Sometimes it just takes standing back from a problem to suddenly come up with a solution to said problem. In this case the problem is what to do about a fuel tank on the Truckstang. The original fuel tank is unable to fit into the trunk opening due to the Ranger frame rails and exhaust pipes, so the latest solution was to acquire a boat fuel tank to use for the alternative fuel tank. After a while of not doing anything, I suddenly came up with an idea. I checked out the old Chevy LUV fuel tank that I still had on hand. Ironically, this fuel tank was almost perfect for the application in Truckstang. I did some preliminary sizing up and aside from a minor roadblock that can be overcome, this fuel tank would be perfect. On the section of truck frame rails where the fuel tank would sit, there are small wings in the metal going around what appeared to be a couple bolt holes. These little wings made the spacing between the rails just shy of the width of the fuel tank. The angle grinder took care of these little wings, trimming off the 1/2" of metal and making the rails perfectly straight going front to back. With that, the fuel tank was able to sit right in the opening between the two frame rails. With the fuel tank set in the space between the frame rails, the next thing that I addressed was how to couple the filler tube with the filler tube end on the fuel tank. The tube end on the tank is off center to the left of center, so I would have to somehow situate the filler tube to where it can come as close as possible to the LUV tank's filler tube end. I ended up having to trim some metal from the rear panel support frame, which also holds the loop for the trunk lid, to accommodate the filler tube being set at a left angle. I removed the bolts and turned the filler tube 90 degrees so the tube would be angling horizontally to the left instead of down and center. Upon the initial fitting of the tube in this position I found that the tube was hitting the side of the support frame/bracket, so I had to trim some metal from the left side and bend it out a little bit to give the spacing necessary to allow the filler tube to sit flush on the taillight panel. After doing this little trimming, the tube sat flush and came close enough to the LUV tank filler tube end that I would only need a few inches of rubber hose to couple the filler tube ends. The next thing I wanted to address is how to set up the rest of the trunk floor. After I do secure the fuel tank to the frame rails, I will want to add some sheet metal to complete the trunk floor to close things in so I can actually use the trunk in some capacity. The easiest way I determined to do this will be to weld in some tubing in front and behind the fuel tank to serve as support points for small sections of sheet metal that will be welded in place to close in the trunk floor around the fuel tank. I will then cut one last piece of sheet metal to lay on top of the fuel tank to fully cover the unit and close in the fuel tank. I don't have all the specifics down, but that is the basic concept that will be used to close in the trunk. I will have to take into account the filler tube of course, but other than that, this idea should accomplish the goal of closing in the trunk. The next minor thing I wanted to address is the fuel cap. Because the filler tube will be set 90 degrees off, the fuel cap will also be 90 degrees off. To fix this, I will have to trim notches on the filler tube that will allow the cap to snap in place and be level with the filler tube in the new orientation. Once all this is done and the fuel lines are hooked up, I can finally write off the fuel system as done. Save for the carb, which I also need to bolt down, this work will conclude another critical component of the Truckstang.
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May 2023
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