Recently, I've been unable to get my truck started. Turns out my fuel tank is all rusted an gunked up. I run a fuel filter on both sides of my fuel pump, because I suspected the 50 year-old tank mught be a problem. When it stopped running and I inspected the filters, what came out of the fuel filter between the tank and the pump was the most unbelievable crud you could imagine. So, now I need a new tank. But I'm getting conflicting info from the parts catalogs. Some of them say that 57-60 F100 have 6-screw hole sending unit mount, others say 5-hole. What's in my truck is a 6-hole--the sending unit I just got with my Dolphin guages ia a 5-hole. I want to get a 5-hole tank, but that is spec'd by LMC as being for a 61 up truck, so not positive it will fit. If any of you with the fridge style trucks could look at your sending unit mount and tell me how many screws attach it, I'd appreciate it. Or, if any of you have ordered a tank from one of the supply catalogs, could you let me know which one you got? Meanwhile I start the truck with a fuel line leading into a gas can, just so I can idle it every once in a while.Thanks!

 

I don't have a fridge but I might be able to shed some light on the 5 hole vs 6 hole gas tank dilemma. If memory serves all 48-66 stock Ford gas tanks had 6 holes where the sender bolts. Most of the aftermarket senders have 5. However, Sacramento Ford, Classic Haulers, and probably others have an adapter available to convert 6 hole to 5 if you want to run a stock tank with an aftermarket sender. I'm using one in my 48 F-3 and it allows me to use a 240-33 ohm sender to match my fuel gauge...

 

I bought an adapter that allows you to use a 5 hole sending unit with a 6 hole tank. I used one on my stock tank when i put in the Dolphin gauges. I think i got mine from Hot Rods Trucks or Sac. Vintage Ford.

Terry

 

Thanks--I'll look for the adapter.

 

C1TF-9276-A .. Fuel Sending Unit Gasket-Cork-6 holes / 2" I.D. / 3.16" O.D. / .12" thick / Available from Ford.

Fits 1948/56 // With the In-Cab fuel tank: 1957/66 F100/1100 ~ 1967/77 F100/750.

 

Just ordered the adapter from a parts guy named Smitty at Sacramento Vintage Ford...thanks again.

 

I had unbelievable bad luck with repop steel tanks, mainly because I am impatient and never had one seal right and always had problems with rust and crap. Got a aluminum tank and never looked back. I would also maybe try a poly tank, put one in my 49 coupe after finding some kind of black sheetrock mud in there and it has been great. Good luck bro.

 

I had the same problem with my '51 F-1. The truck sat around since the mid 70s and the in-cab tank was slowly decaying from the inside out. The fuel filter on the carb was completely blocked after a few minutes of running (the first time I fired her up), looked like rusty/black sludge.

Fortunately I was able to borrow a pressure steam cleaner from work. I pulled the tank out of the truck, removed the fuel sender and used the hole as access for the steam nozzle. You can buy a gas tank liner which is like a thick paint, once cleaned out you pore this in the tank and swish it around until all internal surfaces are covered. Let it cure and the tank should be good.

My project is very slow, so I didn't get to add the liner. I put the whole thing back together after the steam clean and added an extra fuel filter in front of the fuel pump. This was a year ago and I haven't had any issues since.

I did measure up various fuel tanks from all kinds of trucks at the scrap yard, the best fit I could find was a Jeep Cherokee. For the F-1 it would be a snug fit behind the rear axle. But then I'd have to pipe the fuel all the way back down to the engine, re-match the sender to the gauge and plumb in a filler pipe...Maybe later when the filters block up again!

 

I got a tank from LMC, installed it last weekend. Aside from the adapter, the only other issue was that the nipple for the flared fitting on the pickup tube (on top of the tank) was smaller in diameter than the original. But the female threaded fitting, which the nipple is recessed into, was the right size for the 5/16" fuel line. Of course, that line was too big too actually compress against the nipple. I found a copper washer and compressed the flare against the flat area surrounding the nipple. Seems to be working--I don't smell any fuel or see any leaking. Seems like a lot of stuff I've gotten from LMC is just different enough to present a challenge..could it be that some things are lost in translation between the American shop drawings and the factory floor in China?