Installing 30 Gallon Blazer Tank

[ThisGuyUKnow]

My casket is rusting off the bottom of my fuel tank and I was inspired by Wagoneerlover's 42 gallon burban tank install to put a tank in the spar tire area that I can't use now that I have 33s.

I originally wanted a 42 gallon and found a line on one from a friends blazer but it turned out to be a different model than the one wagoneerlover used and way too big. I also decided That I didn't like the idea of cutting into the frame either.

I hit up ebay and found several potentials but eventually decided on the 30 gal because it should share most the same stuff with the 42 other than size and therefore I could use the 42 gallon thread as a guide.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FUEL-TANK-chevrolet-BLAZER-part-auto-SUV-94-93-92-1992-/150484308169?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories &fits=Year%3A1994|Model%3ABlazer&hash=item23099050 c9

It also has the right dimensions to fit between the frame rails without cutting and is only 7/8s deeper than the 42. So it will hang lower but not by much. Probably just enough to look silly.

My first problem the hitch receiver that was in my jeep. Its the OEM 4 bolt design(I am assuming this because it is stamped jeep) the runs its bracers diagonally.

Since it doesn't hug the frame it was all up in my airspace I needed to put the tank up and clear the the exhaust and the rear shocks.

Luckily the 88 waggy I sold cutter had a different(maybe heaviear duty?) hitch receiver that hugged the frame and he let me keep it. I left it in AL when I moved so I had to have it shipped to me last week.

I installed it today after drill , and it was pretty easy because the holes were already drilled in the frame factory so it was a bolt on affair.

http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k196/Thisguyuknow/1988%20Grand%20Wagoneer/30%20Gallon%20Blazer%20Fuel%20Tank/?action=view&current=IMAG00402.jpg

With that problem solved I got the girlfriend to take some pics and some measurements while I held the tank in place. Just to kinda get an Idea of how it will sit when done.



What we found was that the bottom of the tank will sit about 7 inches below the rear frame rail and will have about 16 inches ground clearance. I figure once the sending unit is installed it will probably end up closer to 15 inches. So not the greatest but I am not really planning on rock crawling so and the tank is metal so I think it may be ok. The intake hose won't take up much room because it is angled.

This is probably as far as I will move for a few weeks. I still need to get a sending unit and the stupid breather valves that cost like 20 bucks a piece and I am broke. I bought the sending unit for the same year blazer the tank came from a while back. The ad didn't say whether it was for the 30 gallon or not so hopefully it doesn't matter.

I am not sure that the blazer sending unit will work with the stock fuel gauge. I highly doubt it will but am keeping my fingers crossed. I may try to rig the old unit from the wagoneer tank but there is no way that it would fit. I am going to cross that bridge when it comes. I have other fish to fry like how I am going to run the straps and how/if I am going to get a skid plate in the mix.

Any how thought I would keep tabs on my progress here.

[ThisGuyUKnow]

this is what my coffin looks like

from about half way back its almost completely rotten. Behind the tire it is completely rusted and the PO just put a strap around the plastic tank lol.

[glady8r]

looks like the same way I did mine.only I did it because my 14b woulda wanted to clearance itself if I kept the original lol

[FSJ Guy]

You can use a floor jack and a piece of wood to position the tank to get an idea of how to fit it in there. Also, you can then post pictures of it on the internet without showing you at really weird and unusual angles.

How does it look with the hitch installed? My rear tank is protected by my trailer hitch. (See sig link for pictures)

[cn6149]

FSJ Guy- How many gallons does that Blazer tank hold?
Thanks

[ThisGuyUKnow]

I am pretty sure he runs the 42.

FSJ,I will get another crotch shot with the.hitch installed.

This new hitch bolts with the same bolts that the.bumper uses. It also has two braces that mount inside the c frame on the sides. So I am assuming this is a heavier duty towing set up than the four bolt design of the one I yanked off? Would that be a safe asumption.

[ThisGuyUKnow]

ok you electrical guys I got some readings for yous, maybe someone out there can tell me what they mean.

The Chevy blazer sending unit reads at 94 ohms in the full position,45 ohms at about halfway and 2 ohm at the empty position.

