Custom 35 gallon gas tank for '09 Tacoma

[chris@rmfwc.com]

This is great news for the second gen Tacoma owners. Since its original development, the product has been installed and used on several trucks, all with good results.
This makes my list of 2012's best products. So its got that going for it... almost wish I had a second gen.

Couldn't agree more! We went into this as number 7 or 8 if I remember correctly. It's one of those things you never know for sure but we had a good feeling about it and took the leap. The tank is getting more and more popular according to CES and they are making it more economical/easier to build and install. Rather than the one-off the first one was. This helps both the customer and CES and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend their shop to anyone. They have a nice place and would probably do more business with them, for all kinds of things, if I lived in that neck of the woods.

We are actually getting ready to part ways with our 2005 Taco next year that was in the photos. When we begin the build of our new 2013 Tacoma we are going to get another tank for sure. A much more moderate and less Hollywood inspired version than we did 7 years ago.

Do they have a way to connect to the fuel guage or do you just go off miles driven?

Good question; I went back and edited my post too. The gauge works perfectly. Just takes a while to react due to the large size of the tank.

It just takes twice as long for the needle to go down. When the fuel light comes on, you have twice as much left as the stock tank.

Well said, sir.

 

[dnorrell]

Can anyone confirm if this tank would fit a regular cab 2nd gen? I don't have a Tacoma yet, but it could happen

 

[shortbusadventure]

Can anyone confirm if this tank would fit a regular cab 2nd gen? I don't have a Tacoma yet, but it could happen

The stock tanks are the same on all 2nd Gen Tacoma. The only truck that has presented different mounting issues was a crew cab long bed. I'm thinking the standard cab should not be a problem, but don't quote me.

 

[hornytoad]

Tank #10!

Just got back from CES in Bend and have to say that Shane and his crew did an awesome job with my truck! I highly recommend this mod to anyone that is roaming around alone in the wilderness. :wings:

 

[RangeBrover]

Based on photos it appears that this tank does not have baffles? Also this might have been addressed before but as far as legality of goes where does this stand? I was thinking about getting an FJ with the MAF tank but worried about getting rear ended, insurance liability, etc. So since this tank is replacing the stock one are you in the clear or is it technically not DOT legal?

 

[RangeBrover]

Gotcha wasn't paying attention. What about the legality?

 

[daveyd]

Friction from slippage, constant vibration between two loaded steel structures may spark. Do you think it would have been best, to have inserted a length of threaded core rubber 1/8th" of an inch thick in between the tank and each strap?

I know most automobile manufacturers that perform steel gas tank installations do take this extra step of precaution.

If you have done this already, please disregard. Just looking out for you is all.

 

[steve103]

im working on a group buy. after talking with shane, if he can get5 people in on this price would be 2,150 each plus shipping. tank is 1800 plus skid hose strap and clamps bring us to 2500. so the more people in on this the price goes down. pm me if your interested..
here is a link http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...roup-buy?highlight=35+gal+fuel+tank+group+buy

 

[clcoyle]

I'm interested.....I will be in Bend in two weeks and would love to come see the shop and the tank.

 

[TscotR214]

