1980 Scottsdale C30 3 fuel doors but just 1 tank? adding a tank or 2 and in tank fuel pumps

[Casca2525]

quick question did any of these trucks come with 3 tanks? my 1980 Scottsdale C30 w 454 has 2 filler doors on drivers side 1 in front of the flare saddle area and currently only tank and one at the back of the flare, like a logical spot for a rear tank, as well as a 3rd on the right where the right side saddle tank would be?

(Ricko1966 says no! so I'm guessing the rear door went to a now gone 3rd party tank?)

I ask because I travel regularly from eastern Ontario to south western Ontario, pulling a 26ft house trailer, about a 1600km round trip, so I'm thinking 3 tanks could be handy

I am also guessing it came with the 2 saddle tanks as it has a left right switch and some wire and connectors, now disconnected to the right of the ashtray,

so: I have a square tank out of an RV to replace the missing rear tank and will set up a simple transfer system to move fuel to a saddle tank,


2nd question: after talking to Ricko1966, to go in tank pumps, I need 1987 efi sending units and ep381 pumps, problem: all I keep coming up with is such as this:

https://www.cjponyparts.com/gas-tank-sending-unit-3-outlet-rh-efi-chevy-c10/p/FSU94/

https://www.cjponyparts.com/cj-classic-trucks-fuel-tank-sending-unit-3-outlet-with-efi-driver-side-gas-chevrolet-c10-1987/p/FSU92/

all the ones I find say C10, will they work in my C30?

also from the thread I talked to Ricko1966 in, I got good links to tanks and plumbing/wiring diagrams selector solenoid etc, so, I should be good to go from there.


{so I just found a C30 set but they are $449 each, do I have to abandon this due to the cost? that's over $1400CDN with shipping):}

 

[Ricko1966]

quick question did any of these trucks come with 3 tanks? my 1980 Scottsdale C30 w 454 has 2 filler doors on drivers side 1 in front of the flare saddle area and currently only tank and one at the back of the flare, like a logical spot for a rear tank, as well as a 3rd on the right where the right side saddle tank would be?

(Ricko1966 says no! so I'm guessing the rear door went to a now gone 3rd party tank?)

I ask because I travel regularly from eastern Ontario to south western Ontario, pulling a 26ft house trailer, about a 1600km round trip, so I'm thinking 3 tanks could be handy

I am also guessing it came with the 2 saddle tanks as it has a left right switch and some wire and connectors, now disconnected to the right of the ashtray,

so: I have a square tank out of an RV to replace the missing rear tank and will set up a simple transfer system to move fuel to a saddle tank,


2nd question: after talking to Ricko1966, to go in tank pumps, I need 1987 efi sending units and ep381 pumps, problem: all I keep coming up with is such as this:

https://www.cjponyparts.com/gas-tank-sending-unit-3-outlet-rh-efi-chevy-c10/p/FSU94/

https://www.cjponyparts.com/cj-classic-trucks-fuel-tank-sending-unit-3-outlet-with-efi-driver-side-gas-chevrolet-c10-1987/p/FSU92/

all the ones I find say C10, will they work in my C30?

also from the thread I talked to Ricko1966 in, I got good links to tanks and plumbing/wiring diagrams selector solenoid etc, so, I should be good to go from there.


{so I just found a C30 set but they are $449 each, do I have to abandon this due to the cost? that's over $1400CDN with shipping):}

I was answering questions based on a holley fuel injection setup as the original thread was about,not a carbureated 454. Do you have an injected engine?

 

[Casca2525]

I was answering questions based on a holley fuel injection setup as the original thread was about,not a carbureated 454. Do you have an injected engine?

not yet, its (sniper or similar) been on my mind for a while, I was gathering info and yours and the others seemed spot on to make things simpler and neater so the plan changed, I figured it would be simpler to add the tanks and go to in tank pumps while the cab and box are off, as I understand it the tanks and ******* valve are set up to handle a return and figured I will also need a regulator?

 

[Ricko1966]

not yet, its (sniper or similar) been on my mind for a while, I was gathering info and yours and the others seemed spot on to make things simpler and neater so the plan changed, I figured it would be simpler to add the tanks and go to in tank pumps while the cab and box are off, as I understand it the tanks and ******* valve are set up to handle a return and figured I will also need a regulator?

So you are not injected yet? When you go injection,use 87 tanks and senders,ask about pumps when you know what injection you are going to use. There are a couple of ways of regulating the fuel pressure again wait until you pick your injection.

 

[Casca2525]

oh ok.

 

[Grit dog]

oh ok.

You’ll spend 3-5x as much to set it up for fuel injection as compared to carb and your fuel pump(s) depending how you set it up will be significantly regulated if you do the delivery system complete and then regulate it down to 5psi nominal carb fuel pressure.
Meaning my preference would be to not do the tanks and pumps until you’re ready to switch to efi.
And the 3rd tank will require some serious thinking to have a relatively easy/reliable way to switch between 3 sources whereas 2 sources is basically OE style or simple aftermarket.
Just a few considerations.

 

[Broken85]

This should help.

