Replaced gas tank and sending unit in cab of 59 Apache. In process skinned the entire inside everywhere with the thin gray black-sticky-backed stuff, then over that the more thick pad with fluffy stuff in middle and silver stuff on each outer surface. Per advice of local hot rod shop owner. Went great. But in dealing with leaking connection between sending unit and fuel line I got LOTS of gas in the cab. The think insulated layer under the gas tank is completely staruatwd. Gas tank is still installed and half full and fuel line is disconnected from sending unit. What the heck do I do now? How to get gas and gas smell out of the cab? How to prevent again at a later time soaking the cab insulation again? I am stubbornly preferring the tank in the cab. I don't like where the filler neck needs to be if I move it under the bed. Will the gas smell fully go away after the gas evaporates? Or must I strip out all that insulation and replace it? See the problem? Thank you Jay
You may need to remove that pad as it will hold the un pleasant scent and cause surface rust (maybe) but if it wasnt alot then should be ok. Bit if you remove then Siphone the tank into a couple of clean 5 gal buckets with lids or gas cans better watever you have on hand. And as well if you can figure a good gas tank for under bed i heard those chevele tanks are good the kind were you can fill up behind the licence plate so you dont have to deal with a hole in the bed or do that other way were they make a door in the rear wheel fender for a gas filler neck i perfer behind the plate imo. And mine on a sunny day full tank it spew out the cap idk y it does that . This is why i consider relocation. You will increase tool box room or speaker room.
The cab is a bad place for the gas tank for any truck. That is why the first thing most guys do with their trucks is to remove the in cab tank and relocate it to the rear between the frame rails or mount a side mounted saddle tank like many newer trucks. Just replacing the tank in the cab is a bad idea as you have found out and expressed in the multiple threads you have created ( on the same subject ) What you have now is a mess best resolved by removing all of the gas soaked insulation and starting over. That gas smell will stay literally for years even when it seems to be gone, the truck will get hot and the fumes will be there again.
Ok y'all are sufficiently persuasive. I officially give up on the tank in cab. Stupid design. I will have it moved under bed and be done with it. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
if you do relocate it, look for a tank that will sit between the tranny and frame rail under the back edge of the cab. then runn the filler hose through the cab and into the tank, so the filler stays in the same place. i did this with a '38 chevy and used a '82 ford pickup tank. the filler for the tank was in the front part of the tank.
before you buy anything go to a napa store they should have a fuel and tank catalog with pictures and dimensions. measure, measure, measure and then measure again.
I don't think you'll ever be able to get rid of that gasoline smell out of that insulation. I know it's not want you want to hear, but it's better to rip it ALL out and put in new. You're still going to have the smell linger for a long while since it's probably in any other organic materials in the cab. Better to do it now before you install carpeting and trap the smell in.
I take the other approach, I left the tank in the cab, and did not insulate the cab. But I'm also careful with the fuel fittings....I haven't had any gas spills in mine over the past 39 years.
Because I'm not an especially patient person, I will remove the tank, carefully and thoroughly remove all the tainted insulation and scrub the crap out of the cab as best I can, then have a professional out in a tank under the bed even though I hate having filler in truck bed, then reinsulate the cab and have it carpeted and put the seat back in etc. Then I gotta figure out what to do with the unused filler neck hole in the cab. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My 59 GMC gas tank is still in the cab and hasn't had any leak problems. As Squirrel mentioned, be careful with the fuel fittings and filler hose.
I still have my tank in the truck. I dont have insulation either i just have the floor board sprayed with bed liner and that it. I seen them under bed gas tanks in the l.m.c. book but they are pricey $300 plus shipping i think i read squirrel or some one used a 80s suburban gas tank. I dont recall were exactly. I mean you may be ok with it in the cab just dont wale on any of those fittings. Imo i would re locate
Seems the gasoline dissolved the spray adhesive used to adhere the padded second layer with the silver surfaces. They lifted right out leaving the thinner non-absorbant Cool Mat perfectly intact (see photo). Then a scrub with engine cleaner followed with a cleanse with brake cleaner has things vastly improved (no photo yet). I'll give it further cleaning then relayer with the silver stuff once it seems sufficiently odorless. Then carpet over it all and pop the new old seat in. Gas tank is banished from the cab. Learned that lesson the hard way. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Jalopy Journal
