Gas Filler Trouble

[TR65]

I don't know if anybody else has the problem that they can't easily get gas into their under bed gas tank. Here is my solution in any case.

Years ago I put the gas tank under the bed for my LS conversion.

I didn't want to put the filler in the bed floor since the truck hauls all kinds of stuff. I mounted a fuel cell snout in the inner bed side and ran a 1-1-2" steel tube down to a 2" straight rubber line into the tank. I ran a 3/8" vent line up between the right bed side and the fender.

I could never get it to fill properly. I had to manually nurse the nozzle and could never use the automatic fill, too fast. I always got gas spray out the filler when full. A lot of pumps now are so fast I can't use them at all. (You might notice in the picture the right angle joint in the steel tube. I replaced that with a gentle radius bend, small help.

I tried a number of crazy solutions, two of which ended up pressurizing the gas tank and blowing gas all over the bed.

Turns out it was a venting problem. Gas pumps deliver gas at at rate of about 4 - 9 gallons per minute (the max is supposed to be 8 but I have timed some at 9). The 3/8" vent line could not evacuate air fast enough. Moreover it is not at the very highest point in the tank so there is no vent when the tank is about full.

It seems vehicle manufacturers use either and external vent line into the filler near the cap or use a tube within a tube design where gas goes in a small inner tube and air is vented through a larger outer tube. My solution is in the next post.

[TR65]

I used the tube in tube solution so I could use the existing hole in the bed side. I got a replacement filler unit from a Ford Ranger. The inner and outer tubes are molded. I needed a 90 degree and a 45 degree bend. I was able to cut and join the tubes to get what I needed without the tubes buckling.

The pictures show the Ford unit as received, the inner tube, the outer tube and the final snout that goes into the tank entrance.

I machined off the flange of the Ford filler and fabricated a housing for it.

The next post finishes the job.

[TR65]

It is a tight fit so I had to put in a 1"spacer. The first picture shows the completed unit. I plugged my original vent line

It uses a Stant gas cap. The stant gas caps are pretty sophisticated. They will vent under a vacuum and under a pressure. The problem is that this is just to protect your gas tank in case the evaporative emissions system fails so the vacuum and pressure limits are too high for normal venting. The one I have vents at 2 psi vacuum and something around 5 psi pressure.

I drilled a 1/16" hole you can see in the picture and that keeps vacuum and pressure from build up and should allow very little evaporation.

I machined an aluminum cover/handle to replace the plastic one that comes with the cap.

[TR65]

Oh, Works like a champ. Stick the nozzle in, click the automatic fill and wait till it turns the pump off. I haven't lost a drop of fuel since.

TR

[norcalcap]

Hello, I did almost the exact same thing but with the filler door on the outer fender. However, my inner, small fill tube is corrugated plastic which causes turbulence and the nozzle to click more often than it should. Can you tell me where you got the rubber hose? I think it being smooth will fix my problem. Thanks

[Chevy Fleetside]

You could say I did the same thing but in a different way.

[TR65]

NORCALCAP,

A rubber hose needs to be neoprene to be compatible with gasoline.
You can buy it by the foot from McMaster Carr (1" ID).

Problem is you can't bend it without kinking so I had to piece it together with molded bends from the Ford unit.

This company https://www.fillernecksupply.com/ has lots of parts and hoses including your corrugated one and the Ford Ranger kit.

TR

[norcalcap]

TR65, thanks for the reply. I"ll grab some smooth hose from McMaster and do the fittings like you to avoid kinks.
Not all gas pumps click off, some work well. Have you had any experience since this install with any stations not working well?

[TR65]

I have used the worst two stations that I really couldn't use at all before. Total of 4 times, all clicked off with no spill.

TR

[62chevy302]

What year ford ranger does this come from?
Posted via Mobile Device

[62chevy302]

I found that it is from a 93 ish. Tell us more about making the nice lid.

[norcalcap]

Originally Posted by 62chevy302

I found that it is from a 93 ish. Tell us more about making the nice lid.

By lid, do you mean something like this? Mine is plumbed to the outer fender.

[TR65]

For My lid: I just took a Stant gas cap from a 2013 Honda Civic I believe and machined the aluminum cover for it. You can un-snap the cover off the cap, screw the cover to the aluminum and snap it all back together.

Works good.

[norcalcap]

What was I thinking....Duh. Your lid or cap is awesome!!!

[jnova67]

i am having the same issue with my side fill. I used a blazer tank and a filler from a 2000 chevy truck. It uses the inner fill tube as well. It takes about 15 mins to put about 15 gallons in. My filler is mounted to the inner box side so it has one 90 degree bend and I cut my inner tube short of the 90 bend thinking that it would flow smooth around the bend and into the tank, not the case. How far do you have the inner tube going? Into the tank or short of it?

[TR65]

Jnova67,

I had to go all the way into the tank with the inner tube. The last piece is an aluminum angled piece shown in the pictures that goes in the tank. The air has to have a clear passage from the tank to the atmosphere I believe.

It is very nice to be able to put the gas pump on automatic and fill in a reasonable time.

[rideblue00]

Very cool!