Dual tank fuel lines HELP

[TwinTurbo]

I have a BIG problem with my dual tanks on my 83 stepper. I took both tanks off because they were leaking under the brackets. Fixed them, coated them, put them back on but I had to use longer fuel hoses than stock to be able to get them back on an the clamps back on with the tank hanging just low enough to wrestle my arm in there. Sure enough the lines must be kinked because I have severe fuel delivery issues. Everything is brand new. I have a new 550HP mech pump pumping into a surge tank that feeds my EFI pump. All this so I could retain the stock switching valve. The EFI runs fine as long as I manually top off the surge tank. The mech pump is hardly pushing fluid from the tanks to the surge tank. I took 1 tank off, confirmed the lines were kinked and shortened them as much as I could and there is some flow but not near enough.

How do you get to these damned lines? Do I REALLY have to lift the cab?

Here's the truck running. Near the end the FP drops and it starts running rough and shuts down

1983 C10 Stepside Supercharged breaking in cam -...

[bnoon]

Drop the tank, put lines on the tank end, lift tanks into place, then secure the other end. Done it several times and never kinked a thing.

[TwinTurbo]

Wraptail, wtf kind of reply is that?

As for lifting the tank, once the tank is raised up you can not get at the lines. The hard lines are bolted to the frame rail and end on the tank side of the frame. The tank itself obscures the hoses and clamps. There is no way to get to them with the tank in place and the cab on. If you use lines long enough so you can install them with the tanks dropped down a little they will kink and cause problems... that is the way I did it before and after 2 tries it's still a problem. This is a dual tank stepside, NOT a fleetside.

Another option is unbolting the steps but with the tank in place halft the bolts of the steps can not be accessed either

[bnoon]

Connect it to the tank first, then connect the other end to the selector valve like I said. I've never had an issue.

[1981Stepside]

There should be a small hold-down bracket on top of the hard lines as they go over the frame rail. You can loosen it from under the truck with a wrench. This will allow the hard lines to slide as you drop and raise the tank to avoid kinking the hoses. Than tighten the hold down once the tank is back in. Used this method last weekend replacing a leaky sending unit gasket. No issues.

[izzy_Britton]

i did my old 82 back in 94, i dont recall having any issues with kinking lines. but IIRC i did it while the bed was removed.

is removing the bed an option for you? on my current 86, it appears that if i removed the bed there is ample room to get to the switch and lines under the cab from above the frame.

there is a heat shield on mine that nearly prevents any working on the switch or lines from the underside.

Its been many years, 19 to be exact and i do not remember much about the small details of rebuilding that truck. since the accident things tend to get fuzzy going back.

-Izzy

[INSIDIOUS '86]

What about removing the bed? It's kinda a pita but I was able to do it on my trucks with needle nose pliers
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[LynnJr]

Remove the step and the step bracket about 7 bolts in all.2 behind the cab 3 on the bracket and a few more on the fender all the same size.
Lower the tank.
Do what you need to fix and raise the tank and make sure it doesn't kink then lower it a little bit and re-install the step then finish the tank.A transmission cradle is handy if you have one.
You can also lift the bed up and block it but I wouldn't take it all the way off.

[TwinTurbo]

I think I will just raise the bed a little. The tank is in the way of a couple of bolts for the steps. Blegh I really didn't want to do this but I guess there is no way around it. Will shoot some pics to show there is absolutely no fricken room to work on it. What a crappy design, easy to assemble in the factory but totally unservicable.

[TwinTurbo]

Bit the bullet and raised the bed. Still not a lot of access to the hoses and it took me over an hour to do 1 side after raising the bed up. It did solve my fuel starvation issue and it's running awesome now.

Here's some pics to show how I did it.







not a lot of access here



the lines as they were. Just enough room to wiggle your hand in there



I will cut more off my rear bumpstops while I'm at it (not the rubber but the steel flap on the side) since it's hitting my axle (c notch not allowed here and don't want to cut up my bed)