The waggy service book we have says the ohms on the waggy unit should read approximately, 110ohms, 55 ohms, 1ohm.

My assumption here would be that my guage will probably read a few gallons lower than the actual count but it will be close enough to be useful. The red light should come on at about the right point..... This is just my thinking feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I am learning as I go on these things.

[710 Burner]

All things being equal, it would read a little low at full tank and never quite get to empty before it ran out, but Waggies are notorious for the fuel gauge reading incorrectly, so it will probably work better than what you had.

[tgreese]

ok you electrical guys I got some readings for yous, maybe someone out there can tell me what they mean.

The Chevy blazer sending unit reads at 94 ohms in the full position,45 ohms at about halfway and 2 ohm at the empty position.

The waggy service book we have says the ohms on the waggy unit should read approximately, 110ohms, 55 ohms, 1ohm.

My assumption here would be that my guage will probably read a few gallons lower than the actual count but it will be close enough to be useful. The red light should come on at about the right point..... This is just my thinking feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I am learning as I go on these things.

Well, the tank will not read full, instead it will read 94/100 = 85% at full. The Chevy sender will never read any lower than 2R (2 ohms), so you will read empty with about 1% of the tank volume remaining. You can add resistance to make the full reading accurate, but that will change the empty reading.

I suggest you test the Chevy sender - Wagoneer gauge combo before you install the tank. Just connect the sender wire and a ground (clip leads are handy for this) and see what position registers where on the gauge. You can also adjust the drop of the sender by bending the stop tabs and the arm for maximum travel in the tank.

I would be most concerned with accuracy at the bottom end. The gauge is expecting 1 ohm when empty, and the sender will deliver 2 ohms. This will probably be ok, but there's no easy way to tweak the sender so it will deliver 1 ohm at empty. Test it and see how it works...

[ClovisMan]

Okay, I have stupid question. Is this tank for a Full-Size Blazer, or the S-10 Blazer?

[goldhammer]

Baby Blazers were around 18 gal, looks to be the big boy version. The Big Bronco tank also fits back there, but hangs down somewhat in the 32 gal model.

[ThisGuyUKnow]

Um i have seen these listed as for 2 door tahoes. So I am going to say the big boy blazers.

[ThisGuyUKnow]

Well, the tank will not read full, instead it will read 94/100 = 85% at full. The Chevy sender will never read any lower than 2R (2 ohms), so you will read empty with about 1% of the tank volume remaining. You can add resistance to make the full reading accurate, but that will change the empty reading.

I suggest you test the Chevy sender - Wagoneer gauge combo before you install the tank. Just connect the sender wire and a ground (clip leads are handy for this) and see what position registers where on the gauge. You can also adjust the drop of the sender by bending the stop tabs and the arm for maximum travel in the tank.

I would be most concerned with accuracy at the bottom end. The gauge is expecting 1 ohm when empty, and the sender will deliver 2 ohms. This will probably be ok, but there's no easy way to tweak the sender so it will deliver 1 ohm at empty. Test it and see how it works...

So are you saying that my tank will run out of gas before the gauge says empty? Or that the gauge will read empty before the tank runs out of gas?

Either way the Red low level light should activate at a point that would be useful right?

[slow5]

So are you saying that my tank will run out of gas before the gauge says empty? Or that the gauge will read empty before the tank runs out of gas?

Either way the Red low level light should activate at a point that would be useful right?

At 2 ohms vs 1 ohm empty your gauge should read empty when it its empty or be extreamely close to the empty line. I would expect 1 ohm to be well withing the margine of accuracy for the gauge. However your gauge will never read full it reads full at 110 ohms and the sending unit is at 94 ohms full you will propably only see 3/4 or 7/8 of a tank when it is full.

[ThisGuyUKnow]

At 2 ohms vs 1 ohm empty your gauge should read empty when it its empty or be extreamely close to the empty line. I would expect 1 ohm to be well withing the margine of accuracy for the gauge. However your gauge will never read full it reads full at 110 ohms and the sending unit is at 94 ohms full you will propably only see 3/4 or 7/8 of a tank when it is full.

That sounds acceptable to me so long as the empty and warning light work