48 - 53 Dodge Truck Reproduction Fuel Tank Project

[Bradley S.]

Hello all;

 

It's real cold here now and I am getting bored.  I need a winter engineering project.  I was thinking about what it would take to get a reproduction fuel tank for our 48 - 53 Dodge trucks made.  That might be an interesting winter project.

 

That said, do any of you guys have an old worthless tank that I could use as a pattern?  As long as all the dimensions are there, I don't care how many holes are in it.  Let me know if you have one and what you would want for it, plus shipping to Fox Lake, IL.

 

I would also be interested in your opinion on whether a repro tank should be metal or plastic.  Also, my thinking is to go with the 5 hole sending unit mount rather than the stock locking ring type mount. What do you think?  Maybe is is possible to somehow make an adapter so either could be used.  If you have any technical data on the dimensions on the original locking ring sending unit mount and locking ring let me know (see attached).  I can get the dimensions for the 5 hole mount off of a modern sending unit. 

 

OK, just looked for the JC Whiney universal sending unit pn 1JA 128525 and it is no longer there.  This look similar to the one I installed:

 

http://www.jcwhitney.com/equus-direct-fit-fuel-sending-unit/p3040431.jcwx?skuId=6875803&filterid=d51471y1948g2u0j1

 

 

Anyway, just a thought. and I am sure I wil be overwhelmed at the cost to try to do this, but it's a long winter and there is definitely a need for a repro tank. 

 

Brad

[Ram Man 02]

very interesting...

[48Dodger]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Did you see the thread I did about what's inside?

48D

http://p15-d24.com/topic/21715-1950-ph-gas-tanka-look-inside/?hl=%2Bbuilding+%2Bbonneville

[JBNeal]

ya gotta be careful with JCW nowadays with their on-line applications on vintage vehicles...I did some checking on the Equus 9982 sending unit and it showed to match gauge 7362 & gauge 8362.  These gauges have listed specifications of 0 ohms @ E, 90 ohms @ F.  The Tanks, Inc. sending unit has listed specifications of 78 ohms @ E, 10 ohms @ F, which is closer to the OE units.  I picked up a couple of Tanks, Inc. units a few months ago to do the modification using 10 yr old failed Roberts units, and the Tanks, Inc. units look similar to the JCW units made by Datcon that cost about $20 a few years ago.

Edited December 8, 2013 by JBNeal

[41/53dodges]

I myself am a huge advocate for plastic tanks, seeing as they never rot. I also think a more universal sender mount like a 5 bolt would be good. if I needed a tank I would be in line for one!

[Bradley S.]

All;

 

Thanks for the information.  Todd wrote me and has a tank I can use as a pattern.  Good excuse to drive up and see him. 

 

Let's see where this goes!

 

Brad

[bach4660]

here are the dimensions, the diagonal corners is not factory as straightlines are easier than rounded curves (for me to make that is)

Edited December 8, 2013 by bach4660

[Bradley S.]

More good info, thanks!

[RodFru2u]

I'd be interested in what you come up with in plastic too, I've got an aftermarket fuel box where my spare should go. Have the tire hanger and bracket just need a space to keep it.  Here's to a successful  winter project, Rod

[JBNeal]

BTW Tanks Inc. has recently started selling a reproduction tank they say is close to fitting the B-series

[Dave72dt]

I'm always a bit skeptical when a vender says "close".  I just received some trunk drops for my current project the vender tagged as correct.  6 to 8 inches too long couple inches too high and about 4 inches too wide is what I got.  A response from the vender when questioned said the were correct for the car.  I expected to trim some but these weren't in the neighborhood.  It doesn't take any more work to make a part correctly than it does to make it close.

[Young Ed]

Dave in this case they are close because they are designed for a 39-47 pickup.

[HanksB3B]

Dave in this case they are close because they are designed for a 39-47 pickup.

 

It would sure be nice if they made one specifically to fit our Pilothouse Trucks.  They look like fine workmanship.

