trying to drain my fuel tank....

[GREASE FIRE]

it seems like one of my fuel gauges is not working - it stays on full, with the needle all the way to right. I am still not sure it is broken though because i did put too much fuel in when i first got it - i was pouring it in from a can and filled it almost to the fill neck by accident, and i have not put too many miles on it yet so maybe the tank is still full. But i want to pump the fuel out and use that tank for wvo but the problem is that the fill neck hose is pretty long and with bends in it so it is hard to get a small hose in there to pump the fuel out. Do these tanks have drain valves on them? my guess is no, but it is hard to tell because my truck has these steel protectors under the tank.
If i could drain the tank that would tell me for sure if the gauge or sender is bad. Any tricks to make this easier?
thanks,
paul

 

[Agnem]

Best bet is to install an electric fuel pump, and while your doing the conversion, just run that output hose to your storage tank.

 

[rubberfish]

the problem is that the fill neck hose is pretty long and with bends in it so it is hard to get a small hose in there to pump the fuel out. Do these tanks have drain valves on them? my guess is no, but it is hard to tell because my truck has these steel protectors under the tank.

Hi there. are you not able to disconnect the filler
hose right from the tank, and pump from there?
Or is that area covered as well with a skid plate?

 

[2manydsls]

What Mel said. I remove the valve core from the shrader valve on the fuel filter housing, run a fuel line from there to the other tank or container, turn on the electric pump and let it run.
Ross

 

[DeepRoots]

do yourself a favor, pull the bed.
alot easier in the long run than dropping a tank.
plus doing both of them at once is nice.

If youve never pulled the bed, the bolts from bed to frame are probably crap anyway.... 8, grade8 bolts and nuts, 16 washers and it's done.

 

[Agnem]

Your from the south. In the salt belt, your 8 bolts require a torch. Makes a simple job much harder.

 

[razorback]

ok i just had to pull and put those tanks back in a few months ago i have never seen such a pain in the ass before. by the end of the ordeal i was so pissed off. take the bed off.

 

[greythorn3]

if you take the sending unit out and toss a lit match in the tank it will drain pretty quick.

Ray

 

[GREASE FIRE]

how heavy is the bed? what do you use to lift it? i do have an engine hoist but not sure if it goes high enough for the job.
for draining the tanks i am using the electric lift pump - but i may have to fix a sender on one of the tanks, so for that i will take the bed off.
thanks,
paul

 

[riotwarrior]

I've taken quite a few tanks out...NP what so ever other than rusty bolts...

guess working at the wrecker helps patience alot eh? I would just disconnect the fill tube from the tank....then stick a siphon hose into the tank and voila yer golden man!

 

[DeepRoots]

mel, I had to torch my bolts.
after 18 years of living, these bed bolts were maybe 7/16th of an inch thick if that.
I torched mine out. Plus next time it's a breeze to take the bed off.

1 chain hoist, or cherry picker can lift it off easily. two ambitious men can do the same.
If your electric hoist can lift it 8 inches you can drive away from it

 

[Joe Mc]

Your from the south. In the salt belt, your 8 bolts require a torch. Makes a simple job much harder.

Mel,
I thought the hard part in the rust belt was keeping the bed from falling off!

 

[Agnem]

Just the tailgate and the sides.

 

[Joe Mc]

Just the tailgate and the sides.

And that would still leave the problem of the 8 bolts on the custom flatbed!
Still learning.

 

[rkpatt]

I just wish that Ford had installed drained plugs. I have heard of some people cutting an access hole in the bed to get to the fuel pickup / sending unit . Then they install a bolt-on cover .

an example - http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=856