Tank strap issue

[Grit dog]

Now that I've seen pics of 16s and 20s.....here's where I think I am: I had 16's and thought they were 20s. Thought it was off because of the amount off the senders were at (but they would be being setup for 16s and I have 20s). Then I saw this online - a factory 20 (duals) and see where the straps were? Right where I had mine.

You must be registered for see images attach

When I saw Cal Sgt's - I thought mine was again out of whack, but his is a dual 16 (I asssumed 20s).....so again I was comparing apples to oranges. I also have a pic of the 20gal filler neck - far back to the edge of the spring perch as they should be - when I was comparing it to my original 16's and thought it should be forward several inches.

So in a nutshell, (by sheer luck?) the tanks were where they should be (for 20s) - and the thing that triggered it all (the crossover lines position to the sender) is all I need to mod. Easy peasy....after a bottle of something.

Thanks fellas for all the help.....sorry for my minor to major fk up. As Gilda Radner would say..."nevermind".

You must be registered for see images attach

Huh?? Whatever. They still don’t fit where they need to go without cinching the front strap around a fatter part of the tank based on your 2 pages of back n forth.
So you drove this truck (presumably) for a bit before turning it to a pile of parts 6 years ago and never thought “I wonder why I can’t get more than like 15 ish gal into this tank?”
Glad you got it figured out, whatever the confusing solution is. Hope you have the right filler hoses.

 

[Grit dog]

Mine are dual 16 gallon, I always assumed only long bed trucks got 20’s. Short bed K10.

Measuring from the rear of the tank they’re about 4” to the leaf spring bolt.

Hooking the rear strap about 12” to the leaf spring bolt

Hooking the front strap about 31” to the leaf spring bolt

That’s why short beds didn’t get 20s. Too long for the space under the truck.

 

[Doppleganger]

Epilogue (those of you who watched the FBI in Color as kids will know what this means).....

So I still had some issues with getting the front strap back in....and then it dawned on me: I know what that extra hole in the top of the front bracket is for.

You must be registered for see images attach

I took the bracket off and set the tank into the bracket (on the ground) and aligned the threaded end into the top hole. Put the washer and nut on and drive it as far as it will go (threaded end will stick out 2 inches +). You just perfectly stretched the band. Remove the washer and nut and pull the end out of the top hole. Aim it into the bottom hole and (with ease) push it through. Start your washer and nut combo again and hang it on the frame.

 

[Dejure]

THANKS

These photos help solve questions about seat installations too.

They suggest there is a pretty significant gap between the top of the tank, under the passenger and driver's seat, suggesting flattening the floor to lower it to accept electric and other seats may not prohibit leaving the tank in its original position.

My tank is on the passenger side and the filler hose and cap go to the rear fender (about half way down).

I had been questioning if the tank section under the seat actually went up, under the seat. That would make that part of the tank pretty worthless, in light of where my filler cap is (see avatar photo).

 

[Grit dog]

THANKS

These photos help solve questions about seat installations too.

They suggest there is a pretty significant gap between the top of the tank, under the passenger and driver's seat, suggesting flattening the floor to lower it to accept electric and other seats may not prohibit leaving the tank in its original position.

My tank is on the passenger side and the filler hose and cap go to the rear fender (about half way down).

I had been questioning if the tank section under the seat actually went up, under the seat. That would make that part of the tank pretty worthless, in light of where my filler cap is (see avatar photo).

No, there’s not a significant gap. If there was, the General would t have gone through the trouble, tooling and expense to raise the floor and reduce the height of the tanks.
Presumed you’d crawled under your truck if you were contemplating flattening the floor bumps under the seat. You should check it out.
But if you don’t want to do that, there is (guessing) about an inch gap. Just routed a heavy cable in wire loom over a tank recently.

 

[Dejure]

Good to know (misc. . . .)

The tanks appear to be the same for both. Is yours a fleetside or step side?

Anyway, I have crawled under only so far as to view the tank from the outside of the truck (photos). That does suggest there isn't much play room.

Still in the planning (a/k/a "where there is no solution there cannot be a problem), stages. There are more critical things to tend than swapping out a bench for nicer electric, long trip seats before I get to that point.

Who knows, might have to think on the matter of 0-90 ohm sending unit and see if a different tank in the same place would be adequate. That might mean the thing would read full longer, before dropping like a gauge on a blown 454, or just require adding a couple ohms in parallel. . . .

I've built my own custom (wood) dashes in the past, so swapping a gauge is somewhere around zero on the no big deal thing.


Curious what you mean by "[t]o raise the floor and reduce the height of the tanks"?

My entire point is to lower the floors to allow the installation of seats that do not, at all, lend themselves to having the slides reduced.

