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aluminum gas tank

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  4 Jaw Chuck 
#1 ·
found an aluminum almost complete tank in the welding shop @ the school where i work. measures 2.5(h) ft x 3.0(w) ft x 2.0(d)ft. 1/8th inch thick, has one side(2.5x3.0) not welded on. I was wondering if you guy's with more knowledge on metallurgy (or maybe just have more common sense than me) think about turning this into a gas tank. I removed the stock in cab tank and haven't yet decided what to replace it with. that aluminum shore was purty.(fuel cell purty)(thought about that too, not totally dismissed yet.) would I need to seal it with something chemical in nature? (tank sealer) or if it's welded good, would that be necessary? what do you think? any suggestions on a good donor tank? going in a 72 F250 if it matters....
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#2 ·
offhand it seems a little too big... 15 cubic feet, something like 8 gallons to the cubic foot if i remember correctly (which i probably don't, but it's somewhere around there)... means 120 gallons. think aquarium size, and waay too much gasoline vapor. maybe cut the sides down? or install a new tank or fuel cell inside it? fuel cell inside kinda defeats the point though. :-/... i'd go with cutting the sides down (the nonwelded sides, i mean). you could also look into stainless or alum. stock replacement tanks, they're starting to make them for older rods mostly. good luck!
-z-
 
#3 ·
7.48 gallons per cubic ft makes your tank hold 112 gallons, leaving 6 inches head space (for expansion and offgassing) and you have 90 gallons capacity.

Thats a big tank! You will have to seal the tank with fuel tank primer or water and ethanol fuels will attack the aluminum.

Didn't your truck come with dual tanks? You could get rid of one of them with this monster! Don't forget vents and a pickup plus a gauge and sender and a cap, it all adds up quickly.

Might need some new springs to hold this puppy up! Planning on driving to Alaska non-stop? :D
 
#5 ·
hadn't figured on capacity, but that would surely get me to el paso though. truck originally had an in cab mounted tank, @ 20 gallons, thought about welding some diamond plate up to enclose the old tank in the bed, but..... was gonna cut the aluminum down to the same height as the original tank and use the original sender...original tank has no vents...(wheres that gas smell coming from?) if i used the stock pump, there wouldn't need to be a return would there? but i think a fuel cell with a sender would be the best way to go but $$$$$ maybe I'll see one at a swap meet or something. Hey 4jaw, you should see the hole in my intake!!!!!!! somethings just don't look natural ya know what i mean?
 
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