Gas Tank Mounting

[custodian]

Anyone have a good way to get the fuel lines hooked back up on the drivers side fuel tank without removing the bed? I cut them in half to get the tank out. Replacing the tanks and all the fuel lines.

 

[Scott91370]

They're going to be close to the bed floor but you might be able to get to them if you climb under there between the wheel well and the cab. If not, unbolt the bed, get a friend to help lift the front and prop it up with something good. Then you'll be able to reach all the way across to the other side easier as well.

 

[The88]

I would second to get a buddy and remove the bed. Then at that point as well you can assess everything else there and pass a good pressure washing on your frame as well.

 

[Rickf]

You could preconnect lines long enough too reach to the front or side of the tank/s.

 

[ajd89]

What I did after reading on here. Is switch the sending units side for side so they face to the outside of the truck not towards the frame then you can use longer hoses and kind of coil them up and on top of the tank as you put the tank back up. If that make sense. I want to say I got 2ft of hose for each line but cant remember 100%.

 

[custodian]

I've decided to take those steel lines out and just run the lines from the tanks to the switch.

 

[Buickspec6231]

I know the OP already resolved his issue, but I figured I'd put a little input for anyone else who might read. Taking the bed off, if the bolts aren't overly corroded is a simple task and the bed isn't that heavy. I have had my bed off twice recently. Once to fix body wiring/install a brake controller and once to fix the cracked rubber fuel return line.

I mention the cracked return line because, as someone above mentioned you can drop the tank and reinstall the tank with a longer that stock piece of hose and let it coil itself neatly up there. Or you can do what the previous owner to my truck did and use a slightly longer that stock length hose and it coils real tight which stresses the outside bend of the hose too much and it eventually cracks open leaking fuel everywhere. I didn't catch it right away because it was the return side line, so no drop in fuel pressure or driveability issues. I also park on gravel so once the truck was shut off, the fuel leak stopped and drips of gasoline evaporate fairly quickly.

With my limited Square Body experience, I recommend just removing the bed if you have fuel tank issues to deal with. 15 minutes and 8 bolts later the bed is off and you have all the space you need to do anything you want.

 

[Dave M]

Wow, this is good timing, as l am actually in the process of fitting up a left hand tank at present, without removing the bed. l connected a few feet of fuel hose to each connection on the sender/pickup and draped them over the top of the chassis rail, as l was raising the tank into position. l don't know where or how they were ran from factory fitted, but l was going to cross them over to the r/h side via a piece of channel and tee them in with the r/h lines.

 

[Ricko1966]

• I lift 1 side of the bed.If the bed bolts are corroded I drill them from the top just drill the heads off and replace the bolts.I put a scissor jack on top of the tire and spin it up with my impact to lift the bed.

 

[75gmck25]

Dave M. - that’s the process I used to replace lines on both of my tanks- support the tank on a small hydraulic jack (board under the tank) and just feed the lines over the frame as I raise the tank.

My truck originally had only the right side factory tank, and the left side was added on at the dealer. The factory fuel crossover setup has three metal lines bolted to a bracket under the bed. Mine had no bracket so I used some perforated angle-iron from the home store to support the fuel lines. I originally used rubber crossover lines, but then found the metal lines on a truck at the junkyard.

Bruce

 

[custodian]

My tanks are dual from the factory. Has the metal cross plate. I'm 64 years old and am by myself so I do things to make it easier for me.

 

[custodian]

This is what I've done for now. Run the fuel line across the metal support, wrapped in a wire loom and wire tied it to the support.

I used some radiator hose and made a double tube that go over the frame. I glued them together and wire tied them to the frame.

When I take the bed off to paint, I'll put it back to original.

Even though I have both tanks in, I bypassed the passenger side. I run the hoses straight to the fuel lines from the drivers tank.

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[Swearbody]

If your fuel tank is out you can do what i did. I hooked the lines up the sending unit after having cut new lines to length. Then i took a bolt and put it into the open end of the line. after that i attached a piece of gas trimmer line(weedeater line) with a hose clamp. Once attached you can pull the excess line through and over what you need to and while raising the tank into place periodically pull the line and hose through to where you need it to be. Worked really well for me.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I was gonna say be careful sandwiching without conduit but you got that. I can show you how much room there is to work with the bed on because my bedside was rotted and I decided to cut it off clean to make an access to the top of the tank, but obviously you wouldn't do that on a good bed.