Anyone ever seen a short bed, regular cab 4x4 F150 in the '88-'91 model range with a front fuel tank in it? I am in the process of swapping my '88 F150 4x2 body and engine onto a 4x4 chasis of the same year that I restored. My 4x2 has dual tanks, but now that I have everything in the chasis, that front tank is awful close to the transfer case--so much so that the speedo sender and cable all but touch the tank. I did some looking on the internet and at the salvage yard, and all the short bed 4x4 trucks I find with manual transmisisons don't have a front tank. Did some more checking, and the transfer case sets a little over 2" further back in the truck on the trucks with the 5-speed manual compared to the automatic.

 

Anyone ever seen one? Trying to figure out if it is acceptable to have this tank in there, or if I need to get a new one and modify it to be shorter for more clearance with the transfer case.

 

The regular cab, short box 4x4 was the only configuration that was not available with dual tanks. As you found out, there isn't enough room.

 

guess that answers your question you may be able to modify the brackets so you can scoot the tank back a couple of inches.

 

My brother has a short bed 4x4, regular cab with dual tanks, but it is an automatic. The transfer case sits about 2.5" further forward in the truck with the automatic. So I guess it was just with the manual tranmission version that the dual tanks weren't offered. I haven't been able to find that documented anywhere though, so that is why I posed the question here.
Moving the tank is not an option--it fits around the frame crossmembers. What I am doing is buying a new tank, and cutting two inches out of it near the front, then welding the end back on it with my mig-welder. I will put water in it to check for leaks before putting it in the truck and putting fuel in it. New tank is waiting at the parts store for me right now--I decided it was worth $120 to avoid the risk of trying to wash out the original one and not blow myself up in the process of welding on it.

 

lol yes welding and fuel do not mix.

 

That's at least partially not true. I have SEEN an 87-91 F-150 regular cab shortbed 4x4 with dual tanks. I don't know what transmission it had though, I didn't think to look.

My '89 with the T18 does not have a front tank, and the T18 is a pretty short tranny.

 

I have seen several regular cab short bed 4x4's with the automatic and front tank (my brother's and several at the salvage yard), but never have I seen a regular cab short bed 4x4 with the manual trans and front tank. In the process of taking apart a beat up 4x4 to make my 4x2 a 4x4, I learned that the mazda and ZF manual transmissions that fit behind the 300/302/351 engine are approximately 2.5" longer than the automatic. Learned that when trying to find a correct rear driveshaft. I gave up and had an automatic one shortened to the correct length. That extra 2.5" puts the speedo cable and the cruise sensor on the back of the transfer case right into the corner of the front fuel tank.

 

Both my '90 and '91 truck brochures show the aux. tank N/A on the SWB 4x4 Reg Cab.

 

Thanks! That is good information.
My brother's swb regular cab 4x4 auto is an '87 model--I know they had alot of differences compared to the '88-91 models, so maybe there is more room with the transmission it has compared to the 88 up models.
Mine is getting ready to have one--it will only be about a 15 gallon tank when I am done instead of a 16 gallon!

 

it will fit. The 92-96 had 2 tanks and there is no difference between the 87-91 and the 92-96 drive train to make them not fit.

 

There is one difference--the 92-96 models have electronic speedometer that works off a speed sensor in the rear axle. On my '88 model, there is a speedometer cable going in the back of the transfer case and the cable won't go in the speedo sender on the transfer case because the fuel tank is in the way. I have the tank in the truck and have driven it, but without the speedo cable connected.

 

[QUOTE=BuickBrian;7638705]that front tank is awful close to the transfer case--so much so that the speedo sender and cable all but touch the tank.


You said it.
-so much so that the speedo sender and cable all but touch the tank.