Big Fuel Tank Problems

[80 Cruiser Rod]

I noticed something hanging from under my rig today. I got underneath it and discovered one of the straps for the fuel tank had broken due to corrosion/rust. I noticed the Fuel Tank Protector is in pretty bad shape also. I don't want to throw a lot of money in this, so does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this without spending a lot of cash?

 

[BILT4ME]

Get used parts from @arcteryx (CruiserYard) or @slow95z

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Another good used parts vendor is member Mel Lowe. Business name is land cruiser junktion.

 

[slow95z]

yup, i have a tank for you. shipping is not an issue for me.

 

[80 Cruiser Rod]

I think my tank is okay. I guess there is no way around this other than replacing the straps and protector with original parts. Are there any issues I need to be aware of when replacing them?

 

[thebus]

If the straps are that rusty trust me the tank needs to be looked at..I replaced mine with a used one..if your pulling the straps not much harder than popping driveshaft and at least checking out the tank

 

[BILT4ME]

You'll need to actually drop the tank to get to the bolts that hold on the straps.

Get out the PB Blaster and start spraying all over up there to try to make the bolts come out without breaking off.

I would also do both replacement straps and a fuel tank guard when you redo it. If the tank is not rusty, then reinstall, otherwise, the "while I'm in there stuff should include: New high pressure hose, new copper washers, new fuel tank gaskets for fuel pump, fuel inlet, and one more cover, new fuel filler hose (buy Toyota, not parts store....they kink) and maybe consider coating the underside with POR-15 or soaking it with Fluid-Film.

Good Luck!

 

[Red Merle]

I would also inspect the filler neck too. Mine was leaking and I have it patched right now with some JB Weld that is holding for now, but I also ended up buying a used tank, fuel pump assembly, skid plate, straps and filler neck. I scrounged around and got some help from a guy here for the tank and the straps for $250 shipped and then found the skid plate and filler neck on ebay for $175 shipped. So for $425 and hopefully less than a weekend's worth of work I will have all rust free stuff up there. I POR15'ed and then topcoated all of it after sanding down most of it to bare metal so I am hoping that holds up for the remaining life of the truck.

From what I have read, the only way to get the filler neck in without cutting it is to lift the body off the frame and that is the part I am most concerned about.

 

[80 Cruiser Rod]

Thanks guys, that's giving me an awful lot to think about for now. One other question. Are these parts the same in any other year trucks?

 

[80 Cruiser Rod]

Maybe this sounds crazy but for a temporary fix I though I could use this till I can come up with the cash to fix it the right way. This strapping looks like it will handle the weight and temps, now all I need is a way to connect it to the existing strap. Any thoughts?

 

[Red Merle]

I know that the tanks and filler necks, etc are the same from 93-97. I am not sure on the 3FE models.

As for the strap, I used a standard ratchet type strap to hold the tank up on my old '84 Toyota 4WD pick-up and it worked fine until rust ate the rest of the truck. That would probably be fine for the short run, but you should probably think about a long term solution if you plan on keeping the truck. You could try using a couple pieces of scrap sheet metal to repair the old straps by riveting them on both sides of the old strap with the smooth side of the rivets resting against the skid plate instead of the cloth strap.

 

[greentruck]

Maybe this sounds crazy but for a temporary fix I though I could use this till I can come up with the cash to fix it the right way. This strapping looks like it will handle the weight and temps, now all I need is a way to connect it to the existing strap. Any thoughts?

That strapping says water-resistant. OK as long as there's no fuel leak, but I'm not sure if it will hold up to being soaked in gas. Gotta remember that these tanks sometimes develop a leak on top that will slosh and ooze out to leak down the tank sides.

 

[80 Cruiser Rod]

That strapping says water-resistant. OK as long as there's no fuel leak, but I'm not sure if it will hold up to being soaked in gas. Gotta remember that these tanks sometimes develop a leak on top that will slosh and ooze out to leak down the tank sides.

That's a good point! Maybe I should look into a metal strap?

 

[BILT4ME]

That's a good point! Maybe I should look into a metal strap?

Why not just get the right parts? They should be relatively inexpensive.

 

[nukegoat]

That's a good point! Maybe I should look into a metal strap?

Like the oem?

 

[80 Cruiser Rod]

Why not just get the right parts? They should be relatively inexpensive.

My cruiser has almost 300k on it and when I start dropping the fuel tank I believe I'll be opening a huge can of worms. Here in NJ with the salt/brine we use on our roads in the winter along with as much as I have had this vehicle off road thru mud and water there's a substantial amount of rust under there. If I do go down that road of replacing all or most of the parts, it will relatively expensive. If I had the resources this wouldn't be a problem but at this time my pockets are pretty shallow.

 

[greentruck]

If OEM is too pricey, check into metal straps, junkyard or otherwise. It's a pretty simple deal and a commonly used method, so lots of similar parts exist.

That said, I'd still look into used 80 parts first if the budget is too tight for new. Things can be adapted, but it's almost always easier to bolt in what's supposed to be there.

 

[Red Merle]

My cruiser has almost 300k on it and when I start dropping the fuel tank I believe I'll be opening a huge can of worms. Here in NJ with the salt/brine we use on our roads in the winter along with as much as I have had this vehicle off road thru mud and water there's a substantial amount of rust under there. If I do go down that road of replacing all or most of the parts, it will relatively expensive. If I had the resources this wouldn't be a problem but at this time my pockets are pretty shallow.

In that case, you might want to at least try to get the old straps off and just replace them with a set of used ones. Check the classifieds here and just do one at a time so you don't have to drop the tank.

 

[BILT4ME]

Baling Wire and Duct Tape it is then!

 

[Grench]

If I recall right - that metal strap is essentially a flat piece of metal with a few sub-90* bends in it. It shouldn't be that hard to fabricate one with some proper width/thickness metal, torch & anvil. Time consuming though.