Cruiser Brothers 12.5 LRA Aux Tank Install in LX570

[Markuson]

Tank filled. So weird being able to fill over 26 gallons!

The dual filler neck is pretty awesome. Skew the nozzle towards the tank you want to fill. Then re-position and fill the other tank.

Filling the main tank does seem a tad more sensitive, at least at the Costco pumps I always use. It clicked off twice. But there's occasions it does that with the stock setup too.

Aux tank fills great. Perhaps makes sense as it's a straight shot with a much larger breather line?

Aux tank controller level showing full now. It has a built in delay as it updates slowly within a couple minutes after fill. It's a feature to minimize fluctuations in the readout off-road. I like that the lighting responds to ambient lighting. All too often aftermarket controllers/lights have grossly bright illumination. Not this one.

When I first filled my 24 gallon sub tank, it seemed a little fiddly with CA pumps like Costco. But now I’ve concluded that it really works quite well. If I have a choice, I fill the main tank first...which usually means the sub tank starts with less fuel than the main. Fill the main full...then fill the sub. This is usually a very smooth process with no more auto-shut-offs than even a normal setup triggers.

California fume recapture pumps can be fiddly all on their own, and I’m finding the LRA yo be quite normal to manage during fills...once you get used to angling of the nozzle toward each hole within the cap. Getting a good seal with the recapture device on an angle gets easier once you think about what’s going on.

Bottom line... Not fiddly at all any more.
Just a nice loooing fill for up to 48 gallons combined. Thankfully fuel is cheap these days!

 

[MikeVpdx503]

Tank filled. So weird being able to fill over 26 gallons!

The dual filler neck is pretty awesome. Skew the nozzle towards the tank you want to fill. Then re-position and fill the other tank.

Filling the main tank does seem a tad more sensitive, at least at the Costco pumps I always use. It clicked off twice. But there's occasions it does that with the stock setup too.

This should be fun in my home state of Oregon where drivers are not allowed to fill their own tanks 99% of the time. Explaining this to the gas attendant May be a challenge...ugh

 

[T4Runner]

This should be fun in my home state of Oregon where drivers are not allowed to fill their own tanks 99% of the time. Explaining this to the gas attendant May be a challenge...ugh

With the added range, you can drive out of state and pump your own.

I don’t get it NJ is the same way. I’m in VA and avoid refueling there whenever I’m heading to or from New England. How many other states require a professional pumper?

 

[Chrisleduc1]

This should be fun in my home state of Oregon where drivers are not allowed to fill their own tanks 99% of the time. Explaining this to the gas attendant May be a challenge...ugh

I’ll be trying this a try in a week or two once mine is installed. We’ll see how they do at Costco..

 

[grinchy]

Nice path paving @TeCKis300

 

[rmtannerjr]

Thrilled to see you did this as I will be installing my 24 gallon this weekend on my 2011 LX. I wish I had came across it a day or two earlier so I would have the elbow fitting ordered. Crossing my fingers I can find it locally.

I would imagine most of the things you discovered (ie cutting the tabs) would apply to the 24gal tank also. I will admit, I am a bit more intimidated reading this since my extra vehicle is barely suited for the road. Once I cut my existing filler, there is no turning back it seems.

Thanks again, I may be back with some questions during my install.

-Richard

 

[TeCKis300]

Glad I can help. All in the spirit of shared knowledge and learning. It's a big job that I spent way too much time. Much more than I had hoped, but most of it due to needing to resolve the shortcomings.

In regards to the fitting, Amazon has them for next day. You may want to order -
Amazon product ASIN B006PKLDX2
I also tweaked a few things I have yet to comment on as I wanted to confirm that mine works well first. As you'll be installing, I'll take some time now.

Hints not yet mentioned:
1) There's a sticker on the tank to put a provided magnet within and closest to the transfer output port. Don't miss this step as it's important to pickup manufacturing contaminants. I opened up the sender port. Used a metal electrical snake to guide the magnet to the port. Worked great.

2) Have thread sealant on hand. Permatex 56521 High Performance Thread Sealant from Amazon worked great as I couldn't find the right stuff at my local Autozone. Amazon product ASIN B000FW7VHI
3) I tapped power from the console cigarette lighter next to the hidden ash tray. Pink wire is the 12V ignition hot that you'll want.

