2nd gen alternative replacement fuel tanks.

I know this has got to be a common problem with the 2nd gen Ram 50s and the Mighty Max... You cant find a new fuel tank to save your life! Mines basically shot, leaks all around the seam so there no patching it...

My question is, has anyone figured out a suitable replacement or alternative to the original tanks? Even if some modification is necessary im ok with that. If i cant find something close ill have to buy a new fuell cell and try to modify that! Looking for efficient and quick way to do this as its my DD. I would appreciate any info or advice!

I've heard there is no after-market replacement for these tanks. And the 2.0 tanks don't have the opening needed for the fuel pump.

BradMPH or one of the other members mentioned some sort of paint you can coat the interior of the tank with...some sort of enamel or epoxy. MY problem is the top fittings for the fuel lines...which I repaired with Bondo and concrete caulking, but some day, the pump will need replacing, and I don't think the tank will survive the operation.

I'd put feelers out to the junk yards, there in Kansas, and see if you can't find a decent used one.

Yes there are fuel tank sealers you can purchase. I have used a few on motorcycle fuel tanks. I have used the one Called "Kreem" and I hate to say it, but is sucks. Every tank I have ever seen coated with it the sealer will peal off within a couple of years. My shop just sent a tank off for sealing not to long ago and it came back with a red sealer in it I believe is "Red-Kote", I kind of like the way it looked. I think it will last a bit longer than the other brand I mentioned. Also, I have also heard a lot of good things by anything made by "POR-15".

Yea i have seen all the different sealers and what not but after taking a close look saturday, mine is completely fubar... like a couple holes you could fit a nickel through... i had some 2 part permatex putty to patch those but then found out it was coming out around all the seams too! Im not gonna even try to refurbish this POS tank... time to move on to better options. I have been looking and Tacoma fuel tanks of the same year look kinda similar... ill have to get measurement to be sure but it might just swap with minimal fab work. (Fingers crossed)

Ok... so i think i have a plan. Theres a fabrication shop here in town that could probably make me a new tank of similar dimensions out of 14guage steel. Ill take them the old tank and let them weld on all the fittings. They should be able to pressure test it too... fingers crossed!

Wouldn't it be more easy and cheaper to buy a 2.0 tank and modify for the fuel pump opening?

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Originally Posted by maxdsm

Wouldn't it be more easy and cheaper to buy a 2.0 tank and modify for the fuel pump opening?

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That could be a possibility if the top of his old tank isn't too rusted up, then the fab shop might be able to cut the fuel pump opening off and weld it to the top of a 2.0 or 2.6l tank.

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Originally Posted by mikec96

That could be a possibility if the top of his old tank isn't too rusted up, then the fab shop might be able to cut the fuel pump opening off and weld it to the top of a 2.0 or 2.6l tank.

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Where can I find either of those style tanks and what kind of prices are we talking?

I recommend searching the junkyards first. If you can get a 2.4 tank, you won't have to have it modified. I will be doing this myself as soon as the weather gets nicer.

I've heard $80 as a going price, but I don't know from first-hand experience. Though I have a 2.0 tank from a parts truck, I wouldn't venture to have it modified.

But I'm not desparate yet :)

You can probably do a junkyard search online for your area. Might try that, first.

After looking at the tanks differences more .I can see the difference is off by a long shot. Fabing would be almost out of the question and I would buy a used one from a local j-yard supplier as royster stated above and save the headache.

I have looked around and called some of the more quality junk yards around here and have found nothing. I gotta say a used tank worries me in the sense that i could be dealing with some of the same gremlins. Whose to say the "new" tank wouldnt leak around the seams as well?

'Thing about a junk yard tank is you can inspect it before buying it. Especially if you take it off yourself.

The lack of local availability is certainly discouraging. My intention is to make a day of it, driving down route 11 and stopping at the various junkyards. I also want to find a sports cluster and coupla other things. So you might consider such an outting.

I don't think it's possible to legally mail or ship a gas tank, but who's to say? Wishing you the best possible outcome!

check car-part.com. They always have a dismantler that will have what you need and they will ship to you. Most of the places I have called seemed pretty legit and the few I have dealt with have been awesome. I'm sure they will send pics of the tanks also and let you know its cond, etc...

