Changing fuel sending unit on saddle tank

[Fastereddie]

Alright, I’m getting ready to change out the sending unit on a saddle tank. It’s been so long since I’ve done a truck apparently I can’t remember the best way to go about it. I thought I remembered pulling the bed, but looks like it’s under the cab. So if I drop the tank, I can’t see how to disconnect the lines at the sending unit.

Pull bed back to access lines, then drop tank to remove sender? I can’t believe I don’t remember. Must be brain fog. Or old age haha.

 

[cheavyk10]

The the soft gas lines between the sending unit and hard lines are super short, if you drop the tank you have to reach up in there and disconnect them which is a super PITA.
After doing that once all I did was add about a foot and a half of soft line and coil it around itself when I put it back together to make it easier for dropping the tank next time.
I have never taken off the bed for this work.

 

[SpeedlabDan]

That's a good tip bc it's a definite pita

 

[mrk5]

Can you get the lines off from the frame side? On my 73 that was possible, but I don't think it was on the 89 crew cab. That could also be a difference of single or dual tank setups because the 73 has just 1 tank.



On the crew cab, I've had trouble with the return line wanting to kink. I ended up putting stainless braided on to stop that. Like @cheavyk10 mentioned, you can add some slack with new lines.

I use a HF low profile trans jack to raise and lower the tank. Unbolt the brackets from the frame. The 73 had captive nuts but the crew cab didn't. I had to buy a long 9/16" combo wrench for holding the upper nuts.

 

[Fastereddie]

Can you get the lines off from the frame side? On my 73 that was possible, but I don't think it was on the 89 crew cab. That could also be a difference of single or dual tank setups because the 73 has just 1 tank.

View attachment 402381

On the crew cab, I've had trouble with the return line wanting to kink. I ended up putting stainless braided on to stop that. Like @cheavyk10 mentioned, you can add some slack with new lines.

I use a HF low profile trans jack to raise and lower the tank. Unbolt the brackets from the frame. The 73 had captive nuts but the crew cab didn't. I had to buy a long 9/16" combo wrench for holding the upper nuts.

No, this gal only has one tank also, but three steel lines that extend over top of the frame to the tank sending unit. The connection hoses are only about 4” long. Luckily I am replacing the sender so I just yanked the front of the tank down really hard and it disconnected itself haha.
I will definitely just do a loop of hose when I reinstall it.
I’m pretty sure last time I did this the bed was off and I was able to make the connections under the cab.

 

[Fastereddie]

This should facilitate easier connections

 

[Fastereddie]

Seemed to work well. Was able to make all the connections with the tank on the ground. Lifted it up and started the bolts. Made sure the hoses stayed happy and tightened up.