Tweaks:
1) Add additional elbow fitting at aux tank transfer port to better route and protect the transfer line. Here's what it looks like before and after extra elbow. It'll make more sense when you see it on the vehicle. Not specific to LX and would be desirable for an LC too. IIRC, it's a 1/4" npt male 1/4" npt female elbow I got locally (here's one on Amazon) I also wrapped the 5/16th line in 3/8" split loom as added protection for the exposed rubber line next to the tire (didn't get a pic of the split loom added).

2) Delete stock charcoal canister UFO that is moved to the fenderwell. I scoped this thing as it's no more than a filter element. Cruiser bros already provides a filtered breather line but there's no reason to have 2 air filter inline. As space is at a premium, I opted to delete this complexity as it doesn't fit very nicely with all the AHC plumbing. Note first pic shows UFO, and I deleted it in second picture. Also more split loom casing to better protect the fuel transfer line here.

EDIT: Later finding suggest the stock charcoal canister should be kept. Also, update the breather plumbing and filter to larger diameter to improve ease of stock tank fill

Charcoal Canister / LRA Breather Fix

TL;DR 1) LRA charcoal breather plumbing and adapters are too small in diameter, limiting venting when filling the main tank tripping the gas pump. Needs 5/8" ID plumbing though to breather. 2) Breather filter is a maintenance item. Too much dust and dirt will plug the external breather filter...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Markuson]

Thrilled to see you did this as I will be installing my 24 gallon this weekend on my 2011 LX. I wish I had came across it a day or two earlier so I would have the elbow fitting ordered. Crossing my fingers I can find it locally.

I would imagine most of the things you discovered (ie cutting the tabs) would apply to the 24gal tank also. I will admit, I am a bit more intimidated reading this since my extra vehicle is barely suited for the road. Once I cut my existing filler, there is no turning back it seems.

Thanks again, I may be back with some questions during my install.

-Richard

After reading his process of home installation...I’m more glad than ever that I took mine to Georg at Valley Hybrids!

 

[TeCKis300]

You'll want to cut here. The instructions will leave your hard line too short. Reviewing the vid, I think what it showed may be a tad too long. I found this to be just right:

Separately, your 24 gallon fitup against the furthest rear tow/cross member will be different. But you'll likely need to unclip all the harness anchor points as well. I did need to do that at both driver and passenger size to make sure there's adequate clearance, and no chaffing issues long term.

 

[Dan Higgins]

After reading his process of home installation...I’m more glad than ever that I took mine to Georg at Valley Hybrids!

Yep. To be honest, this has discouraged me from even having Slee do it for me. The idea sounds great but I can imagine the cost of the install is as much or more than the cost of the tank! If I was doing remote overlanding like you all do that would be different. But I don't think I've ever been less than 100 miles from a decent gas station.

Maybe when I finish selling all my Canon camera gear I will be able to afford this and a bumper. Maybe.

 

[TeCKis300]

Today was the first real test. 400 mile trip with detour to my parents house. I'm letting my wife take a driving stint as I post this.

Blissful. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Watching the main tank refill as I'm cruising down the freeway at 85mph. Coincidentally while bypassing Barstow which is a classic half way point, tourist trap, with inflated gas prices.

Transfer pump cannot be heard (in contrast to when I was testing it dry). Took about 20 minutes while it did it's business. When complete, the pump will let you know with audible clicking as a reminder to shut her down which is a nice thing IMO.

In regards to the install. I think once LRA makes the minor adjustments, it'll be perfect. At least there is now documented work-able adjustments posted here. Every car modification, that's not OEM, goes like this. At least wrenching on the Toyota is still more satisfying and easier than a Porsche which gives practically zero tooling clearances. It's part of the challenge that I enjoy honestly. The aux tank itself is a nicely built unit. Overall integration is well done. Just a minor adjustment and improvement on instructions and it's there.

It's a huge feeling of freedom with the added range. No longer tethered to constant stops at gas stations. Choose a nice rest area instead this road trip to stretch our feet.

Given everything I now know and shared, I'd do this mod again. Thanks to @orangefj45 and @wardharris for providing us US 200-series owners an option to address IMO the biggest shortcoming of the 200-series.

