72 Chev. side fuel tanks removal ? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

harry Brassler · 10-27-2009, 06:38 PM

New to the site, so bear with me. Not even sure this is the right place for this question.
Had my 72 Chev. longbed beater for about 25 years. It's got auxillary fuel tanks under the bed between the frame and the body in front of the wheel wells with fill access in the wheel wells. Pretty sure they are aftermarket and obvious attachment is 2 bolts from the bed (rusted solid) thru the tank interior with flat nuts(?) under the tank that a 3/8 ratchet fits perfectly.

After undoing about 5" of thread, the nuts came off but the tank didn't move. Bigger hammer and huge pry bar theory ineffictive. Anybody seen anything like these side tanks or do I have a 1 of? Any suggestions?

**kwmech** · 10-27-2009, 07:29 PM

You may have to grind off the head of the bolt inside the bed

unclewatts · 10-28-2009, 04:25 AM

Be careful with grinders and torches around those tanks though. You wouldn't want to burn down Grass Valley and Nevada City! Such pretty country.

mrein3 · 10-28-2009, 12:46 PM

You're lucky. I couldn't even budge the nut with the square hole on the bottom of my extra tank. I rounded that out.

Get yourself a flap disk in your electric grinder. The sparks will be in the bed so you're ok there. Just grind the heads off as kwmech said. Put a jack or something under the tank before you start grinding so you can gracefully lower it when you're done.

BTW, after I ground the heads off those bolts, it took a sledge hammer to pound out the bolt from the tank. The tank has two pipes that go through the height of the tank that the bolts go through and assuming yours is like mine was, lots of dirt and junk got in there and rusted the bolt to the inside of that long pipe.

I cleaned up my tank. Reamed out those pass-through holes. POR-15'ed it. Had a leak repaired, and use it all the time. At 10mpg you need all the fuel you can hold.

To replace the bolts I ground the heads off of I simply bought short 1/2" carriage bolts and a hunk of 1/2" threaded rod. I welded the rod to the bolt after figuring out how long of a bolt I needed. Then I simply used 1/2" nuts, locking washers, and fender washers at the bottom of the tank. That was quite a few years ago now and the tank is still fine.

10-27-2009, 06:38 PM	#1
harry Brassler Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oviedo Florida Posts: 1	72 Chev. side fuel tanks removal ? New to the site, so bear with me. Not even sure this is the right place for this question. Had my 72 Chev. longbed beater for about 25 years. It's got auxillary fuel tanks under the bed between the frame and the body in front of the wheel wells with fill access in the wheel wells. Pretty sure they are aftermarket and obvious attachment is 2 bolts from the bed (rusted solid) thru the tank interior with flat nuts(?) under the tank that a 3/8 ratchet fits perfectly. After undoing about 5" of thread, the nuts came off but the tank didn't move. Bigger hammer and huge pry bar theory ineffictive. Anybody seen anything like these side tanks or do I have a 1 of? Any suggestions?

10-27-2009, 07:29 PM	#2
kwmech Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Colfax-California Posts: 8,561	Re: 72 Chev. side fuel tanks removal ? You may have to grind off the head of the bolt inside the bed

10-28-2009, 04:25 AM	#3
unclewatts 70 Chevrolet=Obsession Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: nice ca Posts: 1,067	Re: 72 Chev. side fuel tanks removal ? Be careful with grinders and torches around those tanks though. You wouldn't want to burn down Grass Valley and Nevada City! Such pretty country. __________________ I'm Just like my truck. Old, Ugly and Grouchy. Except my truck starts easily in the morning and doesn't smoke! IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN! -Kermit the frog 1970 Chevrolet C-10 Longbed Stepside : 350, Muncie M20, 3.08 GM corp. positraction Forest green exterior/light green interior(Where all my money goes) 1996 Toyota Corolla (Parts runner)

10-28-2009, 12:46 PM	#4
mrein3 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Center City, MN, USA Posts: 3,254	Re: 72 Chev. side fuel tanks removal ? You're lucky. I couldn't even budge the nut with the square hole on the bottom of my extra tank. I rounded that out. Get yourself a flap disk in your electric grinder. The sparks will be in the bed so you're ok there. Just grind the heads off as kwmech said. Put a jack or something under the tank before you start grinding so you can gracefully lower it when you're done. BTW, after I ground the heads off those bolts, it took a sledge hammer to pound out the bolt from the tank. The tank has two pipes that go through the height of the tank that the bolts go through and assuming yours is like mine was, lots of dirt and junk got in there and rusted the bolt to the inside of that long pipe. I cleaned up my tank. Reamed out those pass-through holes. POR-15'ed it. Had a leak repaired, and use it all the time. At 10mpg you need all the fuel you can hold. To replace the bolts I ground the heads off of I simply bought short 1/2" carriage bolts and a hunk of 1/2" threaded rod. I welded the rod to the bolt after figuring out how long of a bolt I needed. Then I simply used 1/2" nuts, locking washers, and fender washers at the bottom of the tank. That was quite a few years ago now and the tank is still fine. __________________ '70 cab, '71 chassis, 383, TH350, NP205. '71 Malibu convertible '72 Malibu hard top Center City, MN



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