remove fuel tank

[jblueridge]

I wanted to get the fuel tank off to see if there was rust on the top side which is invisible.
The skid plate has a dent in it and I wanted to make sure it was not rubbing the tank.
Top of the tank needs some help.

After straps and hose connections, you have to get the filler tube disconnected from the tank or from truck body.
I got the whole thing out.

I am using welded studs and a puller to get some of the dent out of the tank. I might replace the skid plate.

 

[OGBeno]

Nice. I’d have the inside of the gas tank cleaned if you’ve come this far. And a new pickup/gasket/screws too.

all new parts are still available if you have to replace anything...

 

[jblueridge]

I have the new pipe, suction pickup...most everything that is still out there for sale.
inside, the tank looks good.

 

[jblueridge]

Does this cylinder with fuel pipes running to it have a purpose other than acting as Y fitting?

 

[roscoFJ73]

This is all part of the venting system, although I dont know if anyone outside of Toyota has ever fully fathomed how it works.

 

[jblueridge]

Maybe vapors condense in there.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Maybe vapors condense in there.

Could be.
Ive always thought it equalises pressure .
Some Australian forum posts suggest it is there to minimalise fuel spillage when you roll the vehicle upside down.

 

[jblueridge]

I plugged up all the holes and tubes prior to washing the outside of the tank. Used the purple degreaser stuff.

Painted the rusted areas with 2 coats of Master Series Silver plus one of POR15 as a topcoat.
Tank looks dirty but that is a product of flash photography.

 

[jblueridge]

Here are some more pics that might help someone.
Fuel gauge sender

Old suction pipes with strainer (outer ends chopped off). I used a flashlight aimed through the sender's mounting hole in the tank to see the baffles and to guide the strainer to the right place.

Filler pipe and wacky vent system

Vent pipe eventually vents to the atmosphere at a plastic fitting that plugs into the body.

I ended up using the old spacer/bushing that the end of the filer pipe rests in.
There is no reason to remove the 4 bolts shown here. The filler tube just backs out of the rubber cushion.

 

[jblueridge]

You need to get at a single bolt that holds all the pipes and hoses onto the body.
It is behind a mud guard looking thing at the back of the right rear wheel well.

 

[OGBeno]

Solid work here.

 

[ALEXY]

I replaced the vent pipe with a new one due to severe rust and the difference is that now there is no more "hissing " sound when I open the fuel cap to fill the tank. before, there was a lot of vaacum in the tank (I think) and I even drilled a small hole in one fuel cap to eliminate that. the fuel cap has a pressure valve in it, but I dont remember if it was designed for vaacum or over pressure.
i associated the hissing sound with a blocked vent pipe.

 

[jblueridge]

Yes it looked to me like the purpose of all that strange tubing is to vent to the air without releasing too many fumes.
A hissing sound would mean a pressure imbalance.

 

[jblueridge]

Last bit of information. The hard fuel lines were a slightly larger diameter than the hard lines for the vent system. 0.25 inch ID fuel hose was almost too narrow. Very difficult to slide hose over.

 

[Felde]

You need to get at a single bolt that holds all the pipes and hoses onto the body.
It is behind a mud guard looking thing at the back of the right rear wheel well.


View attachment 2124445

Hi
I will start the very same procedure tomorrow.
Can you share some more details on how to get the filler neck out / in the filler door assembly?
Will it work to rotate it vertical to clear that screw bracket? Will the hoses towards the tank clear between the wheelhousing and frame when rotating it?
I will probabley need to destroy the old thing as everything is seized solid. There will be no way back then.
The hoses need to fiddled on after positioning the filler neck octopus, right?
Thank you
Best regards
Ralf.

 

[jblueridge]

It has been a while so my memory is not clear.
I think the filler pipe is not attached at all at the little door. It fits into place from the wheel well side and just rests there.
I took both rear wheels off to get freedom of movement.
If you look at photo in my first post you will see where I used a saw to cut the old hard fuel hoses.
The new hoses were more flexible and easier to move around.
I did re-connect lines after all was in place.
I remember it was painful forcing my arm into places where I could tighten clamps.

Yes it was definitely a No Going Back moment but reassembly was easier than I thought it would be.
Just having everything clean with no dirt or rust falling into my eyes made it better.

 

[Felde]

Thank you for the advice.
I worked on it today and the filler neck came out easy. Braces came off.
The tank however was not moving, not even with my 90kg hanging on it.
I had to hammer wooden wedges between tank and floor panel, and it eventually popped off.
There is a rubber material on top of the tank to prevent mechanical wear. 30 years of Spanish heat had made it kind of melt and stick very hard to the undercoating.

 

[LDowney]

I do have a request

Could you post a picture of how the vent lines are connected to the filler neck?

A while back, I removed my tank and had it cleaned-n-lined by a local shop. The shop mentioned cutting open for access and making a change in a pick-up. Since getting it back, it foams up too much on refueling. I have tried replumbing the lines with no improvement. A correct diagram of the connections would help confirm if I am the source or if the change that the shop made is.

Thanks

 

[Felde]

I do have a request

Could you post a picture of how the vent lines are connected to the filler neck?

A while back, I removed my tank and had it cleaned-n-lined by a local shop. The shop mentioned cutting open for access and making a change in a pick-up. Since getting it back, it foams up too much on refueling. I have tried replumbing the lines with no improvement. A correct diagram of the connections would help confirm if I am the source or if the change that the shop made is.

Thanks

Sure
My tank is a bit different from what jblueridge had posted. I have more nipples on my tank than he has.
I have a 1985 BJ73, without a return line on the suction assy.
He indicated on one of his pics, the lower line, coming from the check valve, to vent to the air (plastic piece plugged to the floor member).
My respective line goes into the tank (1), and my vent line comes out of the tank (V, hose still connected in my pic).
I have no idea how ventilation in conjunction with the check valve works.
The overfill drain (14mm) is obvious.
The lines to this tubular thing attached to the filler pipe connect as given.
I have no idea what that thing does.
I also have no idea whether the nipples on the tank actually just go in or have any internal piping attached.

I hope this helps.
Cheers
Ralf

 

[Felde]

Got the revision of the tank completed and the tank back in place.
Here are my insights:
- Paint it! And paint the sucction assy, too!

- Install hoses on the tank as needed. You may keep them a bit longer and cut them to length as needed when installing the filler neck.
- Installing the tank is a job best done with two people. The tank in the skid plate is super bulky.
- Forget about a jack. If the lifting device doesn't have a wide plate on top, the tank will tip off. You also can't move and tilt it as needed.
--> I was successful using two loops of straps between the frame crossmember and the bumper. One can easily move the tank up by shortening the loops. You can move in all directions and also tilt the tank, which is very important. You can stop at any time, e.g to adjust the hoses or place the braces and bolts.

- The bolts are super sensitive. It's 10x1.25 fine thread. The bolts DO NOT go in straight vertical, but with a slight tilt towards the tank; actually kind of parallel to the braces. I tried straight vertical and messed up one thread.
For luck there is room on the brackets to place a separate nut.