 

[Markuson]

I will echo the above with one thing I haven’t said before (shocking I know )

Even OFF the long, no-service trail, the LRA literally removes the CONSTANT nagging concern (and annoyance) over fuel.

With the stock tank only, every time I hopped in the truck, I was immediately thinking about gas...and needing to regularly consider it throughout drives. The second tank literally means you can STOP thinking about it day to day, and actually USE the entire stock tank’s full volume for a change.

I’ve never heard of anyone who regretted this mod. Do it!

 

[rmtannerjr]

You are going to make this process much more painless for me and everyone who follows!

I like the extra elbow idea to prevent that hose from kinking, will go grab one today. I did find some fuel resistant permatex sealant at O'reilly labeled for gaskets, but from what I read it should be fine for thread as well. Also great tip on which wire to tap at the console. Like you, I have no blank switches so I will use the same location you did for the new gauge.

At the moment I'm fighting getting a new Tepui RTT off my FR rack with a ceiling mounted hoist system before taking on the tank. Should get started after lunch today.

In other news, my signature is way out of date

 

[brasskey]

Transfer pump cannot be heard (in contrast to when I was testing it dry). Took about 20 minutes while it did it's business. When complete, the pump will let you know with audible clicking as a reminder to shut her down which is a nice thing IMO.

My pump is loud as hell. The video below is with fuel in the auxiliary tank. It can be heard in the vehicle while driving and gets pretty annoying. I thought I might have some loose tubing or something hitting, but it looks fine me. It's just the pump making the noise. Does this sound like everyone else's or might I have a bad pump? Gas still transfers fine, but the noise is loud.

 

[wardharris]

My pump is loud as hell. The video below is with fuel in the auxiliary tank. It can be heard in the vehicle while driving and gets pretty annoying. I thought I might have some loose tubing or something hitting, but it looks fine me. It's just the pump making the noise. Does this sound like everyone else's or might I have a bad pump? Gas still transfers fine, but the noise is loud.

Love to hear the response from others. We will work up a survey of aux tank customers as well and based on results, do some research on alternatives.

 

[TeCKis300]

Yup, that's what mine sounds like. It's especially loud when dry and not primed with fluid.

On the fwy at 80mph, I can't hear it over the ambient noise. But on local streets, yes loud and clear.

 

[brasskey]

Yup, that's what mine sounds like. It's especially loud when dry and not primed with fluid.

On the fwy at 80mph, I can't hear it over the ambient noise. But on local streets, yes loud and clear.

I can hear it on the highway. Maybe I’ll record some sound on the highway from the front.

 

[brasskey]

Love to hear the response from others. We will work up a survey of aux tank customers as well and based on results, do some research on alternatives.

Thanks Ward.

 

[T4Runner]

That’s an obnoxious sounding pump. I’m curious about the reported upgrade @Markuson sourced for his too.

 

[Markuson]

That’s an obnoxious sounding pump. I’m curious about the reported upgrade @Markuson sourced for his too.

I recorded a 30 second video that I think will help.

**Before you hit play though, make sure you watch until I back out of the closeup and you hear it’s noises relative to the idling engine up front.

**From inside the cabin while driving, I can’t even hear it...and visually tend to check the button to confirm it was actually running (with the yellow, active-pump indicator).. Outside the vehicle, it easy to hear...but no Woodpecker sound effects.

PS. In the 10 minute drive home, the tank was transferred 3/4 of my 24 gallon tank into my main (Right around2 gallons a minute, which is pretty fast).

Again...wait 10 seconds into the video and compare to idle as I back out and forward. I should have continued the video and hopped in the driver’s seat to compare the quiet interior noise, but too late this time...



PPS.
Georg at Valley Hybrids was gracious enough to let me order the alternative pump...and then had his guys figure out the electrical demands compared to the standard pump. It is more than simply installing the pump. This one required some additional electrical fiddling rather than simply plugging in to my existing Blue Sea fuse box in back. I am frankly fuzzy on exactly what was required, but this is one more reason the road trip to Sacramento was so worth it to me. They figured it out and it’s awesome.

That said, the standard pump works fine. It’s just a slower transfer. Either way, you only hear the pump once—while transferring. The other 99.9% of the time, it’s inactive and silent.