 

[Doppleganger]

Good to know (misc. . . .)

The tanks appear to be the same for both. Is yours a fleetside or step side?

Anyway, I have crawled under only so far as to view the tank from the outside of the truck (photos). That does suggest there isn't much play room.

Still in the planning (a/k/a "where there is no solution there cannot be a problem), stages. There are more critical things to tend than swapping out a bench for nicer electric, long trip seats before I get to that point.

Who knows, might have to think on the matter of 0-90 ohm sending unit and see if a different tank in the same place would be adequate. That might mean the thing would read full longer, before dropping like a gauge on a blown 454, or just require adding a couple ohms in parallel. . . .

I've built my own custom (wood) dashes in the past, so swapping a gauge is somewhere around zero on the no big deal thing.


Curious what you mean by "[t]o raise the floor and reduce the height of the tanks"?

My entire point is to lower the floors to allow the installation of seats that do not, at all, lend themselves to having the slides reduced.

I kind of see it as someday you may need that inch or two to service something......without tearing the whole thing apart.

 

[83Stepper]

Now that I've seen pics of 16s and 20s.....here's where I think I am: I had 16's and thought they were 20s. Thought it was off because of the amount off the senders were at (but they would be being setup for 16s and I have 20s). Then I saw this online - a factory 20 (duals) and see where the straps were? Right where I had mine.

You must be registered for see images attach

When I saw Cal Sgt's - I thought mine was again out of whack, but his is a dual 16 (I asssumed 20s).....so again I was comparing apples to oranges. I also have a pic of the 20gal filler neck - far back to the edge of the spring perch as they should be - when I was comparing it to my original 16's and thought it should be forward several inches.

So in a nutshell, (by sheer luck?) the tanks were where they should be (for 20s) - and the thing that triggered it all (the crossover lines position to the sender) is all I need to mod. Easy peasy....after a bottle of something.

Thanks fellas for all the help.....sorry for my minor to major fk up. As Gilda Radner would say..."nevermind".

You must be registered for see images attach

Lol, all good bud. Just glad you got it sorted and can get those babies plumbed up and ready to go

 

[Dejure]

I kind of see it as someday you may need that inch or two to service something......without tearing the whole thing apart.

Planning for the future is seldom a bad thing.

 

[AuroraGirl]

No one is beating dents in the tanks - the seams are 10x the size they need to be and every-fking-one has to bend them down for it to even begin to fit. A terrific design. Geezus.

Pics say what they are - when the tank is repositioned to be where it needs to be, it isn't even close to the front bracket's hole (top or bottom? - there's 2 there) - at all. That part of the tank is 'swollen' towards the top. Strap fits fine any other place. If I could move the front bracket forward (you cant) it would fit fine. The back half of the tank is all the same size and fits like a glove.

I'll figure it out.

This is what i had to do to my gas tank long ago, the pinched welded seam around the perimeter of the tank did not allow the strap to reach

but the original tank did not use a seam like this (im pretty sure it wasnt the same kind..)

 

[AuroraGirl]

No, there’s not a significant gap.

You must be registered for see images attach

Heres a visual aid!
presume a minimal amount of los distance from the cab mounts being old

 

[Radiohead]

Ahh, that optional floor mounted view port.

I doubt if there's an inch when you factor in collapsing body mount bushings.

 

[desertdog1]

I have removed many square body gas tanks to get to the mounting brackets(which I refurbished and sold on ebay, since OEM straps are no longer available.) I never seen the kind of interference you are experiencing. My guess is that you have aftermarket straps and tanks which are not formed the same way as the OEM tanks and straps. The OEM brackets have captive nuts, so no separate nut is needed.

 

[Doppleganger]

I have removed many square body gas tanks to get to the mounting brackets(which I refurbished and sold on ebay, since OEM straps are no longer available.) I never seen the kind of interference you are experiencing. My guess is that you have aftermarket straps and tanks which are not formed the same way as the OEM tanks and straps. The OEM brackets have captive nuts, so no separate nut is needed.

My brackets are all original and in perfect shape. I figured out what the top hole in the bracket was for and had no more issues after that. A wonder no one ever noted that in any manuals (that I have seen).

 

[AuroraGirl]

I have removed many square body gas tanks to get to the mounting brackets(which I refurbished and sold on ebay, since OEM straps are no longer available.) I never seen the kind of interference you are experiencing. My guess is that you have aftermarket straps and tanks which are not formed the same way as the OEM tanks and straps. The OEM brackets have captive nuts, so no separate nut is needed.

You must be registered for see images attach

My bracket doesnt appear all that square on this tank, well strap, but thes straps were not OEM
brackets were