Modification of Quigley Diesel Tan?

[carringb]

Originally Posted by jage

So if you start on a severe slope your fuel gauge would register incorrectly until you shut down?

No, I haven't noticed that. But it can be slow to come back up. So maybe it just doesn't register fast enough to rely on a switch to do a transfer setup? Regardless, mine's a gasser, and with the corn lobbyists trying to sneak E15 into our tanks, I'd rather have a built-in spare fuel pump anyways. Sometimes I'll see a rash of fuel pump failures at work, and it makes me suspicious that more the 10% ethanol is already being snuck in sometimes. And doing a fuel pump on these vans is definitely not a side-of-the-road repair.

[carringb]

Originally Posted by TroySmith80

Great info, thanks. My rear axle capacity is rated at over 6,000 lbs, and the current weight on the rear axles is around 3,700 if i remember right. So i've got quite a bit of capacity there. Although, you said it was the tires that would be the limiting factor, which is a good point. A good LR:E tire should yield about 7,000 for the axle as well. So the 341 lbs of a 55 gal tank doesn't seem to awful. Granted, it is behind the axle, so it's going to add more than 341 to the axle weight.

Anyway, if i were to go junkyard hunting for these 35/55 gal tanks, would i be looking only for RVs and boxvans, or are there other rigs these came on? I wonder if junkyard F-series tanks could be used easily, or for that matter, GM or Dodge truck/van tanks? I guess some time on my back with a tape measure may be in my future...

I can't tell from your pic, but it looks like maybe you have stock size tires? Those are only good for about 6,000 pounds/axle. And don't forget the tank and brackets will add some weight too. I think 500 pounds total is the least I would plan for.

But yeah, I'd stick with an E-series cutaway (or stripped chassis, used in some FedEx/UPS/similar style trucks) as the donor, then you can take all the brackets, lines, wiring with it. Some yards may even just cut out the entire section of frame containing the tank, so it would make it really easy to have all the parts needed in one trip.

I'd also stick with the same powertrain (gas vs diesel) because I think the openings are not the same between the two tanks. And on the gas motors, you'll also need to upgrade the charcoal canister capacity. For this, the tanks vent lines can be teed together, and the canisters can be put in series. I think each canister is good for about 40 gallons of capacity. I'm not sure what happens if you don't do this, but Ford does have a bulletin regarding upping fuel capacity (it may be nothing more than a EPA compliance issue).

But.... I have learned the 55-gallon tanks are hard to come by. I was checking B&R regularly for a while, and they go out as fast as they come it, so for some reason they are a hot item.

[TroySmith80]

Originally Posted by carringb

But.... I have learned the 55-gallon tanks are hard to come by. I was checking B&R regularly for a while, and they go out as fast as they come it, so for some reason they are a hot item.

Bummer, that will make it hard for me. Living over in Bend, there is very little salvage here. Generally i would take a day to go junkyarding in Portland, and it's not something i can do frequently. So i just have to hope that on the day that i'm there, i'll get lucky and they'll have what i'm after.

A 35 combined with the 20 I already have would be enough, and better weight distribution, just more of a pain in the ass to install, fill and use...


I do have stock size tires right now... I hope to go to something bigger, if the ol 5.8 will push that giant top through the air on bigger tires. We'll see. I was perusing Tirerack.com and most of the E-rated tires i was looking at were rated at just over 3400 lbs/tire.

[carringb]

BTW - Ford does have a rear fuel door kit. It's listed for wheelchair van conversions.

[MtnVan]

My 2000 Quigley Extended van has dual 28 gallon tanks with the second tank sitting behind the rear axle and still leaving enough room for the underfloor storage. It's a Transfer Flow set-up. The system works well and having 56 gallons is nice except when i have to pay for a fill-up. I wonder if Transfer Flow still sells those tanks?

-Marc
2000 EB50 Q4x4 PSD MTN VAN

[carringb]

Originally Posted by MtnVan

My 2000 Quigley Extended van has dual 28 gallon tanks with the second tank sitting behind the rear axle and still leaving enough room for the underfloor storage. It's a Transfer Flow set-up. The system works well and having 56 gallons is nice except when i have to pay for a fill-up. I wonder if Transfer Flow still sells those tanks?

-Marc
2000 EB50 Q4x4 PSD MTN VAN

Transferflow still sells the 28-gallon rear tank, but only to Mobility up-fitters (like wheelchair van makers). I'm not aware that TF ever made a 28-gallon front tank. Usually Quigley crops the OE tank.

I'm pretty sure the cutaway 35-gallon still leaves space for storage. But from pics I've seen it does hang slightly lower than the TF tank. Could be an issue on 2wd, but I think it won't be an issue on the 4x4 or lifted vans.

[TroySmith80]

On junkyard sites i'm seeing at least 3 types of fuel tank listed, the ones that interest me are called:
cutaway 35 gal
cutaway 53 gal
exc. cutaway

Many sites list them as that, or something very close to that. Anybody have any idea what the "exc. cutaway" tank is?

[Ford_6L_E350]

Except Cutaway. Meaning normal vans not chassis cabs.

Mike

[TroySmith80]

oh, so that would probably be the one i want then, right?

Thanks

[Ford_6L_E350]

That's right.

Mike