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Originally Posted by royster

'Thing about a junk yard tank is you can inspect it before buying it. Especially if you take it off yourself.

The lack of local availability is certainly discouraging. My intention is to make a day of it, driving down route 11 and stopping at the various junkyards. I also want to find a sports cluster and coupla other things. So you might consider such an outting.

I don't think it's possible to legally mail or ship a gas tank, but who's to say? Wishing you the best possible outcome!

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Thanks man, yea i have not had real good luck even on car-part.com... i work at a body shop and have had my boss calling around looking as well with no positive results.

What are your guys reservations to just having a custom fuel cell made? My thoughts are, no more digging, you know its solid, substantially more rugged than a stock thin sheet metal tank. If made out of steel they can use the original fittings too. Maybe not thencheapest route but for a little more $$$ i would have a super solid cell that ill never have to worry about.

Custom fuel cell is a good option if you're not in a situation where you can scrounge something from a yard and mod it to fit. You can make it to whatever capacity you feel like - small for the strip or huge for going the post-apocalyptic bug out route. No it's not cheap but you pay for a solution that suits your needs. A custom all-alloy fuel tank looks awesome too :grin:

If you can afford it than a custom fuel cell is fine and will probsbly be a better option long term. I am running a custom aluminum fuel cell on my truck and had it made exactly to my specs and needs/wants

I found out the hard way that my 92 4x4 tank has pinholes in the bottom of it. Unless someone has a better suggestion, I'm probably going to try the Por 15 re-sealing kit.

It's unfortunate, because these holes would be easy spot welds. They're tiny. But I'm not confident I can deal with the fuel vapors safely.

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Originally Posted by Jeff V.

I found out the hard way that my 92 4x4 tank has pinholes in the bottom of it. Unless someone has a better suggestion, I'm probably going to try the Por 15 re-sealing kit.

It's unfortunate, because these holes would be easy spot welds. They're tiny. But I'm not confident I can deal with the fuel vapors safely.

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Its frustrating right!?!? Yea welding would be so easy. The thought of rusty shrapnel in my head isnt too apealing though.

Yea better off keeping away from a welder. You would need to fully clean out and allow to air out before attempting to weld. Welding rust holes sucks as well because the parent material is so thin that once you arc it ends up creating a hole twice as large. You then find yourself trying to fill larger spaces and creating all sorts of random shapes that never seal correctly.

...gas solder them?

Or buy a new one ????
.

Based on prior experience, I'd call and make sure the part is actually still available before getting my hopes up. In the past, I've placed orders for hard to get parts only to have them call me and say those parts are discontinued with no alternatives for obtaining them.

It’s not a solution for everyone, but you can always relocate the gas tank under the bed/behind the rear axle and use a tank that is more readily available. It’s an old hot rod solution that a lot of truck guys have used to get rid of the behind the seat tanks used on many of the 50s-60s full size pickups.



http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/q...pslasn9dnh.jpg



http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps9xkjwizo.jpg



On the plus side; the mods are fairly simple and can usually be done in a day or less, parts are readily available new, you will pick up 3-5 gallons more fuel capacity, no welding is required, the cost is going to be comparable or cheaper than a custom made tank.

The down side; you will lose the spare tire carrier, it’s not completely bolt in……. there will be modifications required. If you’re using an in-tank pump you will need to switch to an inline pump or find a tank and pump that is compatible with the fuel system you’re using. The sending unit will likely need to be modified to be compatible with the stock fuel gauge. The tank may need to be modified for a fuel return line.


I used a 1958 Chevrolet passenger car tank on mine (the 1959-60 tank would also work and the fill neck is centered, but I happened to have a 58 tank laying around). Of course after it was installed I found out it had pin holes in it and had to replace it……at that point it was no big deal, and a new repop 16 gallon tank was less than less than $100 with free shipping. You can look around , besides the Chevy tanks, fist generation Mustang tanks would probably work too.



Besides the tank you will also need: fuel pickup/sender, tank straps, short piece of fuel neck hose, non-vented gas cap, fold down license plate holder and 2 pieces of square/rectangular tubing (to make the tank top supports). All the parts are available new.



I did a write-up on installing a rear tank on my build thread that gives an idea on what’s involved.



http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/4866-87-Ram-50-SBC-T5-swap



Like I said, not for everybody but it is a workable solution.

