FUEL TANK CAPACITY 1982 K10 4x4

[Casey Rayls]

My question is: What size fuel tank do I have in imperial gallons ? (that means what we call a gallon in the USA)

(truck is a duel tank 1982 K10 LONG BED. Only driver's side tank works now)

Gauge on 5/26/25 read just over 1/2 tank. I stuffed it full and got 14.25 gallons in. The gauge was pegged past full.

This would mean I have about a 28ish gallon tank if the gauge is accurate. 14.25 gal x 2 = 28 1/2 gallons)

*Brand new fuel gauge that was pegged at 3 o'clock upon installation, then magically read just over 1/2 tank a few days later.

Google is all over the place with the size of gas tanks from 16-25 gallons.

Help ?

 

[Edelbrock]

I don't think there is any way to answer that question from my chair. I don't think the VIN in or glove box tag will tell you wither. So without removing one of the tanks and draining/refilling then .... Oh wait, assuming that they tanks are the same size, why not drain the non working tank and then go to the gas station and fill it all the way up to see how much it holds. Actually....

I would take both drain plugs out of the tanks (assuming they have them) and run a pipe between both of the drain holes, with a ball valve in the center to isolate the tanks. Then drain and refill the non working thank. At that point you could open the ball valve and let the good tank refill itself with the non working tank as needed. Or you could keep the non working tank isolated and only use it as an emergency fuel supply in case you accidentally run out of gas on the main tank.

 

[Grit dog]

@Edelbrock , drain plugs? Haven’t ever seen a drain plug in an OE fuel tank on a light duty vehicle. They don’t put plugs in them.
To the OP, short bed =16 gal, long bed = 20 gallon. I don’t think there was ever a deviation from that but icbw.

 

[Edelbrock]

@Edelbrock , drain plugs? Haven’t ever seen a drain plug in an OE fuel tank on a light duty vehicle. They don’t put plugs in them.
To the OP, short bed =16 gal, long bed = 20 gallon. I don’t think there was ever a deviation from that but icbw.

Not sure about the drain plugs. I have owned older vehicles that had them from the factory, but they were Ford cars. Not sure if GM did that at all. Just got to climb under there and check. Or the drains could be added.

 

[Keith Seymore]

My question is: What size fuel tank do I have in imperial gallons ? (that means what we call a gallon in the USA)

(truck is a duel tank 1982 K10. Only driver's side tank works now)

Gauge on 5/26/25 read just over 1/2 tank. I stuffed it full and got 14.25 gallons in.

This would mean I have about a 28ish gallon tank if the gauge is accurate. 14.25 gal x 2 = 28 1/2 gallons)

*Brand new fuel gauge that was pegged at 3 o'clock upon installation, then magically read just over 1/2 tank a few days later.

Google is all over the place with the size of gas tanks from 16-25 gallons.

Help ?

Long wheel base or short?

SWB = 16 gal

LWB = 20 gal

Link to GM Heritage Center generic info packet ==> https://www.gm.com/content/dam/comp...its/chevrolet-trucks/1982-Chevrolet-Truck.pdf

K

 

[Grit dog]

Long wheel base or short?

SWB = 16 gal

LWB = either 16 gal or 20 gal, depending on GVW.

K

Interesting. Didn’t know one could get a 16gal tank in a long bed. That would suck to end up with that truck….lol.

 

[Keith Seymore]

Just dual. Single would always be 20 gal.

K

 

[legopnuematic]

@Edelbrock , drain plugs? Haven’t ever seen a drain plug in an OE fuel tank on a light duty vehicle. They don’t put plugs in them.
To the OP, short bed =16 gal, long bed = 20 gallon. I don’t think there was ever a deviation from that but icbw.

In the 70s yes, in the 80s at some point things changed a long bed would be a 20 gallon single tank standard, or dual 16 gallon tanks. Beyond a certain GVWR (like a CP6 3/4 ton), they would get dual 20 gallon tanks.

 

[legopnuematic]

This is from the 1984 brochure, you can see how/what got what for tank options.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Grit dog]

Just dual. Single would always be 20 gal.

K

Dual 16gal in a long bed. Not horrible, but weird…can I pay the extra $5 per tank for 20s please?
Bout as dumb as the GMT800s. Had a short-bed crew LB7 with like a 26 gal tank. Fckin pathetic. At least Ram and Ford have pulled their heads out of their rear recently and offer big tanks on their HD pickups now for the last several years. Idk if GM has followed suit.

 

[Casey Rayls]

OR... do what I did with a 1973 International Pick Up:

Fill a 5 gal gas can and carry in the bed.
Drive around near home till I run out of gas.
Put fuel from gas can into tank to limp to a gas station.
Fill tank.
Do math.
There's your answer the hillbilly way.

 

[Keith Seymore]

OR... do what I did with a 1973 International Pick Up:

Fill a 5 gal gas can and carry in the bed.
Drive around near home till I run out of gas.
Put fuel from gas can into tank to limp to a gas station.
Fill tank.
Do math.
There's your answer the hillbilly way.

Keep in mind there's still going to be about three gallons unusable fuel in the tank even if you run it "dry".

The correct answer is either 16 or 20. Those are your choices.

K

 

[Keith Seymore]

This is from the 1984 brochure, you can see how/what got what for tank options.

You must be registered for see images attach

Perfect - yes. You can see how it flips between 16 and 20 depending on wheel base, GVW and single/dual tank.

K

 

[Ricko1966]

Interesting. Didn’t know one could get a 16gal tank in a long bed. That would suck to end up with that truck….lol.

I ended up with that truck. Now 20 gallon swapped,accidently. Got 20 gallon tanks assuming all longbeds were the same. FWIW it's a dirt simple swap other than buying a different vent hose.

 

[Grit dog]

Keep in mind there's still going to be about three gallons unusable fuel in the tank even if you run it "dry".

The correct answer is either 16 or 20. Those are your choices.

K

Except the unusable fuel is just that, so it doesn’t matter.
I am pleasantly surprised though that virtually 100% of the stated capacity is useable in these trucks though.
In testing both the 77 and 86, I can run it down to where the needle doesn’t bounce up off E at all and have put 19.xx gal in the 20 gal tanks, prior to actually running out of gas.