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Higher capacity fuel tank??

Elbow Joe

By Elbow Joe
in Modifications, Wheels & Tires

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bruincounselor
bruincounselor

Posting an install update:   About Me: Mid-50’s desk jockey. Above average mechanical skill, mostly on motorcycles so I’m used to standing up and relatively easy access to things. I mad

bruincounselor
bruincounselor

Weekend update on the install: Everything seems to doing fine! I will likely fill the tank to the brim later this week; I added another 10 gallons without drama. It's weird watching the range mon

bruincounselor
bruincounselor

LRA is importing them and they are on sale: https://longrangeamerica.com/product/chevrolet-silverado-1500-dual-cabcrew-cab-short-bed---50-gallon-replacement   I have one on order and wi

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  • 1 month later...
bruincounselor Enthusiast

bruincounselor

Posted
Posted
18 hours ago, Bikerjon said:

Has anyone actually installed a bigger tank?

Mine showed up earlier this week. I'll be installing it next month. It arrived on a long pallet and was wrapped in foam and strapped to the pallet. They called me before shipping to make sure I was ready to receive it.  I have the longer box, so I'm told I will need to fabricate a bracket.

 

I will report back later.

Transient Senior Enthusiast

Transient

Posted
Posted

Tempted.  Following.  Imagining the shrieking from my wife when she sees how much it cost to fill the task.  My reply will simply be, "It lasts more then twice as long, so I'll be saving time by not going to the gas station every week. 

  • 3 weeks later...
bruincounselor Enthusiast

bruincounselor

Posted
Posted

Posting an install update:

 

About Me:

Mid-50’s desk jockey. Above average mechanical skill, mostly on motorcycles so I’m used to standing up and relatively easy access to things. I made the swap on the floor in my heated garage. Rear of truck on jack stands. Me on a creeper on my back - whole job done solo.

 

About the truck: 2022 Silverado 6.2 4WD Crew, 6.5’ box (the larger one) - this makes a difference.

 

The tank arrived very well wrapped on a long and skinny pallet. Save yourself a few bucks and have it delivered to a friend's business address. It was light enough to load manually with 2 people. My wife helped me get it out of the pickup when I brought it home.

 

It is a very high quality tank. The welds are great and all the mounts are clearly laid out with precision. The hardware kit is fairly complete (with a few exceptions noted below).

 

The install:

Removal of the factory tank was relatively painless. Get familiar with all the ways that the fuel and vent lines disconnect - there are at least three different varieties used and you can’t always see them (Thanks GM).

 

Relocating the hardware to the new tank was also relatively painless. A couple of trouble spots for me:

  1. I didn’t have a ¼ BSP Tap for the pressure control valve plug. BSP isn’t something you get at the hardware store in the US. Order one in advance or I used a ¼” NPT plug and tap and it seems to work fine.

  2. Swapping the float arm was painless, except it would be easy to break the plastic mount if you aren’t careful. Be ready to replace the sender if you break it. I did have a lot of trouble peening the end to hold the float/washer on the end - It isn’t soft wire and I didn’t have the tools to do it. A spot of JB weld saved the day.

  3. Also (not trouble): The sender gasket sent with the kit is thinner than the factory gasket. Spend the $12 to get a new one from your FLAPS. You don’t want to go back in there later.

 

Have some Red Rubber Grease, dielectric grease, blue Loctite, and thread sealant/Teflon handy.

 

Installing the tank:

It’s a VERY tight fit and will require rotation in addition to elevating it to get it into position. The barb on the right would probably be easier left off until the tank is in place and would buy you some room (it’s that tight), it will be easy to put in and connect after the tank is in. Watch the fill to ensure it clears the frame or it will get damaged.

I used a motorcycle center lift on wheels and it worked very well for the job, stopping ½ way (dropped on jack stands) to rotate and re adjust the balance point.

 

Re-connecting the three electrical plugs was painless - put dielectric grease on all plugs to help them glide together and keep out the dust. There are six hose connections to make as the tank goes up - most aren’t too bad. My fuel line interferes with the tank slightly - I have a pad in there now and I will keep an eye on it for wear. I may have to lower the tank and adjust it slightly later (may be related to the longer box?).

 

I put 5 gallons in today at home and added another 5 at the gas station - the range now shows ~60 miles, which is about ½ what it really might be.

 

I have not filled the tank yet - I need to get some miles on before I feel confident enough with my install to put that much in; I do not want to drop the tank full or have to find a place for 50 gallons of gas on short notice.

 

The directions are made for folks who do this kind of work and are familiar with the venting on a modern gas tank. I spent some time scratching my head to make sense on a few occasions - better to take your time and get it right the first time. They say it’s a 6 hour job - I’m guessing I spent ~12 hours on the job in total over three days. I think I could do it in about 7-8 hours the second time. A vehicle lift would have saved me some time,  body aches and make it easier to access the belly.

 

Additional notes for folks with the 6.5’ box (ignore if you have the shorter box the tank is “made” for):

  • No need to relocate the separator canister - it will fit in the stock position (I did it anyway as I didn’t know). Save yourself the time and trouble.

  • You will need a longer ⅝” vent hose to connect to the canister. I used ~7’ - know this before you put the tank in place! buy 8' and cut it at the cannister end once the tank is installed.

  • I used 2 18”x2"x3/8” steel plates and M10 grade 8 bolts to make the front bracket. I think it’s plenty sturdy.

  • Otherwise it’s essentially the same underneath.

 

I will post updates as I use the truck.

I will add a few photos too.

 

I'm not sure why my paste is bold. Sorry.

  • Like 3
bruincounselor Enthusiast

bruincounselor

Posted
Posted (edited)

On the right is the 5/8" hose that caused a minor issue later because it was too short, also note the galvanized 1/4' NPT plug in the sender and the barb on the left of this photo (this is the problematic right barb you can probably install later):

20250316_154227.thumb.jpg.1166bd8ecc1832917051759cb7ff8fee.jpg

 

No-weld bracket:

20250317_181042.thumb.jpg.f1fa342b292d5346d82483725d7c9ffc.jpg

Edited by bruincounselor
  • Like 1
bruincounselor Enthusiast

bruincounselor

Posted
Posted (edited)

Size comparison:

20250315_143021.thumb.jpg.f406ac5b6c5a449531b16632eaf433e6.jpg

 

The website keeps flipping this upside down, I assure you I did this install in the traditional orientation :

20250317_181022.thumb.jpg.1a3e7fb9b74b346976b257a20bc199c4.jpg

Edited by bruincounselor
  • Like 1
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bruincounselor Enthusiast

bruincounselor

Posted
Posted

Weekend update on the install:

Everything seems to doing fine! I will likely fill the tank to the brim later this week; I added another 10 gallons without drama. It's weird watching the range monitor move at 1/2 speed. That is the only change that I notice - no wind noise, the tank fills at the same rate (no venting issues)without shutting off the pump handle, the tank is tucked up in the stock location - nobody will ever notice it.

 

The owner of Long Range America called me to talk about my experience. They are working on more weekend warrior friendly instructions, a kit with bracket for installs in the long box, and addressing the BSP tap issue. He seemed quite impressed that I was able to get the tank in working on the floor. I appreciate that this is a company that seems very customer oriented and wants to make purchasing and post purchase experiences as great as they can. All my communication with them has been top notch; prepurchase questions answered quickly, shipping conversation, and post installation.

 

Feel free to reach out in this thread if you have questions or concerns.

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