Incab Gas Tank!! Is it safe?

[ibme]

Hi all....
I have 1972 F250 and it has one of those gas tanks behind the seat. Now keep in mind I'm a smoker! and the last thing I need to happen is NOT to die of cancer, but by a large fiery explosive death! I'm thinkin bout removing the thing, I only use the truck for driving around town and stuff and really don't need the 18 gallons the extra tank provides. But before I venture off into removing something that could blow up I thought I would ask some of you experts about what I would need to do to get the thing out with out burnin up.
Thanks..
Marc

[FORDification]

At the very least you should replace the fuel tank filler hose and the filler neck grommet. That will eliminate in-cab fumes which could cause problems. Make sure you use hose made for fuel transfer, and not something like a chunk of radiator hose...it won't hold up.

If you're thinking about removing the tank and going with something else, then you need to read this for some options:

Fuel Tank Discussion & Options - a 2-page tutorial with information on factory fuel tank setups options for removing the in-cab tank

(By the way, please don't post your e-mail address in your posts. It only encourages e-mail harvesting bots to scour the forums looking for food....which tends to really drag down the system when they're doing their thing. It's for your protection AND ours.)

[ibme]

Thanks Keith.. I will read up, And had no idea bout the email thing.
Thanks..
Marc

[ibme]

Hi Keith..
I just read the gas tak info in the link you posted. Lot's of Info there but there is no info on if there is anything speacial I need to know about before I get rid of it. Like do I just cut the wires cap them, Do I have to disconnect the tank from the switch? If you can thing of anything let me know..
Thanks for your help..
Marc

[72hiboy4x4]

fold the wires in 1/2 and tape them up tight.
if you have a rear tank, you probably don't have a fuel sending unit in it. so you will have to modify one somehow. (search the forums, its been discussed)
Remove the hard line, and disconnect the hose from the switch. or better yet, take the switch out completely, so there won't be an accidental problem when the switch gets moved.
then you will have to deal with the hole in the cab wall.

actually, after re-reading your post, it sounds like your under the impression that the in-cab tank is the aux. tank. it is actually the stock tank, and the one under your truck is the aux. tank.

[68F250]

What are you doing, flicking your ashes into the filler?

As long as nothing's leaking, I wouldn't worry about it. Hollywood likes to show vehicles exploding for the dumbest of reasons but there's no history of our trucks being more fire-prone than other vehicles like the Pinto. In-cab tanks had been around for a long time, when a lot more people smoked.

[acemang]

As long as the tank can vent (fumes dont build up) there is no more of a danger than with the tank under the truck. Since knowing that you smoke, I would just make sure the tank is well vented. not those ridiculous pressure caps either which lock fumes in.

[tsherry]

OK, stupid question here. My 'free' '67 is a camper special and had the in-cab tank removed, now running only off of the aux. tank. Could you explain to me what the dash switch does (or in my case, did); and is there no sending unit in the aux tank? Also, my truck has a floor-mounted valve, near the LR corner of the seat, that goes through the floor and did, until I hooked up the fuel line directly from the aux tank to the fuel line, apparently act as a manual switch between the 'main' and 'aux' tanks. I assume that this was put in because the original switch to the tanks died.

I'm thinking of re-installing the in-cab tank. I'm not all that worried about fire. I think you're right--If I'm hit that hard, I'm probably dead anyway....

[FORDification]

Both of them are factory. The valve on the floor selected which tank to actually draw fuel from and is just a manual valve. The switch on the dash is electrical and selected which tank to read the fuel level from. It wasn't until the next generation that Ford incorporated the two into the dash switch, by replacing the floor selector valve with an electric solenoid that was also wired into the dash selecter switch.

[fordman]

the floor switch is a manual switch. so i would say the one on the dash must have been a switch for the gauge

[hardtailjohn]

Here's a novel idea.... quit smoking!
John H.

[bluef250]

Just, some comments.

First, gasoline does not explode. It's not like dynamite.

Gas flumes will burn when the concentration is high enough and O2 is present. Fumes will burn explosively. If a closed container having both O2 and fumes is subject to an ignition source, the container will "explode" from a resulting fire and over pressure.

One suggestion, if you need to work (weld on or other operations that cause sparks) on or in a fuel tank, pack dry ice, CO2, into the tank the night before. You need 25 lbs per 1,000 gallons in bulk tanks. Use 5 pounds per 20 gallons. Let the ice turn to gas. The CO2 will displace the O2 and some of the gas fumes. Once the tank is filled with CO2, the tank is "safe" to do limited work, but you have to keep the CO2 in the tank.

I think the in cab fuel tanks are as safe as any other fuel system. No matter where you put the tank, if you are trapped (cannot get out for any reason) in a vehicle and gasoline is spilled, the resulting vapors may ignite (and burn) explosively and you can be injured.

The moral, stay away from accidents.

[steveheer]

I've never felt at risk with an in-cab tank and I never get any fumes, unless they are all over ME when I get into the truck!!

If all of hoses and neck seals are well maintained I see no reason to worry. You need to carry gas somewhere.