Custom 35 gallon gas tank for '09 Tacoma

hornytoad

Desert Geologist
Fuel tank liners might be the way to go. Motorcycle use steel tanks and have fuel injection what are those manufactures doing?

Back in the mid 90's I had a 20 year old BMW that had to have the gas tank repaired. The shop acid dipped it after repairing rust damage and then coated it inside and out with a high temp epoxy. Do shops still do this?

I have seen kits for motorcycle gas tanks ( I imagine they exist for cars and boats too) that allow a handy person to etch the steel tank and then coat it with an epoxy they is supposed to last "forever". Anybody ever use one of these? Maybe Shane could offer this as part of the tank build?

Has anybody asked CES what the price difference is for a stainless tank?
 

hornytoad

Desert Geologist
Finlay -Whoops! Guess I should have read your links. I wonder if CES has any experience with these.

Cam-Shaft - In an ideal world we would get the "good" gas everywhere. Here in NM I have no idea where to get non-ethanol fuel. With my driving habits the fuel never sat long in my CES tank and I live in the desert so moisture in the fuel should have been less of a problem.

However your right, in the US we are going to see higher levels of ethanol in the fuel. E15 is going to become the new norm in a the next year or two. Partly due to increased emission restrictions and partly due to the removal of MTBE from the fuel due to health concerns. MTBE is an octane booster/knock inhibitor that is being pulled from most fuel production due to is carcinogenic properties and that fact that it is water soluble. Which makes it difficult to remove from the soil/ground water when underground storage tanks leak. (And they ALL leak, every single one of them).

So unfortunately we need to start looking at fuel storage and transportation as dealing with this ethanol/water problem in our gas. it's not going to go away and the idea of buying non-ethanol fuel is going to become harder and harder to do here in the US.
 

shov3lbum

Adventurer
For any who are curious there are many stations selling non-ethanol gas in my state, Wisconsin, unfortunately not in the metro area I'm located, but whenever a station is selling pure straight gas they always advertise it because they know people love to get pure gas.

I found this website http://pure-gas.org/ That I will be using when I start my trip to Colorado this summer. It looks pretty legit, doesn't have the usual suspects, BP, Shell, but does have Citgo, Hyvee, Hiway, so it sounds like it could be very useful, especially for those of us who are concerned about gas.
 

TEJASYOTA

Adventurer
Good questions. I just googled for OZ tank info, got this back. Manufacturer is http://thelongranger.com.au/4wdfueltanks.html. Only info for Toyota is for the Hilux, their version of our Tacoma's, and FAQ page wasn't working, but here's the pdf brochure link for the Hilux http://thelongranger.com.au/Tanks/TR63/2005%20Toyota%20Hilux%20TR63%20Long%20Ranger%20Replacement%20Fuel%20Tank%20Sales%20Brochure.pdf

FYI... I have been in contact with Long Ranger, the tanks for the Tacoma's Gen-I, is NOT compatible with the HiLux.

I meant the other way around.... HiLux, not compatible towards the Gen-I
DUe to mount points and other items.
 
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TangoBlue

American Adventurist
TscotR214 thanks for your follow-up report. If you're interested in learning more about the Long Ranger tanks being imported into the US check with Outback Proven and what is available for your second Gen Tacoma; call Ben Meddows. I know they took delivery of a shipment from Australia earlier this month that included some aux and LR tanks.

Or you can go to Namibia according to the definitive guidance offered by one contributor. I have it on good authority that they are less than $500 installed and they install about ten a month. The obstacle is that the HILUX is not the same as the Tacoma and fitment may be an issue, however, I suspect a competent fabricator could make it work if you're willing to assume the burden of the cost of a HILUX tank that might work and the hourly rate for a fab shop, with experience successfully installing long range or auxiliary tanks, mount it for you.

Like cam-shaft, I recommend a separate transfer tank as well. I run a poly MTS tank between the frame rails behind the rear axle which required a good deal of fabrication but provides me 37 gallons of fuel (combined).
 

Booosted Supra

Observer
I am not a taco driver, 2nd gen 4runner driver and I read this entire thread, I was kinda wondering from the get go about what was going to be done for a intake coating for the the steel like jerry/nato cans. Any word or update from the original tank that was built or any others to see what kind of issues they developed? Still seems like a good tank and great piece of craftsmanship once the coating/metal is figured out. Not for nothing you have to give everyone credit who is involved, companies who make a product like this will beat it to death and product test this over and over, in this case everyone here who did this mod was in fact the lab rats(not meant as an insult). Any updates on this?
 

TscotR214

New member
Update 04/15/13: RRRRRRRRRR UUUUUUUUUU SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS T. Lots of rust. Rust everywhere. See attached photos. First few are of factory filter attached to bottom of fuel pump and rust in bottom of factory fuel pump sump (all that red stuff stuck to all the white plastic stuff). Next few are me sticking my camera inside my tank, showing internal rust ranging from light surface coating to heavy pitting to full on major flaking (silver spots that look like water stains are where LARGE flakes have come off). On the filter, you can not only see surface rust stuck to sump and outer screen, but allow me to draw attention to the fact that the interior of that filter is completely clogged full of rust, it's literally bulging with rust. And for the inside of the tank, it's kind of weird how some areas just have a light film of rust, others a pretty good coating, others major pitting and flaking, while the front wall looks nice and shiny in places still. Must still have some oil left over from manufacturing still on it, which may have protected it for a few more months before rust sets in everywhere. And as we all know about rust, it eventually eats it way right through, producing product failure.

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I haven't spoken with Shane yet today, I just picked my truck up from Victorville last Friday. Nothing like 16hrs straight driving down and back, bleck. I have my fuel pump ready to ship up to Shane to let him cut apart, and I'll send him these photos as well. The CES tank is sitting in my driveway, I'm running the replacement factory OEM tank, everything back to stock configuration.
 

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TscotR214

New member
Just occured to me that not many pictures posted here of the actual tank. Adding some here:
 

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slooowr6

Explorer
That's a lot of rust. Thanks for reporting back. Wonder how does stock tank get away with rust? Is it made of composite material?
 

TscotR214

New member
My stock tank "appears" to be made of 100% plastic, like roto-moulded kayaks and such. Sure doesn't seem metallic in any way, not even plastic coated aluminum or anything like that. Scratches like plastic. Didn't dent with a hammer (yeah, I went there. under truck beating on gas tank with a hammer, but I had 'ta know......) Cheap factory skid-mark plate is super thin plastic, worthless for all but keeping some mud off. Maybe.
 

slooowr6

Explorer
My stock tank "appears" to be made of 100% plastic, like roto-moulded kayaks and such. Sure doesn't seem metallic in any way, not even plastic coated aluminum or anything like that. Scratches like plastic. Didn't dent with a hammer (yeah, I went there. under truck beating on gas tank with a hammer, but I had 'ta know......) Cheap factory skid-mark plate is super thin plastic, worthless for all but keeping some mud off. Maybe.

Thanks for the confirmation. It's never easy to mod the newer generation trucks, things has gotten so complicated everything is tie to everything. Just thought this tanks solved the emission stuff now comes the rust from ethanol.
 

Booosted Supra

Observer
I am still shocked no one thought of some kind of coating INSIDE the tank, custom gas tanks on motorcycles are coated and like I said above, old metal Jerry/Nato gas cans. That really sucks... are you guys going to figure out something for these CES tanks? Is Shane going to work with you somehow now that your out thousands?
 

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