Gas tanks..16 and 20 gallon both fit?..

[diesel4me]

I'm wondering if a 16 gallon tank will bolt up in place of a 20 gallon on my '82 K2500 ,8 foot stepside with 131.5" WB,6.2..
I know a gasoline version tank is the same as diesel...none of the listings in catalogs say if the 16 or 20 gallon tanks are interchangeable --I'm going to be doing some searching ,just want to know what my options are--I think I may have a lead on a brand new unused 16 gallon tank..

If I have too I'll booty fab a friggin 15 gallon oil drum to the bed ,I dont care what holds my fuel as long as it dont LEAK!..

 

[sweetk30]

the tank is same shape / and same brackets to frame .

I think just the back end / filler tubes is shorter if I recall .

most I would see done is redrill few holes to keep the back end in same spot and move the front bracket back on the frame .

 

[campfire]

I have seen at least one (I'm thinking multiple) LWB trucks with 16-gallon tanks. IIRC, the tank was situated fully forward with a long filler neck hose coming out the rear (like I did to get around the spare tire on my step-side).

I haven't tried to fit a 16-gallon tank like you're considering, but I don't see any issues looming. Along with sweetk30, I would also vote to put it fully back and use the same filler setup you have. Sounds easy enough (famous last words).

 

[diesel4me]

I see in LMC's listings they note some LWB trucks came with 16 gallon tanks..
Mine had two 20 gallon tanks..guess the original buyer wanted to drive cross country without stopping for fuel?..

Good to know if I do go for a 16 gallon one,I can likely bolt it up,I might have to drill 4 holes--I can handle that I guess...
...the stepside fenders are roached where the fuel filler doors are --or should say WERE,on the passenger side--the door litteraly came off in my hand ,and the filler neck's plastic thing that mounts it to the fender had no place to screw too any more,its rotted to death,even the patch I welded around the fender is rotted...

So I put a GMC mud flap over the gaping hole in the fender with self drilling screws,so mud wont get flung at the cab....so much for having a tank on the passenger side any more....sucks,because the sending unit for that side works--drivers side one is junk,and you cant swap them..the drivers side fender at the gas filler door is about ready to crumble and come off too..its been patched up and still is ready to fail..salt was real strong this winter..

I'll probably buy a new gas tank and use a brand new sending unit I had for a similar truck that wasn't a diesel..it'll work,but I wont have a "water in fuel" sensor any more...boo-freaking hoo,it never worked right anyway,said it had water in the fuel when there was none..

Because of the bed being so poor,I'm debating whether to even keep the stepside bed on it any more,the thing is just so punky,the wood in the bed is gone ,and the steps are really getting weak,even after putting diamond plate aluminum running board sections over them...I put a plate of aluminum diamond plate over the wood floor but it stops short ,right at the tool box,I had to put sheet metal under the tool box because the boards were completely gone there,and stuff could fall out of the bed..

I'm tempted to resurect the old flatbed I had on my 77 GMC with the electric crane and make the truck more usefull as far as carrying stuff easier--but the whole truck is suck a pile now,its probably not worth the effort,and I'm not up to the heavy labor involved...

I saw a better truck than mine for sale locally on CL for 750 bucks,its a K10 though..1987...almost a twin to my Suburban..same paint ,two tone dark blue /silver with a red pinstripe..its no prize either really,its next stop is the scrapyard,but its body,nose and fenders and frame,even the fleetside bed aren't that bad,and it runs..makes me wonder if I'm wasting my breath and money keeping this one......no matter what I do,its going to be a lot of work,fixing this truck,the Burb,my van,they are all about equally screwed up...