Mounting a Transfer Tank....

[Archive]

Things ARE slow here, but I think I've found the right crowd.



I have been given a beautifully built aluminum fuel transfer tank. It is real quality piece of custom fabrication work. It's 60" long, 18" tall, and 30" wide. It looks great. I took it because it's too nice of a fuel tank to ride in any pickup that isn't Cummins powered.



Question: Do I need to cut my bedliner and let it sit directly on the floor of the bed, or can I install it on top of the bedliner? Is there a "right way" , or is this a personal preference decision?



Thanks all.



BTW. It's not DOT approved, so I won't be plumbing it into the main fuel supply tank. << Legal Disclaimer. >>

 

[QRTRHRS]

TopFuel,



I would drill holes through the liner. If you mount it against the bed, you eventually see rust from the bed surface. The liner will prevent that chafing action. That big cutout would render your liner useless in the future with the tank out. A few holes would be no big deal. I would use fender washers at least under the bed and stainless hardware at that. I don't know how owners with stock beds do it as far as securing to the frame versus just bolting to the bed. Depending on the weight, an "incident" could cause a tank to be ripped free. If you do run a fuel line, use a good quality grommet were you breach the bed too.

 

[baby.driver]

xtra fuel?

I got the 60 gallon tank from Northern Tool and set it on a piece of plywood. I think drilling holes in the liner is the better way for you. For plumbing I rubber hosed it into the filler neck, both drain and vent lines. Ball valve on the drain line. Drilled holes in the filler neck and screwed in 1/4" hose X 1/8"NPT, generously gooped with JBWeld. While I was at it I removed that pesky check valve in the neck.

Works for me!



Jay

 

[BIG BOB]

baby. driver,

Is the tank you got from Northern Tools the combination fuel/tool box? I have been looking at them, either a 60 or 90 gallon. What is the quality of it? Did you look at any other tanks prior to your purchase?

Just wanted to get a comparison on quality verses the Transfer Flow and the Aero tanks.

 

[Bug Out]

Northern fuel tank

I mounted one( 60) in my P/U. Its a good quality tank. I hooked mine to the filler neck. Actually made a insert to the filler neck hose out of plumbing pipe etc. Have a fuel pump built in line too.



Not much tool box area, but a lot of fuel on board!

 

[baby.driver]

Ditto Bug Out

It's the combo box in 60 gal. Tool box is SMALL. Quality is good and the price much better than Aero. Shipping was going to be equal cost, Aero in So. Cal. , the Northern came from Fla. Go figure.

I can't justify the cost of Transfer Flow. My gravity feed is slower, but we're talking what? a thousand dollars difference? Fuel in main tank gets low I pull off and open the ball valve, drive away and maybe a half hour later the tank reads full, pull over again and close valve until next time. It's a winner.



Jay

 

[Archive]

Thanks .......

for the replies. It's great to get some feedback and good advice from Ram owners that "have been there and done that". I looked at a couple of transfer tanks at the campground this weekend.



My Conclusion? I'm going to mount it exactly as Qrtrhrs recommended.



Thanks everyone.

 

[michaelsgreene]

Auxiliary Fuel Tank

I have had a custom tank made up and am about to install it. I was thinking that I would run a hose/valve from the bottom of the aux tank and T it into the main tank vent line. I know that the main tank is sealled since I get a big blast of air whenever I open the cap. I am thinking that this will work kinda like a pet water fixture: as long as the lower tank is full, no more fuel can enter, but when the level drops a little it will allow more fuel to enter.



Any ideas?



Other drivers have installed these tanks, but there use the farm type pumps up on top of the tank with a mini auto shutoff nozzle kinda like at a gas station but littler. This means you have to stop, put the nozzle in the tank and run the pump each time you want to transfer.



Any ideas?



Mike

 

[Midnight]

Your best to check with the DOT and install it correctly so as not to get yourself into any trouble. I believe the siphon style is now illegal.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Mgreen, I think your idea will work but the aux. tank will have to be able to draw in outside air for the fuel to flow. I would use vented type fuel cap on the aux. tank and run a vent line from the vent hose on the main tank to the top of the aux. tank. That is the way I did mine. bg

 

[Deezul1]

I tied mine into the vent line and use an electric pump to transfer fuel, it wont flow fuel with out the pump but I dont think the aux cap is vented so no siphon which works good, no pump no fuel and the pump switch is only hot with the key on so I cant walk away and run fuel all over. 1/2 copper pipe works well in the vent line.

 

[baby.driver]

Siphon?

mgreene:

look in my first post and see I use TWO lines, one from the drain of the aux and one from the vent of the aux, BOTH going to the filler neck on the truck. No outside air involved = no dirt inside.

If you leave the valve open, during bumps and turns etc. it seems to me you run the possibility of over filling the main tank. I don't know that however, could be ok.



Jay

 

[juicedcummins]

BE carefull how you plum it!If you leave it gravity into main all the time you may run into problems. I've seen this on manual GM's. You can do it on them if you move return line to the top of auxilary tank. It really plays with the timing if return is left on bottom tank. This might not be as bad with the mighty cummins but it could be hard on lift pumps. An elec lift pump as a tansfer pump into vent works good. Mine is rigged with a dual tank switch like the old chevs. My gauge also switches when I switch tanks. Don't forget that you need a vent for aux tank. I used a 3/8 inline gas filter under box rail. Hope this helps.

 

[LarryB]

I have three tanks. I bought tank switching valves from the local autoparts(Stewert Warner $45ea). These switch the feed line, return line and gauge all with one switch. Two toggle switches and the stock gauge do it all. Top switch changes from front to rear. Bottom switch changes between rear tanks. Complete fuel management from the drivers seat. No worries about accidental overflow. Works flawlessly, I highly recommend it.



Larry

 

[RedRamer]

Larryb

Those switched valves, are they dual to handle both feed and return at the same time. If so, what's a part # for e'm?

thanks

 

[LarryB]

Yep, both the feed and return, plus the gauge wire, all with one switch. You have 6 hose connections and 5 wire connections to make. I had to use two of these valves because of three tanks so I've got a bunch of hose clamps, connectors and stuff but it works great. Come to think of it, It's made by Borg Warner, not Stewert Warner. Borg Warner part number is #FSV2A.



This is not a great picture but better than nothing. This one only switches the feed and gauge but looks similar to the one you want.



Larry

 

[John]

Re: Auxiliary Fuel Tank

Originally posted by michaelsgreene

I know that the main tank is sealed since I get a big blast of air whenever I open the cap.

Mike, this is not a normal condition! I see that you have a '98 12v. On most (if not all) early '98. 5 24v equipped Rams, CC (then, DC now) left the red (red/orange color) rollover caps on the fuel tank sending unit nipples. Some Dodge dealers caught the error and removed the caps prior to customer delivery (mine did ... although at the time I sure was curious as to where that little rubber cap came from that was sitting in the bed of my Ram... it wasn't there when my truck was first unloaded from the transport truck). Anyway, this little error caused all kinds of driveability problems, in fact, several Rammers experienced such incredible fuel suction that the fuel tanks actually collapsed (partially).



If I were you I'd crawl under your Ram and check to see if the red/orange rollover cap is still on your rollover valve. This can be viewed by sticking your head up between the outside sheetmetal and the frame, ahead of the rear tire (you will more than likely need a flashlight)... the rollover valve is on top of the fuel sending module.

 

[RedRamer]

I'll ditto that. I changed my lift pump last year this time.

Past summer I fixed my sending unit and found the small red cap still on the sending unit.

I think the cap caused too much suction which eventually lead to the pump failure.



btw, thanks LarryB for that part number.