Fuel Tank and Rubber Lines Restore...

[ehjorten]

Got my new shiny 20 gallon tanks ready to install this weekend in the '77 K20!



Also ground off the factory rivets on the tank straps in preparation for getting all of the fuel tank hangers powder coated.

I have new 1/4" x 1/2" Flat Head Rivets to put the new straps on the brackets after paint!

[pholliday1]

Are you painting tanks? And why am I seeing studded walls can't you finish anything LOL

[ehjorten]

Why finish it?!  It's a shop! 

I'm not painting my tanks.  Leaving them galvanized like stock.

[bake74]

Are you painting tanks? And why am I seeing studded walls can't you finish anything LOL

      That's harsh man.  LOL   

[pholliday1]

How bout some picts of the 77 for our viewing pleasure? As long as the shop is dry and isn't freezing that's all that matters, finished walls are a pain you cant ever find a stud when your trying to hang something

[ehjorten]

Don't have a lot of vehicle pictures...here is an older one prior to upgrading wheels and tires:



Here is one I took for someone on here that wanted to see stock suspension with 31's:



And here is a gratuitous shot of our Pike's Peak truck.  Last year before management quite supporting the racing team:

[pholliday1]

Very nice!! Love the KW.

[Dan75k20]

That kW looks fun to drive

[ehjorten]

Got my freshly powder-coated fuel tank brackets back and installed new straps!



I found 1/4" steel, solid, flathead rivets through Grainger that were identical to the OE rivets



Talked to our KW supplier for fuel tank brackets (we use the exact same style rivet only in Stainless for our fuel tank straps).  They said they just use a flat hydraulic press on them and it takes 5-ton per rivet to set it.

I got my hydraulic press action in and this is the result...looks just like the factory ones I ground off!

[bake74]

     Those do look factory and cool.  Had no idea it took 5 tons though to set them.

[FlatBlack77]

wow that looks nice and clean

[bd]

Those turned out really nice, Erik!

[ehjorten]

     Those do look factory and cool.  Had no idea it took 5 tons though to set them.

It was a little less than that for the steel rivets.  The 5-ton quote was from our supplier for KW fuel-tank straps.  Those rivets are Stainless Steel.

I got free samples from them, but they are passivated stainless and would be in contact with steel.  They would probably outlast me, but the steel would become the sacrificial anode in corrosion and passivated stainless and steel are more seperated than regular stainless and steel in the galvanic series.  It isn't like it spends it's days soaked in salt-water.

[ehjorten]

Got the RH side tank all installed yesterday along with the new rubber lines and plumbed up to the selector valve and new rubber lines to from the selector valve to the hardlines in the frame!

One more tank to do and install the fills and vents and the '77 will be back on the road!

One question...so my truck had 3-port sending units and I replaced them with 3-port sending units.  I still have the charcoal cannister, but it isn't hooked-up to the tanks.  When I removed the old tanks it has just short sections of hose attached to the purge port (one was just open and the other had a differential vent in the hose).  I don't have any hardlines in the frame that would be for the charcoal cannister to connect to the dual tanks.  I have seen hardlines for the charcoal cannister listed for 2wd vehicles, but not for 4wd!  What gives?  How is this supposed to look?

Incidentally...I followed my charcoal cannister line down to the frame...It goes into a hardline that wraps around the top of the c-channel and then goes into another rubber line that goes across the crossmember that is under the front of the engine.  This rubber line goes into the vent for the front axle!!! LOL

I need some pictures of how this all goes.  I would like to get it back to stock-ish routing.  Previously I would get a gas smell from the truck sitting after driving.

[bake74]

  Incidentally...I followed my charcoal canister line down to the frame...It goes into a hardline that wraps around the top of the c-channel and then goes into another rubber line that goes across the crossmember that is under the front of the engine.  This rubber line goes into the vent for the front axle!!! LOL

     Erik, I do not have any pics since I did not have my I-pad when I tore apart my 77 K10, but I did write and draw everything I possibly could in my handy note book.  So I will see if I can answer your question while you wait on some pics.
     Standing in front of the truck, looking into engine bay, down on top of the charcoal canister, you should have 2 ports on the 77.
     The right port, went to the carb. to the bottom small hose & to the right of the big vacuum hose.
     The left port goes to frame by steering box, then the rubber hose is connected to a metal tube that goes across the front of the truck to the passenger side as you described, (except the part of connecting to the front pumkin), it went all the way to the passenger side and turned and maybe had about 6" or 8" of hard tubbing. 
     On my 77 K10, the metal tube ended on the passenger side and a rubber line went to vent the fuel tanks, not a hard line.
      Hope this helps, and sorry I did not have any pics for you.