Gotcha.

Yeah, I don't do a lot of long distance, but I always keep my tanks above 1/2 full. I like to be prepared in case of hurricanes, ice storms, or worse.

So I'll just need a new sender and that adapter, if I want the 38 gallon tank, yes?

 

I'm not sure if you can use your 16 gallon side tank sender in a 38 gallon rear with the adapter. You said your sender was reading full, so if you go 38 rear you'll likely need the new 19 gallon rear sender with the 38 gallon adapter kit, or devise your own adaptation. LMC used to have 38s with the adapter kit.

Also check MTS plastic tanks. A good solution to corrosion issues. I know they make a 19 gallon rear replacement. Not sure if they offer a 38 gallon one. Keep in mind on the plastic tank your volume will be about 14.xx gallons because of the tank wall thickness cuts volume.

For hurricane season have two five gallon jerry cans full in the garage. If no hurricanes that year burn it in your truck and lawnmower in the off season.

 

A 7 foot bed?
I thought short bed was 6 and long 8 foot?
So long or short
Or do you know how many gallons the side tank holds?

You are right no spare for the most but if you know you will not be driving some place that has low clearnce you can mount it but it hangs pretty low they say.
There sender I have seen a bunch of ways to get this to work from modding the stock one to work.

If yours is showing full all the time either the wire is shorted or the sender is bad.
Easy test is to remove the wire from the sender and if it still reads full the wire is shorted.

1 last thing on adding a rear tank were there is none.
How to get fuel into it?
Your bed dose not have a fuel door so you would need to add one and get all the parts from a truck that has a rear tank to use.
If you have a flare side you have to use parts from front & rear style side truck to make it work.
Yes that is what I had to do for mine.

Yes I seen others post the LMC has a 38 gallon sender but dont think I have seen it listed.
Maybe it is under the Bronco tanks and not the F trucks?

About the rear tank if you dont have one see my post above.

Between my 16 gallon side tank and the rear 19 gallon that gives me 25 gallons.
Yes that makes you go broke at fill up as I let both tanks get down to about 5 gallons but I dont see adding only 10 gallons to keep the cost down as you have to stop more and still spending the same amount of money in the end.

Yes I get on AVG 15 MPG and being 40 miles each way to work, 400 miles in a week, the tanks dont have time to rust or gas go bad from sitting.
Adding the 2nd rear tank to my flare side was the best thing I did to the truck.
I just dont know why Ford never had that option or just the 19 gallon rear like on the style side short bed trucks that you could have either / or / or both?

I guess it comes down to how much you drive the truck and how often you want / need to stop for fuel.
I built my truck to drive!
Dave ----

ps on the 16 front / 19 rear senders I can tell you they are different on the way they mount to have the pick up & float work.
I dont know if you cant swap the 19 side tank sender for a rear but dont think so from part numbers I have seen listed.

 

Oh, I've got more than 10 gallons stored. I can tell you that. All I'll say is E-free is key.

Thanks for the info. I'll stick with whatever the standard tank is for the truck. How can I tell whether it is a 16 gallon or a 19 gallon tank without filling it up all the way (since it leaks)?

 

LMC 38 gallon, sender, and adaptor kit

https://www.lmctruck.com/1980-96-for...mount-gas-tank

If I had a leaking fuel tank I'd park it and replace the tank. If you have less than a 8 foot bed you probably have a 16 gallon side tank. You can measure the length of your tank and compare dimensions with replacements.

 

Yeah, 6' 9" bed, so 16 gallon tank.

 

Ok it is a short bed when you said 7' it was between the 8' and the 6' that is why I did not know what you had.
I knew the factory 16 gallon tank would not be enough and why I added the 19 factory tank out back to a truck that never had one there.
Dave ----

 

So it's just called a short bed? There's a 6' bed, though? What's that one called, then? Short-short bed? XD

 

Depends on where you're measuring I suspect. If you measure the outside from the forward wrap of the box to the back of the gate handle what do you get?

 

It is either a shot bed or long bed.
If there is 2 different size short beds I never really paid much to it.
Only difference that I know of is flare side has fenders (some call it a step side but that is chevy speak) or style side flat side like the long bed.
Flare side for 80 - 86, only comes in a short bed. The style side comes both short and long bed.

I think if I was to measure the beds I would go inside the bed from the front wall to the lip where the tail gate starts.
Dave ----

 

On the 8' bed I can easily get in 8' panels or lumber and shut the gate and I have a hard bedliner that takes up some room. So 8 foot plus. Outside measure is 8'-6"

 

Yeah, if I measure from those points, it's probably 7'+. I was measuring actual use/bed length.

 

For your tank replacement measure your tank. I'm thinking it probably the 16 gallon. But take a moment and measure it, to be sure.

 

Since he has a 16 gallon tank, is there any reason I couldn't just get the slightly longer 19 gallon front/side tank? It looks like there would be plenty of space...

If so, I assume I need a new sender?

Thanks for all the info.

 

Better look again on that room thing

Been there, tried that, did not work
Yea I also wanted the larger 19 in place fo the 16 but it would not fit.
As you can see the extra is forward and there is no room under the cab.
My parts truck was a long bed dual tank so I took everything from it and put it in my Flare Side and now have a dual tank Flare Side.

It was easy being I had all the parts and my truck has a 300 six, easy fuel system for dual tanks.
Dave ----