Feedback on tank #6 on my 07 Tacoma double cab 4x4 V6. Had Shane install last November 2012, drove up from Santa Cruz to Bend. Tank has worked fine for several months street only, and mild fire roads. I'm currently sitting in Victorville Toyota dealership feeling lucky to be here. Out testing truck in Mohave/ Joshua Tree area, tank worked great for desert race to mountain, did great rock crawl thru canyons and up over mountain peaks. Problem starts when returning to flat ground. Truck will starve of fuel and stall after a mile or two of dead flat sandy road driving back to pavement. Will idle, but moment foot goes on gas engine starves and stalls. Turn key off, sit a few minutes, starts up and drives for anywhere from 200yds to a mile before stalling again. Turn off, sit, repeat. Finally left truck in desert and got ride back to camp from passerby. Next day, repeated drive stall stop start drive repeat back to camp, 7hrs. Today, did same thing on pavement to Toyota dealer. They report fuel lines run incorrectly, vent issues, and fuel pump burnt. All my offroading was done starting with 36gallons and dropping to 22gallons, then made it to dealer with 14gallons. Plenty according to Shane. Toyota is taking 4day weekend for easter, so I'm renting car to drive 300miles back home, leaving truck for parts for a week, then back to pick it up next weekend. I'm asking Toyota dealer to completely remove all CES parts and returning truck to stock tank. This means I'm buying new stock fuel tank again, plus all stock hoses, filter, pump, etc, plus labor, several thousand $$$ out of pocket. CES tank clearly did not work for me. I called Shane from top of mountain out in middle of desert, he thought maybe tank needed side baffles to prevent air during high speed s-turn driving, but that does not account for dead flat desert straight line crawling. Dealer suspects pump runs too exposed to air, even with over half full tank 28gallons, at typical steep rock crawling angles for several hours. Note, truck was in to Santa Cruz Toyota a month or so ago because Shane installs fuel lines without guides and they easily pinch against frame when tank is lowered / raised, thus cutting off all fuel flow entirely, and at that time fuel pump was fully tested, so unless pump failed in last few weeks, CES tank is culprit. Seemed like a great idea, in my experience more R&D required. Very embarrassing being the guy with 24gallons in his tank, yet out of fuel.

 

[TscotR214]

Steve103, damn it, you were right! Let me help you install that OZland tank so I can see how it goes in, as evidently I'm back in the market for a fuel tank again..........****.

 

[slooowr6]

@TscotR214, thanks for your feedback. Sorry to hear all the trouble you have to go through. Please keep us updated on OZland tank.

 

[steve103]

scot. sorry to hear your wows. im off to saline valley this morning when i get back ill give you a call

 

[hornytoad]

Plumbing VS tank

TscorR214 - got a couple of questions about the pump failure. Were you getting a CEL? If you were did you have a code?

When I had my CES tank installed in January on my 2012 double cab I an across a few Toyota issues that the CES tank made worse. THe CES tak is pressurized to check for leaks and the vent hoses use hose clamps. THe stock hoses/tank do not use clamps on vent lines. Soo I started geting CEL's from te get go. A little bit searching of and a trip to the dealership resulted in a new gas cap. CEL still happened. Then I crawled under the truck, dropped the spare tire and started examineing the vent valve/charcoal canister hoses. And the factory hose was loose enough to wiggle. a few hose clamps a code reset and a computer reset and the truck was in business!

My thoughts on what was happening on my truck was that the emission system had a "light" vacuum leak not enough to always throw a code but enough that the engine was having to compensate for it. Because the CES gear was tighter than the Toyota equipment is was putting strain on the weak link (no hose clamps where there are hoses). I called up shane at CES and let him know what had transpired and he was very appreciative of the info.

On your truck is sounds like a line or the gas cap or emissions system was clogged and that you pump burned it's self out trying to pump gas in a vacuum.
My reasoning is this - you have lots of gas in the tank, the truck idles but when you need more fuel it dies. Truck was running fine on uneven terrain, but on flat terrain the truck would not run.

Air HAS to be pulled into the tank when fuel is pumped out or the tank goes into vacuum lock. The gas cap has a one way valve in it to allow such a fluid/air transfer. When the tank is pressurized from gasoline going into vapor state the charcoal canister catchs that ands a sealed system vents those fumes into the engine on start up. When gasoline is sloshed around it creates it's own positive pressure by going into a liquid/vapor state. This positive pressure may have given you enough "Draw" on your tank to drive normally. But once you got onto smooth surfaces and put the hammer down to drive back to camp it locked up.

On my truck the old gas cap failed by attempting to weld it'self to the filler neck. Pliers were required a couple of times to remove the gas cap so I could fill up the tank, and when the cap came off there was always a large woosh of releasing a vacuum from the fuel tank.

I know it sucks to break down in the middle of know-where and to spend heaps of money on a suspect mod, but I hope you have the time to figure out what the exact problem was.

PS I also agree that CES should build some looms or guides for their lines. For this type of $$$ zip ties don't cut it anymore.

 

[RangeBrover]

Hope they manage to figure this out, really is a great idea and great mod.