Im thinking about getting a new fuel tank...

[jesse977]

Im thinking about getting a new fuel tank. The sending unit doesnt work and I have to replace it. I thought might as well change the tank. My truck is a 74 swb and the tank from the outside looks really dirty and crappy. It has hard caked on dirt. I was thinking of sanding the outside and painting it. If it looks bad from the inside im going to replace it. Where is the best place to get one? I saw some on ebay that look good and are inexpensive. If I do get one new do u have to paint them from the outside since they look like they are bare metal. Any tips are appreciated. One more thing is the passenger side tank a 16 gallon?

[my4by2]

If it's a SWB, it should be the 16-gallon version. I buy a lot of parts from LMC Truck & have had excellent luck. I had originally purchased new side-saddle tanks from them for my build, but we ended up custom fab'ing a totally new 40-gallon version that mounts between the frame rails. If you're gonna drop your original, best to go ahead & replace it with a new one regardless of where you source it.

[jesse977]

I was thinking of getting this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GMC-C...item1e66cdc97c

If I do get this do you have to paint it?

[my4by2]

Hard to say, but judging by the pic it looks like it'd need some kind of coating - use a undercoating or bed liner type product. The ones I bought & returned to LMC had an epoxy coating on them already.

[donut]

Check out your local auto parts chains, It MAY be cheaper and quicker.

Personally, I went plastic. It's black, abt. 1/4" thick, and it was about 20 dollars more than steel (20 gal.). In New England, the steel ones rot out quick.

I got mine a few years ago, iirc from J.C. Whitney.

[old Rusty C10]

i found that the cheapest place ot to go to advanced auto parts online.. you get the price on there print it and go to the store and they will match it and get the part overnight.. In addition i sprayed my tanks with rubberized undercoat and that seems to keep them nice and rust free as they age

[2badgn]

My truck had a 16 gallon and i changed it to a 20 gallon. i would buy a new tank instead of trying to fix the old one. I prefer steel over plastic but thats a decision that u will have to make.
Different people here like steel and others like plastic.
I wanted to keep it original.
A new steel fuel tank should last a minimum of 20 years.

[FritzA]

I got a Specta Premium tank. Made in Canada, very good quality. Yes, bare metal so I painted it.

I got mine from JC Whitney because they were having a special at the time. I think you can also get them through Advace Auto Parts and save the shipping cost.

[jesse977]

one more question ... instead of a 16 gallon can I buy a 20 gallon and install it where the old one was with the same straps and hardware?

[2badgn]

yes- i hated the 16 gallon tank- so in its place fit the 20 gallon tank.

Not sure if the straps r different. I bought new straps but the shop said that they didnt fit so they rigged it up with some wire.

[jesse977]

Originally Posted by donut

Check out your local auto parts chains, It MAY be cheaper and quicker.

Personally, I went plastic. It's black, abt. 1/4" thick, and it was about 20 dollars more than steel (20 gal.). In New England, the steel ones rot out quick.

I got mine a few years ago, iirc from J.C. Whitney.

Im thinking of getting a plastic one too. I had a 2000 jeep wrangler that was rear ended. The tank was plastic and was dented. I simply removed it, used a heat gun to soften the plastic and the dent popped out. The tank looked like nothing happened to it. I like the fact that they dont rust and you dont have to paint them.
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[old Rusty C10]

I really dont know if the tank straps are the same from 16 to 20 gallon tanks, but there are holes in the frame that will accomodate the longer tanks ( at least on a longbed) so it is a direct swap.. i had one and one on mine and did them both to 20 gallon tanks

[jesse977]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

I really dont know if the tank straps are the same from 16 to 20 gallon tanks, but there are holes in the frame that will accomodate the longer tanks ( at least on a longbed) so it is a direct swap.. i had one and one on mine and did them both to 20 gallon tanks

I want a 20 gallon steel tank. I know i posted earlier that i wanted a plastic tank but after reading some threads i think ill stick w a steel one. I just want to be 100% sure a 20 gal will bolt right up to a shortbed truck
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[Pyrotechnic]

Short beds can only run 16 gallon tanks. There's just not enough room for a 20 gallon. A long bed is about a foot longer in that area.

[donut]

I went plastic because of corrosion and impact resistance. One guy I bought parts from had been through 2 steel tanks in one year due to "trail" punctures.

My old tank had 3 screw/silicone "repairs" on leaky spots, unfortunately that little pinhole on the outside was a 6" rust spot on the inside. My truck also used to sit a lot. Being a plow truck, there were times when it only ran from Oct.-April.

Also my antique dump body left the tank exposed to everything.