 

[Casca2525]

This should help.

yes ty I have all the other stuff you posted as well it was part of why I changed my plan to do the work while the cab and box were off! it made it seem easier after I reviewed your notes and diagram, but looks like Scott's cab and box will be off again in a couple years, but if I wait it gives me a couple more years of scrounging to off set costs.

Any steps to do now while Scott's bare frame or should it (the conversion) all wait to be done at once? what about the rh tank? do I buy an 80 now and then an 87 when I do the rest?

at any rate I will revert to the original plan of hanging a 2nd carb'd system tank and fab the harness for the pollak valve etc.

 

[Broken85]

Interesting question. Technically you could get 90% of it done right now. Obviously the fabrication to hang the third tank can get done now. But also you could install electric in-tank fuel pumps on all three tanks, plumbing the pollack valves, wire all three tanks pumps to switches with 1987 baffled tanks and be ready to go for EFI in like 10 seconds once you are ready in the future with a few extra steps.

You are going to need to run the fuel lines to a pressure regulator so you can turn down the electric pumps to +-5psi for your carburetor and you are also going to need to run a return line from the pressure regulator back through the pollack valves into the tanks. Also find in-tanks pumps with return lines (Holley 12-307 do not have return lines because they are internally regulated) or make your own return because you are going to have to return fuel to the tanks from the pressure regulator. I can give you some suggestions on how I would wire the relays, but if you get all of this done, once you put an EFI system on there, all you would need to do is turn up the pressure regulator to 58-60psi and drive on. The tanks, wiring and plumbing is all done.

 

[Ricko1966]

Interesting question. Technically you could get 90% of it done right now. Obviously the fabrication to hang the third tank can get done now. But also you could install electric in-tank fuel pumps on all three tanks, plumbing the pollack valves, wire all three tanks pumps to switches with 1987 baffled tanks and be ready to go for EFI in like 10 seconds once you are ready in the future with a few extra steps.

You are going to need to run the fuel lines to a pressure regulator so you can turn down the electric pumps to +-5psi for your carburetor and you are also going to need to run a return line from the pressure regulator back through the pollack valves into the tanks. Also find in-tanks pumps with return lines (Holley 12-307 do not have return lines because they are internally regulated) or make your own return because you are going to have to return fuel to the tanks from the pressure regulator. I can give you some suggestions on how I would wire the relays, but if you get all of this done, once you put an EFI system on there, all you would need to do is turn up the pressure regulator to 58-60psi and drive on. The tanks, wiring and plumbing is all done.

A regulator to bring those pumps down to 5 psi is not going to be cheap. But yes this could be done.

 

[Broken85]

Agreed, but not prohibitively expensive. This one is $390 on summit. My brothers 1989 K5 is running this set up now.

Pardon Our Interruption

This would be your biggest expense with this plan. You would have to buy everything eventually for an EFI conversion (like pumps and tanks) anyway. The only difference with this set up is that you are buying 65psi pumps with return lines instead of internally regulated pumps so they are generally a little cheaper. This one is $110 (not a product recommendation at all, just saying). The Holley 12-308 are like $500 each.

https://www.partsgeek.com/9kphc8x-chevrolet-v20-fuel-pump-hanger-assembly.html

You may brake even and save yourself a couple dozen man hours in a few years and maybe even cheaper. You are going to be throwing those nonbaffled tanks and the mechanical fuel pump in the trash eventually (=throwing money in the trash). The down side is always a bigger upfront cost. Exponentially easier to do all this with the cab and bed off right now

 

[Casca2525]

Agreed, but not prohibitively expensive. This one is $390 on summit. My brothers 1989 K5 is running this set up now.

Pardon Our Interruption

This would be your biggest expense with this plan. You would have to buy everything eventually for an EFI conversion (like pumps and tanks) anyway. The only difference with this set up is that you are buying 65psi pumps with return lines instead of internally regulated pumps so they are generally a little cheaper. This one is $110 (not a product recommendation at all, just saying). The Holley 12-308 are like $500 each.

https://www.partsgeek.com/9kphc8x-chevrolet-v20-fuel-pump-hanger-assembly.html

You may brake even and save yourself a couple dozen man hours in a few years and maybe even cheaper. You are going to be throwing those nonbaffled tanks and the mechanical fuel pump in the trash eventually (=throwing money in the trash). The down side is always a bigger upfront cost. Exponentially easier to do all this with the cab and bed off right now

so, based on Ricko1966 and grit dogs suggestions to save money I have decided to go a head and hang the 3rd tank in as is condition, and buy an 87 tank and efi sender so on down the road a ways I dont have to sell or god forbid scrap a 2ish year old 1980 tank and sender and just put an extension on the 87 efi/sender pick up tube and put a sock on it and a weight to make sure it stays down, however will C10 fuel tanks and senders work in a C30?

 

[Casca2525]

thoughts?

Facebook

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if the link is bad the ad body is: Selling a FITech fuel system, have everything minus the O2 bung. Have all the wiring, fuel pump, fuel filter, screen, brand new temp sensor. Guy before me had it on a car for a few months. These kits range from $1300-$1700 before shipping and tax. $800 obo

 

[idahovette]

Haven't heard real good things about FI Tech systems??

 

[Casca2525]

Haven't heard real good things about FI Tech systems??

hmm maybe thats why there are lots in market place