Has anyone got any suggestions on coatings to apply to the outside of the tank to help protect it? I finally got mine out of the truck, and it's extremely clean. The sender and pump bulkheads are still somewhat shiny. If it wasn't for the internal damage, it'd be in amazing condition. I'd like to keep it that way.

Jeff, i used rustoleum spray paint on the exterior after I pressure washed it. Seemed to work well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0070...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Used a paint brush .

That's along the lines of what I was thinking.

That roll on bed liner would be a fairly tough coating for the outside of the tank... ive seen it hold up to alot of abuse including rock chips.

That's not a bad idea either. Maybe I'll just do some thick spray paint for now, and then do the bed liner when I actually do the bed. Once all the fittings are broken loose, it's not hard to drop the tank.

I'm posting these in the hopes they'll help someone in the future, and also to serve as 'before' pics while I'm waiting for my POR 15 kit. The little silver stud in the first pic is the drain bolt closer to the rear of the truck.

Attachment 16028Attachment 16029Attachment 16030Attachment 16031

The little piles of rust are just that...loose crud. I dragged my fingers through them and the stuff came loose with no effort at all. Some moderately high pressure water would knock most of it out. It looks like the rust holes in my tank are underneath the square tray where the fuel pump sits. I'll have to make sure to blow the crud out from there, and spend some extra time circulating sealant in that area.

Interesting how clean your tank looks. Even better than mine. I can't see how the lower submerged area could rust out being that there is no way for it to oxidize. I determined that virtually all my rust came from the upper 1/3 of my tank where air was present.

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Originally Posted by LuckyShooter87

Where can I find either of those style tanks and what kind of prices are we talking?

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http://www.ebay.com/sch/Dodge-Ram-50...1370256/i.html

Finally got my tank all sealed, coated, painted, leak-tested and ready to go back in the truck. I'll have a write up on it soon.

I don't want to prematurely declare victory, but it's looking good so far. All told, I have roughly $100 into reconditioning this thing. It's all stuff any half-competent home mechanic can do. The worst part is constantly picking up the tank to slosh and drain everything. Your arms will get a workout :grin:

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It's all stuff any half-competent home mechanic can do.

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This is good news, since I'm half competent. Not sure what the other half is: that's the trouble with being a Gemini.

Looking forward to your write-up because I'm likely to follow that path. And what a great bit o' information for everyone! Thanks!!

Looks like you been making Folgers coffee in that tank. Where you get your gas at? If you can find a busy gas station, that may help with garbage in tank. You said rust also, got anywhere selling non-ethanol fuel? Ethanol will accumulate water moisture if left in tank for over a month or two.

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Originally Posted by BradMph

Looks like you been making Folgers coffee in that tank. Where you get your gas at? If you can find a busy gas station, that may help with garbage in tank. You said rust also, got anywhere selling non-ethanol fuel? Ethanol will accumulate water moisture if left in tank for over a month or two.

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I haven't even put 2 miles on the truck since I bought it. That was the residue in the tank when it got to me. My original plan was to do the bare minimum in maintenance to get it past a MO safety inspection and then gradually work on the rest. But then I found out the fuel tank was leaking like a sieve once I scrubbed off the paint and poor patch work. So a lot of my maintenance stuff got moved up.

Try tanksinc in IA just find the same shaped tank and have them modify the fittings. Looks like they make similar tanks just set it up for your year truck.

I sent TankInc a email asked about the possibility of modifying an existing tank to fit my 1990 SE 4X4 short box the 1st gen ones look similar . Also asked about any other options that might work for me. Will see what they have to say I’ll get back to here when I know if the reply.

I'm curious as to what the difference between the 1985 tank and tan ks for later years? Is it the move to fuel injection and an in tank pump?

Search fuel tanks in the car-parts.com you will find so many options even for the same years like cab, wheel base, engine, 2WD or 4WD can all call for different tanks.

tanksinc got back to me today I need to send them a pic to see what they can workout for me I’ll pick up a junkyard tank next week even if just for the dimensions my 90 SE is a 1 year only tank.

FYI a 92 D50 2WD tank will fit a 90 4WD sport but you will lose some capacity. The dusty tank is sitting on a 2X6 but the hookup is identical.

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