Builds Fly By Night (8 Viewers)

[scrapdaddy]

J Mack turned me on to this company, works very well for my tank and Speed Hut gauges.

Liquid Level Sender | Reed, Capacitive, Mechanical | KUS Americas, Inc.

As the world's leading designer and manufacturer of liquid level senders, our products can take the rigorous demands of the vehicle, marine, & industrial space

kus-usa.com

I use model SSl-14

 

[J Mack]

@J Mack - did you go w/ aluminum for your tank?

I built my tank from 12 gauge 5052 aluminum, if I had to do it over I would have built it from 10 gauge or 3/16" 5052, a 40 to 50 gallon tank will have a fair bit of sloshing and hammers the large flat sides. Weld cracking is always a concern and common on flat side tanks.

 

[RUSH55]

So this is how the later pedestal mounted OEM tanks are. Two pedestals/risers (whatever you want to call them) on each side that the tank bolts to. Simple.
The body of the tank measures out ~32-1/2”, and another 1-3/8” on each side for the mounting flange.

 

[scrapdaddy]

I thought those risers were mounted to the body, not the frame. Those look better, so you would build your new tank to match those mounting spots, right.

 

[RUSH55]

J Mack turned me on to this company, works very well for my tank and Speed Hut gauges.

Liquid Level Sender | Reed, Capacitive, Mechanical | KUS Americas, Inc.

As the world's leading designer and manufacturer of liquid level senders, our products can take the rigorous demands of the vehicle, marine, & industrial space

kus-usa.com

I use model SSl-14

Thanks for posting that link Ron

I built my tank from 12 gauge 5052 aluminum, if I had to do it over I would have built it from 10 gauge or 3/16" 5052, a 40 to 50 gallon tank will have a fair bit of sloshing and hammers the large flat sides. Weld cracking is always a concern and common on flat side tanks.

Thanks for the insight. I’ve personally not been a big fan of aluminum for fuel tanks, and had figured on this for as thick as you’d need to go, you wouldn’t be saving a whole lot on weight if you made it out of thinner steel.
That being said, if the tank was engineered well enough, do you think this gauge of stainless would hold up? My thought is yes because the factory tanks are made with much thinner material, just formed with more curvatures and hold half the liquid weight and volume. I could always cancel the order and go with something else...

 

[RUSH55]

I thought those risers were mounted to the body, not the frame. Those look better, so you would build your new tank to match those mounting spots, right.

Yeah, I’ll mount the new tank to the risers.

 

[RUSH55]

This is a piece of 14ga (bottom) compared to what the OEM tank is constructed of (18 - 20 ga)

 

[bobm]

Aluminum or Stainless steel the utility goal with both would be no corrosion. All boats have Aluminum tanks or Stainless! There's a Reason for that

 

[bobm]

Ultimate goal. Stupid ****ing spelling thingy

 

[scrapdaddy]

I like the utility of it better! There's a reason.

 

[RUSH55]

Aluminum or Stainless steel the utility goal with both would be no corrosion. All boats have Aluminum tanks or Stainless! There's a Reason for that

Yeah, commercial trucks run aluminum (cylindrical). Almost every piece of heavy equipment I’ve looked at recently runs mild steel. In those instances, weight must not be much of a consideration. On commercial trucks, weight IS a consideration, so I understand the use of aluminum.

 

[riderjgs]

Yeah, commercial trucks run aluminum (cylindrical). Almost every piece of heavy equipment I’ve looked at recently runs mild steel. In those instances, weight must not be much of a consideration. On commercial trucks, weight IS a consideration, so I understand the use of aluminum.

Probably the very reason so many builders used old beer kegs in dune buggies and Model A and Model T hot rod pickups. You could mount a few of those on a roof rack with gravity feed, cleverly avoiding all this fabrication nonsense and unnecessary puzzling over electric fuel pump pressures.
Or not...

 

[xtiaan2000]

You know who is pretty sage is Mosely Motors. He sells a number of different fuel situations and is great for questions.

 

[RUSH55]

Probably the very reason so many builders used old beer kegs in dune buggies and Model A and Model T hot rod pickups. You could mount a few of those on a roof rack with gravity feed, cleverly avoiding all this fabrication nonsense and unnecessary puzzling over electric fuel pump pressures.
Or not...

C’mon Jim, it’s fun

 

[RUSH55]

You know who is pretty sage is Mosely Motors. He sells a number of different fuel situations and is great for questions.

Do you have your tank situation taken care of, C?

 

[riderjgs]

C’mon Jim, it’s fun

Just remember that at least 1/3 better fuel mileage with an injected small block rather than a carbed F will give you the equivalent of a 30 gallon tank if you just reinstall the OEM one. But you'd miss all the fun you'll have fabricating and figuring.
Onward...

 

[scrapdaddy]

fabricating and figuring.

Half the hobby!

 

[bobm]

I dont think weight or mileage has ever been a consideration in anything built in the 70s! Almost everything i owned up until 1980 was in the single digits for mileage except the VWs. So HOMEY don't play dat

 

[RUSH55]

-

 

[riderjgs]

I dont think weight or mileage has ever been a consideration in anything built in the 70s! Almost everything i owned up until 1980 was in the single digits for mileage except the VWs. So HOMEY don't play dat

Listen, I remember gas at 19-cents a gallon when I was a teenager. Many a raid on coins in the fountain at a local truck stop restaurant kept my mothers's gas-guzzling 410 cubic inch Edsel on the street for the rest of the night.