bamachem

it's a marine tank...

i'm still working out the details... there will be a writeup w/ pics when it happens.

first things first...

1. finish air suspension setup
2. custom rear bumper w/ tire carrier
3. cut out spare crossmember and start on aux tank...

i have several options at this point, ranging in size from 16 gallons to 27 gallons. i don't want to get too big due to weight...

User 051420

I never put in more than 18 gallons. My gas light was *always* on..the primary reason for selling.

Can't you dip into the $30k fund for a new car?

Athansinis

Just put in 15 gallons at 300 miles for $45

zeik

Just squeezed in 17.5 of 89 for a cool $49... urg...

dragr1

iTrader: (3)

Never more than 15 gallons, even after driving on the fuel light for 30 miles. My gas gauge is so out of whack. I did go about 250 miles (corrected) on that tank though.

Erich_870

My light comes on at around 14 gallons used

I think my rig's a prude

Erich

bamachem

it would gravity-equilibrate with the OEM tank, not a seperate tank like what you're thinking. it would be polyethylene, the same stuff that OEM plastic gas tanks are made of. it wouldn't be DOT approved for on-road use for fuel, but you only have to worry about that in states with inspections. it would have ZERO electronics. it would be soft-piped to the OEM tank, with connections at the bottom for liquid and top for vent. i will have a stainless Y fitting made for the filler tube so it will fill with the OEM tank and the liquid level will equilibrate through the bottom fuel hose. that means that the OEM gauge would be as accurate as it is now, except the volume for each increment would essentially double. it would fit up in between the frame rails (usable area is about 36" wide and 24" long by about 8" deep - i have a 1" body lift), and hang a little lower at the front edge near the axle and will be completely between the rails by about half-way back. you would have to remove the OEM spare lift, so you have to have other means for storing a spare. i'll have a custom skid on it to protect it from rocks, but it should work well.

it will be about $300 and will have a 16 gallon capacity, giving me an addition 100# in the rear and extending my driving range from about 240 to about 520 miles.

only work required will be fabricating the mounting system and skid, then put the Y fitting in the filler tube, remove & drain the OEM tank and add a barbed hose fitting about 1.5-2.0" up from the bottom, then connect the vents together and add the fuel hose.

here's a sketch:

Jeff_M

Bamachem,
Very thorough. You make an ambitious plan seem less than formidable. When do you expect to complete this project?

bamachem

Well, i'm finish the air lift 1000 with load controller this week and get it operational and checked out. i'm then hoping to get some steel for the rear bumper sometime next week - definitely before the end of the month. I hope to get the rear bumper brackets and beam hung pretty quickly, and then work around that will slow to a crawl as i fill in the sides with plate steel. once the rear bumper is completed, i'll be adding a slee-spindle tire carrier. that will take a week to fab (at night) by itself. after that, i'll get the tank on-site and begin to fab up some mounts (i already have some simple ideas in mind). i think i should have the bumper completed by late Nov and the Tire Carrier in operation and everything painted before Christmas. Hopefully I can get the tank in pretty quick. I think with good planning, I can fab up mounts and plumb it up in a half-day or so one weekend. After that, i'll have to fab up some protection for the rear Aux tank before wheeling with it.

surf4runner

max gallons=18.62 ( :pat: thanx to da wife :walk: ) had gone 337 mi. usually go <20 mi once the idiot light comes on.
avg=16 gal and 315 mi. city/highway combo

TACOMANATOR

The fuel pump sucks gas from the bottom of the tank regardless of how much fuel is in it....thats where the fuel filter comes into play. Run it dry, it does'nt matter......unless it's a diesel.

Nam

15.2 when I was out of gas! ouch

Nam

jwbehm

15.6 for me. . . I am going to carry a 5 gallon tank with me this tank and see how many gallons i can fill up

ebelen1

You ran out of gas at 15.2 gallons? If so, that's kinda weird as I always fill up not too long after the light and I'm always able to fill up over 16 gallons. I get horrible gas mileage so I'm usually around 200 - 225 miles per fillup.

ErikJeanna

iTrader: (2)

I've ran on fumes before as well and have never seen the pump hit 16+ gallons. I always just assumed that I had a 16 gallon tank... although, it appears that it's an 18. I'm too scared to drive it the extra 30-40 miles just to find out.

neliconcept

I went pretty far after the light and I think I put in about 17.6.

Im pretty sure the tank is 18.5 right?

Cypressdog

This is a little off the topic. I see that some of you like to drive your Toys till the fuel light comes on. Your fuel pump is cooled by fuel in the tank. If you have no fuel in your tank the fuel pump runs at a higher temp and we all know higher temps lead to premature failure. Just a suggestion but you should never let your tank get below a quarter tank. This will keep the sludge out of your fuel filter and keep your fuel pump running cool and lasting longer. Up here in the north a New Toy fuel pump is 800 bucks. I would rather fill my truck up early rather than risk blowing a fuel pump.

kmchby76

well with the funky gas guage, i went 214.6 and filled up with 13.7 when the pin was on e. then i went 241.9 and filled up with 15.2. this time the guage was bouncing above and below the e and the low fuel light came on and off intermittenly. go figure. so next time i'll drive a little further and see what happens then.

Jeff_M

In response to an earlier question, the manual says the tank is 18.5. I've filled it up to the brim and burned 17 gallons. The next morning, I couldn't start the 4runner until I added a half a gallon.

Scottiac

I'm pretty sure I put in a solid 18.5 gallons. But that's because I ran it to the light, and about 30 miles past, then dropped the tank, and pumped the rest out. (Replacing the fuel pump, and switching from cheap to exhorbitant gas). Of interesting note though, the tank was pristine, and even the bitter dregs of gas wasn't chunky. Not too bad for 120,000 miles.

So I wouldn't worry about not pumping the last bits through for sludge reasons, but keeping the fuel pump covered sounds reasonable! I'm usually a total fuel wuss, so I almost never see the light come on...