 

 

 

Hank 

Edited December 10, 2013 by HanksB3B

[Dave72dt]

Are they accurate for the 39-47 trucks?

[NiftyFifty]

Pretty sure with ease the 39-47 tank will fit. I have a good 47 tank and sure looked like it would fit about the same as my stock 50, I had a custom one made but if I had owned this tank I would have used it at the time.

[hackett1950]

i recently purchased the 39-47 tank from tanks inc. and installed it in my 1950 b2c. i simply took the rear gas tank bracket off and moved it to the holes that are placed in the frame right next to its current location. this has to done because the 39-47 tank is about an inch shorter. was very pleased with the tank although it did not come with the filler neck or the block off plate like is shown in the picture. 

[JBNeal]

Did ya contact Tanks Inc. about them missing pieces?  What did ya do about putting a filler neck on the new tank?

[kenaroo2002]

I replaced tank on 49 B1C with Tanks INC 39-47 tank. moved rear bracket foreward, and had new filler tube bent at local muffler shop . cut end for gas cap off and welded to new filler pipe. Very pleased with the way it turned out. Exchanged a few emails with Tanks Inc and they were very helpful.

[Guest gdaddypaul]

It's been quite some time since this thread and, as I may need a new tank for my '51 B3B, I'm curious about how things turned out. Any updates?

Thanks,

Paul

[ruff1148kr]

I put the tanks inc tank the 39-47 model on my 1948  pilothouse, very close but the tank does not have the slight hump on the top of the tank the old one did, so it does not come as close to the cab floor as the original using stock mounting, hence the hole in the floor had to be cut a little so the filler neck could mate up at the new angle. My tank did come with the top spout but they did send one in the wrong diamater spout at first but then they corrected the problem. Good company to deal with finish on tank was nice.

[fstc]

Anyone have a recommendation on a plastic tank that can be modified to fit in a pilothouse?

[JBNeal]

additional information - Tanks Inc. W-series tank mounting modifications

 

additional information - DCM B-series (48-52) tank reproduction

 

additional information - moparpro B-series (48-52) tank reproduction

 

Michael Warshaw was on FB developing the B-series tank, so the DCM version may be the ones he's stamping out...and yeah, thanks to some confusing communications on FB that included me getting invited to a FB old car group then put on probation without warning for a month then kicked out of the group for unspecified reasons and blocked by MW,  I too have a Michael Warshaw story...caveat emptor 

[JBNeal]

additional information - Fuel Tank Installation for Pilot-House Express and Chassis Cab Trucks

[Jocko_51_B3B]

I recently bought one of the new reproduction gas tanks. I repainted it silver and installed it on my 51 B3B. That's when I found out these tanks are NOT exact reproductions as advertised. At first glance they look perfectly accurate but the difference becomes clear when you go to connect the fuel line. My original factory tank from Dodge has an inverted flare female fitting. (See the photo below.) The flare is convex. It points outward. The flare on the new repro tanks is not an inverted flare fitting. It is concave and points inward. My fuel line has a regular double flare that mates perfectly with my old tank but is polar opposite to the flare on the repro tank. There is no way it will seal. For this reason these tanks should not be advertised as exact reproductions. They are not. Now I need to find a brass fitting that combines a convex male 45 degree flare on one end (to screw into the repro tank) with a female inverted flare on the other end (to connect to my fuel line fitting). I spent time looking for such a fitting today but no luck. Looks like I'll be making phone calls on Monday. 

 

Below is the inverted flare fuel line connection on my original Dodge tank. It fits my 45 degree double flared fuel line correctly and makes a good seal. The repro tank flare points inward which is opposite to the flare of my fuel line fitting. I couldn't get a good picture of the repro tank because it is installed on the truck right now.

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by Jocko_51_B3B
better wording

[Merle Coggins]

It sounds like they used the car type fitting on the tanks. Some of the earlier cars used that type of connection. You’ll need a small adapter spool. I’m not sure where you’ll find one, but this has come up several times over on the car side of the forum. You can try contacting the tank supplier to see if they have them.