Aux fuel tank question

[Powder Extreme]

I'm wanting to install an aux fuel tank in the bed and I wish to use an electric transfer pump to the main tank. For those of you that have done it, where at on the main tank do you have the fuel pump transfer fuel into to? Also what do you use for a transfer pump? Is it as simple as putting a tee into the filler neck, or would that create a problem with venting since the fuel cap would be installed?



Thanks,

Jerry

 

[JJW_ND]

Plumbing into the vent works for Gravity flow!

Jerry:



We have several trucks with 50 - 60 gallon tanks in the box plumbed directly into the vent line. We have a simple solinoid (2 lines in 1 out) mounted under the box just before the vent tap (add a "T") which is controled with a switch in the cab.



It does not flow fast, but fast enough to keep ahead of 6 mpg (test a few times). Because we have no pump pushing, we can not overflow. Many times switch was left on with factory gauge on full. Very simple! and works.



In my 96 I have ran over 16,000 gallons through it with at least 50% ran through a tank as described above.



With a pump you may have to add a return vent line. With no pump, any presure just "burps" back into the aux tank.



BTW! We have are aux tanks set to flow from the very bottom of the tank (use the tanks drain port). We custom built ours with 10 gauge tread plate steel. We weld a 1/4" NPT coupler very near the bottom with a street elbow screwed on the inside with the elbow pointed down.



We run no extra filters.



I have never had any water, rust or problems in my setup.



It does work! Even at -30!



jjw

ND

 

[Whitmore]

Jerry

Since you havent got it plumbed in yet ... ... . back up a minute and think of this first, I did this and it works well and it will help your OEM lift so it wont have to work as hard, prolly get much better life from it too.

Get all the accessories for your aux tank, IE; level gage, supply port, return port and one more port if possible but not manditory, now use an 8 AN fitting and get a SS braided line to feed your oem lift pump , leave the lift in its original location, then take the return line from the VP and install it to the return port, wire in a level gage to the cab so you can monitor level at all times, OK now buy a small frame mount pump from the local auto store and mount it on the frame by the OEM tank port , hook it up so you can transfer fuel from OEM tank to new Aux tank, If you have no port available for this you can "T" into the return line from the VP. One more step to help out would be to do a SS 8AN line from OEM lift pump to the VP 44... ... ... ... ... ... DUDE you will never be sorry for this bomb... ... ... ... . Kevin



P. S. I cant understand that with all the OEM lift pump problems why others dont do this mod, think of it ... ... ..... with this mod the lift will have Possitive head pressure instead of a Vaccumn In other words why keep trying to make a fuel system work that was doomed before the first one was built!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Powder Extreme]

JJW, I would think there would be a problem with the aux tank overfilling the main tank, but it must work for you as long as you've been using it. The problem I have is the aux tank I'm going to use doesn't have a port on the bottom of the tank. It's an Aerotank spare tire mount unit, that I will eventually get mounted when I have the time, for now I just wanted to strap it into the bed.



Whitmore, Okay, if I follow you, you say to use the aux tank as the main tank and use a pump to supply the aux tank from the OEM tank? I guess if the tank was in the bed all the time gravity might make the fuel flow easier to the lift pump, I'm not sure if it would be under pressure though. My problem is I have a slide in camper, so an in the bed tank won't work. I was just going to set it up that way temporary for my trip to Florida next week. I have already upgraded my fuel lines, now my lift pump will run 50k, instead of 15k.





Has anybody installed an aux tank using a fuel transfer pump?



Jerry