Straps for 38 gallon tank

[quickster]

My tank has the skid plate. Going to pull the bed over the weekend hopefully. I have to replace the midship tank. Just keeps clogging filters. So that's why I'm thinking about the rear tank now. I need to find a seller that ships quick. Thanks for all the reply's.

 

[Old Goat]

I have also bought the 38 gallon and found the same exact issue. New bolts where too short! Had to go to ace and buy longer ones. I had no skid plate mine was held in by 2 very think pieces of steel that span across the bottom of the tank. I'll post pics later if I have time.

Anyways my install went ok. Hardest part for me was the filler neck. I wouldn't call it pug and play myself. It's all easy enough but it requires cutting the pick up tube in half and soldering a piece of copper tube in the middle as well as extending the level sender wires. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE SOLDER 100% air tight. If you don't you'll suck air. I sucked on mine with my finger over the end and made sure it held suction for a minute. Kinda nasty but better than pulling the tank later on.

Well I said plug and play, looking back on it from over 2yrs ago, it was a piece of cake. Yeah I had some hoops to jump through to work through some problems.
I decided to pull the bed instead of trying to do it all from under the truck. That was the first hoop, the bed bolts were rusted. Didn`t want to torch them as there are plastic fuel lines and wires on the L/F corner.

Looked like carriage bolts so ground off the heads thinking they would drop down and out as i lifted the bed. Well not exactly, but was able to lift the be a few inches and torched off the bolts between bed and frame.

I use my Cherry Picker and HF Ratchet straps to lift it. 2 connected to the corners diagonally wouldn`t lift it till I added a 3rd connected under the wheel arches and then it lifted.

(NOTE: before some one jumps on me, you will have to unplug electrical and disconnect the 2 fill tubes)

Drive the truck forward and set bed on saw horses.
And then you will have full access to everything.

The sending units, I used compression fittings to attach the copper tubing to extend the suction tube.
Installed new Shower Heads, and the Float arm, cut it and add about 5 1/2 inches to it. Went to a hot rod shop and they brazed it together. You will have to tweek the arm a bit to get the gauge some what accurate. I had 20 gallons of fuel, and added 5 at a time to see where it read etc....

With the bed off my OCD took over I had to clean scrub and paint etc...

When I replaced the bed, the HF Straps made me nervous, so bought one of these bed lifters.
I as thinking safety, more than cost.

https://www.jbtools.com/steck-35885...Je5gT68R6XXI84eDuiJ-NWQNincFDUKBoCq_sQAvD_BwE

When backing under the bed, place a piece of card board or moving blanket (What I used) between cab and bed. Did`t want to damage the rust.

I searched every where for factory bed bolts, NLA from Ford. LMC has them If you have deep pockets, so went with the Hard ware store bolts. Cut 6 pieces of mud flap to put between bed and frame and bolts.

LMC has come down in price from a couple years ago. one of the bolts was $24.95
https://www.lmctruck.com/1980-96-ford/bed-tailgate/fd-1980-96-styleside-bed-mounting


So yeah looking back on it, wasn`t all that bad, but we are working on 30yr old trucks.

Soon as I get my $100K shop built, Iam buying one of these to work on my $500 truck.

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Have fun...

Goat

 

[Old Goat]

My tank has the skid plate. Going to pull the bed over the weekend hopefully. I have to replace the midship tank. Just keeps clogging filters. So that's why I'm thinking about the rear tank now. I need to find a seller that ships quick. Thanks for all the reply's.

Don`t remember where I bought my tank, may have been Amazon. Think it was around $170. Tank is coated with oil, so wiped it down with Wax and Grease remover.
I order it from OH Really`s, usually around $23.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...llon-wax-and-grease-remover/kln4/sw3621?pos=0

Then scrubbed good with a good soap, and prepped it with Phosphoric Acid, and then 2 coats of POR, and finally coated with rubber bed liner.

Also wired brushed straps to bare metal and POR`d them and coated with bed liner.
Then slathered on RTV on the tank where the straps go as well and the straps. Give it a good cushion.

Originally Ford used some tar impregnated canvas, and was falling apart.

You living in NJ and the salt, need all the help you an get.

I was amaze, both tanks were clean inside, no gunk etc... I see every one talking about. Except for the broken Shower Heads. Fished those out. The rear tank, I didn`t use it for the first 5 years I bought the truck from all what I read about the FSOV, and the guy I bought it from didn`t use it either. I pulled 5 gallons out of it and looked as clean as the day it went in.

These trucks suck the fuel off the bottom of the tank anyway, and that is what filters are for. You might have some algee growing in your tank and it will plug us things for sure. There are some products to dump in to kill the little varments.

I`ve owned diesels since 97, 82 Datsun KC, all my various Mercedes and now these Fords, and 30+ yrs of working with Graders, back Hoes, paving equipment etc... never come across a alge fuel problem.

Have fun....

Goat

 

[IDIoit]

For the rest of the story on this see the tag line in his signature that's a quote from laserjock that reads in part "overkill, thy name is IDIoit". I certainly can't argue with it either.

yes sir. even tho its just over 250 pounds, that 1/4" strap aint going nowhere.
remember the 16 ga straps at the top dont hold the weight, it just keeps it in place.

 

[quickster]

Hey Goat, I have a 2 post lift in my garage. So doing the bed is no prob. I'm sure going to miss it when I move. I'm an idiot because I just replaced the rear tank a year ago, and I didn't research the 38 gallon tank before I did it. So if anyone is looking for a 19 gal rear tank, I'm going to be giving it away when I get done. I need the capacity, so I don't care.