignition is probably reduced substantially in an accident. In addition, rust and leakage is much less of a problem since the tank is protected from the weather as well. On the other hand, having the tank under the frame and bed in the rear may increase the risk of rupture and ignition in an accident but the fire will be farther away from you. Without a statistically significant study I think the safest location is unclear.

Other than the safety issue, there are a bunch of other considerations. You can use the space behind the seat for other things if you move the tank. Moving the tank to the rear can also help with the weight balance of the truck. On the other hand, there's some work involved in moving the tank and making sure the fuel lines and fuel flow are still appropriate. Finally, if you want to keep the truck original you really should leave the tank in the cab.

My two cents -- I want my truck to be original so I'm leaving my tank in the original location.

Earl

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 04-Feb-02 AT 11:20 PM (EST)]Mike,

Deciding to move your tank is just like any other decision. It depends on what you want to accomplish.

Are you planning to put something in the space left by removing the behind-the-seat tank? If not, you might not want to go to all the work needed to move the tank location.

If you are worried about the safety (or lack thereof)of present tank location, I wouldn't fret much about it. I've driven trucks with tanks behind the seat, under the seat, under the cab, and hung outside the frame rails, and I have never had a problem. I know there has been a lot of media exposure about gas tanks exploding, but IMHO, they're creating a mountain out of a molehill. The number of tanks that have blown up in a wreck is minimal considering how many tanks are on the road. There have been a few, such as some of the older Ford Pintos that have gone kablooey when hit from behind; but even the number of those are very few.

If you do decide to put another tank elsewhere, it will require determining where you want it, locating a suitable donor tank with all attaching hardware (or buying new), buying enough steel fuel line to reach the new location, relocating the sending unit wiring, and other miscellaneous efforts.

Some people have placed "new" tanks under the rear of the bed where the spare tire nomrally is stored (I did this on my '70 to add to my fuel capacity -- did not remove old tank -- now have 32 gallons to burn).

Do what you think will suit you best. Just remember, it all takes money, work, and time.

OldFords Bad attitudes

 

I decided to put my under running board tank (on a '53) back behind the rear end between the frame rails... If you'd like to see what I did... look under truck articles on my page http://jniolon.clubfte.com ... don't know the framerail width on a '57 but the idea would be the same... you might have to try a different tank..

just a thought to ponder

john

 

I would to thank everyone who responded I have decided for now to keep my gas tank behind the seat, I just sent it in to be cleaned it should be ready in a couple of days
Again thank-you
Mike