Finally, the fuel tank dropped

[JDCruiser]

Hey guys,

Those who have followed some of my threads lately will know that for the past couple weeks I have been struggling to remove the fuel tank out of my 1981 BJ42... Yesterday it finally dropped after a number of sequential steps involving jacking the frame up to the let the axle sag and twisting in different orientations...

So yep, what I thought was impossible, isn't, the fuel tank will actually come out with just the parking brake removed and the drive shaft disconnected at the Rear Diff...

Thanks to everyone that gave me advice and kept telling me not to give up, it will come out!!!!

IH8MUD is truely a Land Cruiser Owner's best friend...

 

[alkarich]

Congrats. Have a cold one.

 

[Bear]

Ya know, JD, if you would write down the correct steps to take to remove a fuel tank, it might benefit a whole lotta folks.

Thx.

 

[D'Animal]

Congrats!


Now, are you going to be able to get it back in?

 

[LakeNorman_FJ40]

Wish I'd have seen this thread earlier...yes, remove all the tub mounting bolts except the ones on the front cowl. Lift the tub up a few inches off the frame and the tank will come out with some twisting/turning.

It's even harder getting it back in...almost needed to remove the driveshaft but felt like that may not have helped (clearance looked to be tight). Had my father lift the tub up off the frame on one side while I manuvered the tank into position. The tank straps were the hardest part...literally flat on my back in the garage under the FJ40 using my knees to press the tank up and hold in place while tightening the strap bolts.

 

[voyager:01]

IH8MUD is a Land Cruiser Owner's best friend...

truer words have never been spoken

 

[JDCruiser]

hey guys,

yeah I made notes about the steps invovled and have some photos for anyone that is interested in removing the tank... honestly it was just a lot of twisting and turning, trying to get the tank as most reward as possible... bigges challenge was getting room between rear diff that is where lifting the body up a little helped do the final wiggle to clear the cross member pipe, that is the whole goal, get the tank reward enough to clear the cross member, takes a number of wiggles and twists and turns to get it there but like others said before me is doable..

And yes reinstall will be a big challenge, the rear bed is coming off the frame so I might put the tank into position prior to putting the repaired tube back on but not sure yet... guess I will have to cross the bridge when I get there...

 

[grant5127]

I might put the tank into position prior to putting the repaired tube back on

That would be the easiest.......