J-TRUCK FUEL TANK MOUNTING

[mrtazwrench]

I have the 73-77 bed that I will be putting on my 87, does anyone know if I will have issues mounting my 87 tank under the older bed?

[JERSEY JOE]

I THINK IT IS THE SAME TANK MOUNTING.

[mrtazwrench]

I THINK IT IS THE SAME TANK MOUNTING.

I could see the studs were under it, I have not been able to measure and compare yet. Do you think the 87 filler will bolt into the sheetmetal filler hole of the non plastic filler pocket bed?

[Rod2]

I could see the studs were under it, I have not been able to measure and compare yet. Do you think the 87 filler will bolt into the sheetmetal filler hole of the non plastic filler pocket bed?

No way! I did the reverse; I put an '85 bed on my '73 and everything about the gas tank mount had to be changed.

1. There are 2 straps on the '85, only 1 on the '73.
2. The strap bolts are carriage headed into the cross channels on the '73; the '85 bolts went through the bed floor.
3. The vent pipe from the tank is at the rear on the '73, at the front of the '85, and it has to fit through a bed support beam (about 1 3/8" hole).
4. The unleaded filler hose and the vent hose go through the same hole on the '85; the '73 has a big hole and a small hole for the 2 hoses. the problem is that the '83 hole is farther in from the side than the '73. This should not be as much a problem for you than it was for me because I was going from big to small; so I enlarged the '85 and moved the hole outward.
5. The gas filler on the '73 fits in a recessed round depression in the sheetmetal, and the filler pipe is perpendicular to the bed side. The '85 filler sits in the plastic insert at an angle. Two choices: (a) get a filler tube with the old bed and sleeve it down to fit your unleaded hose, or (b) cut out the sheetmetal of the old bed to fit the plastic insert into.

I'm proof that it can be done, and I'm glad if my input helps. You say you've looked but not measured. I didn't look well enough. I found a lot of these problems after I had the bed on the frame; it would have been a lot easier to modify if I had known these things before, and while the bed was still off and upside down.

About the mounting itself: the rear four holes from wheel-wells rearward for bed to frame match; the 2 in front of the wheel-wells are only about 1/8" wider per hole on the older bed. The front 2 holes next to the cab are about 3/4" inward per hole on the older bed.

But "new" pristine beds sure look nice. Good luck.

[mrtazwrench]

No way! I did the reverse; I put an '85 bed on my '73 and everything about the gas tank mount had to be changed.

1. There are 2 straps on the '85, only 1 on the '73.
2. The strap bolts are carriage headed into the cross channels on the '73; the '85 bolts went through the bed floor.
3. The vent pipe from the tank is at the rear on the '73, at the front of the '85, and it has to fit through a bed support beam (about 1 3/8" hole).
4. The unleaded filler hose and the vent hose go through the same hole on the '85; the '73 has a big hole and a small hole for the 2 hoses. the problem is that the '83 hole is farther in from the side than the '73. This should not be as much a problem for you than it was for me because I was going from big to small; so I enlarged the '85 and moved the hole outward.
5. The gas filler on the '73 fits in a recessed round depression in the sheetmetal, and the filler pipe is perpendicular to the bed side. The '85 filler sits in the plastic insert at an angle. Two choices: (a) get a filler tube with the old bed and sleeve it down to fit your unleaded hose, or (b) cut out the sheetmetal of the old bed to fit the plastic insert into.

I'm proof that it can be done, and I'm glad if my input helps. You say you've looked but not measured. I didn't look well enough. I found a lot of these problems after I had the bed on the frame; it would have been a lot easier to modify if I had known these things before, and while the bed was still off and upside down.

About the mounting itself: the rear four holes from wheelwells back for bed to frame match; the 2 in front of the wheel-wells are only about 1/8" wider per hole on the older bed. The front 2 holes next to the cab are about 3/4" inward per hole on the older bed.

But "new" pristine beds sure look nice. Good luck.

This is some good info, I did get the neck with the bed. I may adapt that to the 87 filler hose, but do have the option of having my body guy change the sheetmetal, if it comes to cutting the bedside I may just find a filler door out of something like my wife's s10 and do a little mod that only this group may spot. Do you think I could use one of the two bolt positins on the older bed to mount the newer tank? I'll have to look things over and see what other questions I might come up with.

[mrtazwrench]

Well it looks like I can get by moving the outter mounting studs on the older bed, cutting filler tube holes, and modifing a mounting saddle on the under side of the bed. Bed is now at the body shop and will hopefully be done before too long.

[Rod2]

Since my first post, I noticed late '70s beds have a rectangular gas filler neck holder much like the '85 plastic one; You may have a bed that will accept your sheet-metal filler flange.

Good luck.

[mrtazwrench]

That was 78 and newer that had the plastic filler mount, the bed I have has the filler mounted directly in the sheetmetal.