32 Gallons. Hiding in plain sight !
Click on any image for a larger view.
32 Gallons. Hiding in plain sight !
Click on any image for a larger view.
| The photos below depict modifications made to the truck by the end of June 2006.
This round included:
My fuel tanks started leaking. Yes, believe it or not, both of them. This probably comes as no surprise to veteran Ford truck and Bronco owners, it seems to be a common problem.It is also one I had been waiting and watching for so I was able to minimize the loss of fuel when it finally did start dripping that liquid gold. I agonized for some time over where to place the fuel cell. Replacing the rusted out tank with another tank to be rusted out eventually the same way did not seem like a good plan to me. Replacing the steel tanks with plastic ones would have addressed the rust issue, but that still left the issue of the fuel pump and gauge sending unit mess. My fuel gauge like most others in Ford trucks and Broncos of this vintage does not work well - if at all. In the end, I decided to go with what I know. A fuel cell will work. Because of free time and fabrication facilities limitations, I went back to Mark's Auto Service and Performance again. Mark has since sold the business and it has been renamed King Cobra Automotive. My favorite mechanic Rick is gone. And I have to say after this last round, I am gone too. To give credit where credit is due; Jaymie (the new manager) did his level best to please me. I took the truck back to him once and he did the best he could to remedy my issues within his limitations. Yup, ultimately that is where we hit the wall - his limitations. Please don't ask more. Jaymie is a good guy learning as fast as he can. Effort really counts with me, but there is still the $65.00 per hour . . . reality anchor. For $65.00 per hour it will be top notch professional quality work, or I'm going to be unhappy - guaranteed. Speaking of top notch professional quality work, I want to give a shout out to Scotty at Connie Lile's Carquest Auto Parts in Tallahassee. For real live top value, top quality tube and hose work, Scotty is definitely your hookup ! ! As you will see in the pictures below the RCI fuel cell was mounted in the bed of the truck way up at the front on the passenger's side. The reasons for that are simple if not so obvious. First - the obvious reason - was shorter hoses. Shorter hoses are cheaper hoses especially using stainless braided teflon hose in AN-8 and -10. The next reason is balance. Yup, balance. You see, my regular passenger walks the tuff stuff. Its something I can count on. Thus having the extra weight of 32 gallons of fuel on that side actually does tend to help keep the truck balanced side to side a little better. Bet you never though of that huh? . . . me neither. Tom Reed a famous (certainly for this area) truck fabricator though of it and shared the insight with me. For free !! And you know what? He was right!! Mounting the cell in the front was a more elaborate process than I think most of you will opt to pursue. But I have my reasons for doing what I did. And yea, it has a lot to do with that walking passenger I mentioned a minute ago. The mounting started with the fabrication of an angle iron and expanded metal box that fit down snugly below the bed rails and sub divided into two "compartments". On the right the compartment is just large enough for the fuel cell to slide down into. I then screwed the top of the cell into the perimeter frame of the steel box using 1/4 self-taping screws. A BUNCH of them. The cell is fully supported on 3 sides and the bottom by the expanded metal box and the angle iron that divides the box internally also supports the fourth (inside) side. The left side of the expanded metal box is my "tool box" for carrying tools and spare parts. As it worked out I was able to bolt the angle iron box frame through the bed and into the formed channels that run across the bed to provide strength and rigidity to the floor. I used 6 - 5/16 stainless bolts, washers and nuts . . and fender washers against the bottom of the bed. in the middle of the box were I could not reach into the cross bed channel I used 5/16 self taping metal screws. One front and one rear. With 8 functional bolts securing the box to the bed, it is safe to say this cell is better secured than the original fuel tank(s). Next came cutting the bottom out of the existing bed-box and setting it down on top of the fuel cell and "cage". That was pretty straight forward.And as you can see it has a lot of benefits. I used four more of those 5/16 stainless steel bolts, nuts, and fender washers, to bolt the bed box down to the bed rails. It's not going anywhere! Because Jaymie did not follow my instructions there was a gap at the front of the bed box. Between it and the front of the actual truck bed. This left a gap about two inches wide where water/mud/skinny hands, could get to the top of the fuel cell and the balance of stuff in the "tool box" side. As you will see below that was a simple enough fix using a piece of 3x3x1/4" angle iron - they didn't have 3x3 aluminum, and several more of those stainless steel bolts. The electrical upgrades were something the truck has needed for some time. As you may remember from previous pages, I already upgraded the alternator to a 160+ amp model. But that didn't do a thing for the wiring everything runs on. As you can imagine between 1987 and now there have been a lot of "accessories" added or removed. Add to that that this was originally a fuel injected computer controlled 302 and you wind up with at least big potential electrical problems. I decided to avoid them before they manifested by adding a power buss for "hot all the time" and another for "key on" power. Then over time I can cut the existing mess out and end up with good wiring done right. The "hot all the time" buss is on a 200AMP maxi-fuse and is fed by a #4 battery cable connected directly to the battery (supply) side of the solenoid. The "key on" power is fed by #8 marine grade primary wire using a 60AMP maxi-fuse. I routed that to a 75AMP BOSCH relay before attaching it to the buss bar. For convenience access to a "trigger wire" to turn on the relay, I mounted this relay on the driver's side of the truck up under the lip of the fender so that it is high on the truck in general, and well protected from water leaking down through the hood to fender joint. Speaking of high in general, this truck is taller than it looks. That is why there are two short ladders in the back of the truck! So I can get into stuff without having to climb like a monkey! I never envisioned being 6 feet tall and having that problem. But the ladders should illustrate that indeed 6 feet tall just ain't enough. The four new switches were used to consolidate. Over time little toggle switches seemed to be sprouting like mushrooms around the inside of the truck so I figured I better do something about them. If nothing else, no one else on earth but me knew what switch was for what purpose. The caption by the picture will tell most of their story. But I would like to add that the ash tray still works perfectly, and the quality of those switches is well worth the $10.00 each. Enjoy . . I hope. |
 The angle iron gap filler. That shiny round thing above the steel is the fuel cell vent. The cable is my coax for the CB radio. |
 |  This is what a trip to the gas station looks like. :-) |
 | Hole sawed a hole down through the box and the bed as you can see. The AN-10 runs to the Russell Performance filter. AN-8 runs into the Holley blue fuel pump and then forward along the frame rail to the firewall mounted Holley fuel pressure regulator. |  |
 Here you can see the fuel pressure regulator and the new "key on" power distribution buss. And below that you see the rats nest of wire it is replacing. |  A much better view of "key on" buss. |  "Always on" buss. You can see the 75AMP BOSCH relay for the engine cooling fan too. . . . looks like one of the screws vibrated out. :-( |
 | The switches:
|  Fuel line now tucked in the frame rail. |
| More as time, inclination and finances allow. Oh and as always, feel free to write me an e-mail if you have questions or comments! I love hearing from all you folks - keep it up!
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| HERE is the truck home page. HERE is the first page of modifications. Done December of 2004. HERE is the second page of modifications. Done June of 2005. HERE is the third page of modifications. Done December of 2005. HERE is the fourth page of modifications. Done February 2006. |
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