Okay, I was wanting to put another tank on my truck probably where the spare tire used to go, my question is, how do I hook it up? Is there a pump in the tank and would I need another one? How would I switch back and forth ect? I wouldn't be against having to get out and reach under the truck to turn a valve if that would be easier to do that some kind of electric set up like a Ford has with just a button you push to change tanks. my main worry is when I would switch from one to another having to always prime the lines to get fuel where I need it. Has anyone else done this and is there anything I am missing or not thinking through?


Chris

 

I know several guys have put a junkyard Ramcharger tank in place of the spare. It requires a little fab work to hang it, and a little creativity for a fill pipe. A really trick way to do it would be to cut the fuel door out of the bed side of another truck and patch it into the bed behind the wheelwell so it looks factory.

Places that sell auxillary fuel tanks sell solenoid valves. I've even seen them in the JC Whitney catalog. If the lines are air tight, you will not have any priming issues - assuming you don't run one tank totally dry. You can use a double pole switch to switch the fuel gauge senders along with the solenoid.

 

Well the fuel filler shouldn't really be a problem since I have a flatbed, so that'll be pretty easy, the ramcharger tank is a great idea and so is the selenoid, but what about the fuel pump, is it on the engine somewhere? Sorry don't know much about diesels it is probably a dumb question asking where my fuel pump is!!


Chris

 

Fuel pump is on the side of the block. On 1st gens it is a diaphram pump that looks alot like on on a carburated Gas engine.

 

No it not a dumb /? every one on this sight is looking for some education and thats smart!!!!

you have a machanic pump on the block and it will pull the fuel from witch ever tank you have it switched to!......after you have primed it up!

 

Ok good to know I won't need to mess with any of the fuel pump stuff then!!

Thanks
Chris

 

A company out of California called Transfer-Flow ( www.transferflow.com/ ) makes auxillary fuel tanks and has for years. Their specialty is a combo tool box - aux fuel tank that will hold either 30 or 50 gallons of fuel along with an assortment of tools etc. They're a bit on the spendy side. But on some models instead of being conventionally plumbed, they opted to put a hose and nozzle on them for manual filling of your existing tank. They are "refueling tanks" though I see they offer the conventionally plumbed in tanks too. My Dad had a tank plumbed into an old Chev he had before he got smart and bought a DC but they were setting in a restaurant one time and they announced over the loudspeaker that there was a Chevy truck out in the parking lot leaking diesel PROFUSELY. He ran out and sure enough it was their truck but it was an electrical malfunction (chaffed wire) as opposed to him forgetting and leaving the fuel pump switch on. Needless to say, he got rid of that internally plumbed system and went to a manual filling system similar to what Transfer-Flow offers. The moral to the story?? If you have an auxillary tank on your pickup, make sure it's plumbed in properly or better yet, have a refueling type setup where YOU KNOW there's nothing that can/could go wrong (and you could access the fuel for other uses too). A shortcut in this department could be expensive at least and down right dangerous at most. Good luck!! Chuck

 

I run a 50 Gallon AL tank in the bed, with a dump valve tee's into the overflow vent line. YEah, I know. Not exactly legal.......

 

I would think you would also need to plumb a return line into the tank that you were drawing off of. So as to not over fill one with the return line. Other than that it would be straight forward as to lines. Myself I run a inbed 100 gaoon tank with a 12v pump that I fill the truck with and also use to fill the tractor with. I know not what you are asking for but an option none the less.

 

I have a Ramcharger tank siting in my yard waiting to go in. If you go this route grab the crossmembers for it as well so make retrofitting easier.

Also you will need a switching selonoid that has 6 ports to be able to return the fuel to the same tank you are drawing from. Otherwise your return fuel will always be going to your main tank and could cause it to overflow when drawing from the Aux tank. I believe Chev uses this style selonoid.

 

This is what you want, it is what I have installed just recently.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/...atalogId=10101

I previously had the solenoid type and it somehow started pulling fuel out of one tank and returning it to the other. I think it had something to do with fuel gelling. The solenoid type is kind of cheap because if there is no power to it it pulls from one tank, then power it and it pulls from the other. Apparently it can get stuck half way in between.

Aaron

 

Thanks ya'll I think everyone has covered all the things I wasn't sure about and now all I need to do is save a little money!!!


Chris