#50 Gas tank filler neck and gas cap complete!

[robroy]

I finally got the filler neck installed with a new rubber body seal and gas cap.

The gas cap is from NPD and works VERY nicely! The rest is from Dennis Carpenter.






I considered refinishing the metal filler neck, but I didn't want any paint coming off in the gasoline so I left it bare. At least there was no rust on it!

-Robroy

[fordman]

does that neck sit in too far? isnt it suppose to protrude out a slight bit more. or was the rubber too loose that you had to do it that way?

[robroy]

Hey Fordman! Yeah I was wondering about that myself.

I think it used to stick out more. The rubber wasn't super loose, but the seal wasn't really tight enough to be satisfying unless I did it that way. And with this style of gas cap it doesn't matter, since the cap "clicks" on the top; it doesn't screw on like my old cap.

It feel pretty solid and seems like a good seal so I'll leave it this way for now, but I might try to get the neck to stick out more when I re-do it down the road.

-Robroy

[fireguywtc]

It may be in more, but when the cap is on it looks good! Looking nice

[bumpside]

Very nice job on the gas fill up grade

[robroy]

Thanks! Yeah it does look good with the cap installed.

And it's nice to have a locking cap for once. With the cash I've spent on this truck lately, I don't want to make it easy for folks to dump anything in the tank! Not that I plan on parking it in any funky neighborhoods, but you never know.

One downside: the rubber body seal and filler neck hose are Made in China! I was really surprised to see that since I ordered both from Dennis Carpenter. I almost didn't install the filler neck hose since I know I can buy USA made hose at NAPA, but NAPA only wanted to sell me a 4 foot length for $70, so I figured I'd put up with my China-made hose for a while; I can always replace it with relative ease when it starts to disintegrate.

-Robroy

[fireguywtc]

And it's nice to have a locking cap for once. With the cash I've spent on this truck lately, I don't want to make it easy for folks to dump anything in the tank! Not that I plan on parking it in any funky neighborhoods, but you never know.

Absolutely, I had my gas stoled out my bump more times then I could count when I lived in Cali. Not a problem here though! They never did steal my diesel though from my other truck

One downside: the rubber body seal and filler neck hose are Made in China! I was really surprised to see that since I ordered both from Dennis Carpenter. I almost didn't install the filler neck hose since I know I can buy USA made hose at NAPA, but NAPA only wanted to sell me a 4 foot length for $70, so I figured I'd put up with my China-made hose for a while; I can always replace it with relative ease when it starts to disintegrate.

Yup, you have it now, might as well keep it. It's getting harder and harder to find American made anything, some things impossible.

[robroy]

Absolutely, I had my gas stoled out my bump more times then I could count when I lived in Cali. Not a problem here though! They never did steal my diesel though from my other truck

You could label your diesel tank "Premium Gas Only" then leave it unlocked on purpose. I guess that's too dangerous should you loan your truck to a friend though.

Yup, you have it now, might as well keep it. It's getting harder and harder to find American made anything, some things impossible.

True!

-Robroy

[Joshpow]

Mine on my 72 looks like that too. My 71 only sits out about 1/4inch more. The 67 sits over 2 inches out.

[Fordnatic]

And it's nice to have a locking cap for once. With the cash I've spent on this truck lately, I don't want to make it easy for folks to dump anything in the tank! Not that I plan on parking it in any funky neighborhoods, but you never know.
-Robroy

It seems to be VERY tempting for people to toss stuff in there. Too close to eye level, I guess. Mine would occasionally quit on me, but when you let it sit a few hours it would start and run as if nothing was wrong. Finally one night on I-35 it quit again. I wasn't about to leave it alongside the interstate, so my friend and I pushed it--by hand--about two miles to the next exit (in the rain), then to the edge of town to a school parking lot (it was the weekend). Then we walked some more and found a phone. By the time another friend came to pick us up it had turned to icing rain.

We came back the next day to find 1/4" ice coating the entire thing, and of course when I chipped my way in it started right up. By now I'd had enough so in shop class (I was in college) I removed the tank, and you wouldn't believe the stuff I found in there!!! Rocks, wire, change, and the culprits-a straw and a red rag. I believe these were sucking up to the suction line and clogging it, then when the vacuum subsided floated away so it would run again.

I wondered if the suction line (comes in from the top) had some holes rusted in it allowing air to enter, so I took a center punch and poked a hole in the lower LH corner of the tank. This left a fair sized indention and a hole just the right size for a piece of steel fuel line. I had nothing else, so I used JB Weld to fill the hole flush and "weld" the fuel line in. I left it about 1" off the bottom of the tank to avoid sucking up the debris on the tank bottom. This, I found, was a great reserve as I later twice ran out and was able to make about 20-30 miles by swerving to slosh the tank! I also put on a locking cap to avoid more junk getting put in.

Anyway, I always thought I would solder it or do a more permanent fix, but I never did. It's still that way to this day and has never leaked a drop! JB is pretty good for some stuff.

[robroy]

Fordnatic, great story!

When I removed my tank I found a 14mm socket and part of an old gas cap (a big part!) in there.

-Robroy

[TheEskimo]

Man that looks good.

When I first got the '72 and we cleaned out the tank, all we found was chewing gum, candy wrappers, sticks and some rocks

[rjewkes]

I beleive that is where the filler kneck is supposed to sit.

[sideoilerfe]

I beleive that is where the filler kneck is supposed to sit.

No it is not. I've had plenty of these trucks and the rubber seals do not look like that.

[robroy]

Hey SideOilerFE,

I think you're probably right that the neck didn't sit there from the factory. Yet if the seal is better when it is sitting there, I can't think of any harm it does--can you?

Thanks!
-Robroy