Please help, replacing side tank on pickup

[Mastiff]

This has got to be the most god awful miserable job I've done in quite some time. It seemed like it would be so easy. This is for an 86 CUCV, but the tank setup is the same as any 86 pickup.

Anyway, here's my question: when raising the tank, how do you attach the fuel lines so they don't bind and kink up when you raise it the rest of the way? I swear I attached them (sending unit to steel lines) with very little slack and with it raised as high as possible so that my arms could barely fit in there. Even so, after raising it up (and attaching all the bolts, of course) the lines are seriously kinked up. It's like you have to have the box off the truck to do this job or something. What's the trick?

Added: I didn't mention that I'm using new fuel line, so I have to decide how short to make them. I had to destroy the originals to get the tank down. The problem is that I'm making them too long I guess, but if I make them any shorter, I don't know how I'll get them connected.

 

[big83chevy4x4]

i put the front bracket on and let the tank wedge up against the cab and then hook the lines up. its a PITA but its doable. the rubber lines are only about 5-6" long, any longer and they will kink.

 

[Mastiff]

Hmm. I'll give it another shot (no choice anyway), but man is it tight in there, and I'm a skinny guy. My arms would barely fit between the tank and frame. Part of the problem is that this is a new replacement tank and the seams are sticking out further.

I'm kind of tempted to just cut down the steel lines so they end more towards the middle of the truck, then attach longer rubber and connect it after the tank is in place.

That, or consider this a sign that it's time to replace the box.

 

[R72K5]

lol i dunno you just do it somehow

i always remove the frame bolts and drop tank with the brackets and straps and all i dont touch all that stuff, ever

s-10s are real fun with the lines and hoses also, its crazy

 

[Mastiff]

i always remove the frame bolts and drop tank with the brackets and straps and all i dont touch all that stuff, ever

Hehe. Well, the whole point this time was to replace the tank and straps, so... Getting the straps on turned out to be a super huge PITA too. The one on the fat end of the tank just doesn't really reach. But that's another story.

I'll figure it out somehow. I'm just all out of cuss words, I used 'em all up yesterday.

Maybe I'm making life harder with the wormgear clamps. Do you guys use the springy ones? I'm not sure which is worse to do blind with one hand.

 

[sweetk30]

try going threw the top of the frame and body area.

 

[Mastiff]

I'm thinking this is not possible. I cut the lines down to the original length and there is just no way in hell my hands can fit up there while the lines are in reach of the steel lines.

My wife is about to have me institutionalized because I haven't stopped cussing for two days.

I think I'm going to give up and run about 6 feet of rubber lines over to the other side of the body where there is currently a short length of rubber already. I'll just bypass the existing steel line going across.

I don't know why this is so much harder for me than everyone else. I've heard the CUCV frame is stouter, maybe it's taller so I have less clearance. That plus the fact that the new tank seems to be wider at the seams.

The idea for using more rubber hose should be fine as long as I protect it from chafing and stuff. I'll get some wire loom for the points where it crosses the frame and stuff.

 

[big83chevy4x4]

are you putting the rubber hose on the tank then trying to hook it to the truck? or to the truck and trying to hook it to the tank? i don;t think its posible to do the last one, even with the bed off.

i use the worm gear clamps, ive never had any luck with the spring clamps.

im a big guy and i can get my arms up over the frame and reach sending unit easily with no body lift on my truck.

AFAIK the cucv is the same as any 1 ton frame. they both are taller than a 1/2 and 3/4 ton, but its at the bottom, not the top.

 

[DERBINATOR]

I just put one in yesterday on an 85 1 ton creww and I think the swear words are still echoing in my shop. I don't think it is possible to put them back in. I finally cut the matal lines on the truck and ran about 12" of rubber hose to were I could get to them. DONE!!! Sit back and wash mouth out with beer!!!

 

[RootBreaker]

considering there is 8 bolts on the bed.. I would unbolt the bed and move it out of the way.... just my 2 cents.. I have done it without doing that but it is a pita!!!!

 

[pvfjr]

I just put one in yesterday on an 85 1 ton creww and I think the swear words are still echoing in my shop. I don't think it is possible to put them back in. I finally cut the matal lines on the truck and ran about 12" of rubber hose to were I could get to them. DONE!!! Sit back and wash mouth out with beer!!!

That's what I did. So much easier. I'd quit wasting your time struggling and just make it easy on yourself.

 

[kennyw]

I've always just taken the 10-15 minutes to remove the bed first. A lot easier than trying to fight all of the lines into place.