Thread: How to fit a BIG tank

Ok you mob. This is a work in progress so pay attention.

I brought a 120l tank. E-bay Purchase

Yesterday was the day to fit it. 31 Degrees and 70% humidity but hey u only live once eh!

These instructions apply to a cab chassis only. I suspect that a station wagon will not be a lot different.

So here goes.
Drain the old tank.



Remove any ancilary wiring (e.g trailer plug or 50 amp anderson plug etc.) Remove Tow Bar (if fitted)
Remove existing filler and breather.




Unplug sender @ the plug about 200mm up from the fitting. The RAVE CD shows the plug being removed from the sender unit @ the tank fitting but i'd not do this.
Remove the fuel supply line from the water seperator and from the tank fitting.
Using a broad bladed screwdriver gently knock the retaining ring in a counter clockwise direction around to the cutout sections and remove.
Remove the pickup/sender unit by gently un clipping the arm of the sender and easing it out of its plastic fitting whilst holding onto it with your third hand to prevent it from falling back into the tank
Withdraw the pickup and then the sender arm (BlkNite or JC might have some comment on this but RAVE says simply pull it out and alls well, Bollocks I say, you have to seperate them)



Using an appropriate lifting device support the old tank and unbolt the retaining hardware at the front and back of the tank.



Lower the old tank about 150mm and tilt to withdraw the filler etc. At this point you will have to put your head up and onto its side (your head that is) to be able to view/remove the return line which comes into the top of the tank. 2 14mm ring open enders will sort this but its a bit of a challenge. Completely remove the old tank from the vehicle.

Wanna see that lifting device again?


At this point there are 2 cad plated brackets supplied in the kit which allow you to re locate the fuel supply line from the water trap to the lift pump. Remove the plastic LR clips from the chassis rail and keep for future use. Using the supplied hardware, mount the brackets onto the chassis and re install the plastic clips and the fuel line.
*** Note. I didn't have any instructions at this stage and had to install the brackets AFTER installing the tank. Wasn't that fun, NOT. I didn't trust the 10 yo plastic fittings to stay in the bracket so I cable tied the fuel line into the bracket.



Using said lifting device, place new tank into chassis. I had to relocate some wiring but it was no drama. Using the original LR hardware loosley bolt the front edge and then tackle the rear. Once you have the rear located and the nuts on by a couple of threads, go back to the front and re install the rubber grommets, sleeves and washers. Tighten. Tighten the rear nylocks and then go back and check the front. Final tighten.



The fittings shown in the pic are the pick up and return line. The pick up is the big one on the right of the mounting bracket and the return inlet (into the tank) is the left. Given that the pickup point changes, you can use the short line that went between the water trap and the old sender/pickup for the new fuel line. Using the supplied fuel hose connect one end to the pickup point and then run it up over the cross member to the water trap. Insert old hose tail fitting into the new fuel line and clamp up. Where the new line runs down through the chassis fittings I bound a plastic "spagetti" conduit around it to stop chaffing



Next install the return line. I couldn't find a barbed fitting in my bits n pieces so I cut about 250mm off the return line, cut about 150mm of supplied hose and installed it onto the tank fitting. I then pushed the plastic return line about 150mm down the rubber hose and clamped both ends. Not ideal but so far so good (it didn't leak when I filled it up)



NOW Finally, reinstall the pickup/sender. Firstly given that the pickup is no longer used it needs to be blocked. There is a cad plated "plug" supplied in the kit. I got all anal and cut the hex nut and the olive off the pickup fitting and installed the plug on the old take off point useing about 70mm of hose. I was going to do it internaly BUT wasn't real keen incase it came undone somewhere down the track. I bent the sender arm down and took the kink out of it aiming to get it to register half with 60l in the tank. I was partially sucessful. @ half it has about 56l in it. By this stage I was getting tired and taking pics wasn't high on the priority list.



Installing the retaining ring took about 1 hour n 45 minutes. It looks like they are made simultainously with the the female fitting being welded into the tank. You need to recover the rubber sealing ring from the LR tank and re use it when installing the sender. Without publicly running the product down it was a bit less than good.

You put the sender and rubber seal into the opening, holding it tight you use your third and fourth hand to hold the retaining ring, and then install the screws. They looked to me like they are posidrive metric screws. Either way I'd get rid of the friggin things and use a domed head cap screw or a square headed cap screw. So far with 100l in it it doesn't leak but it took a considerable amount of fileing, sweating, swearing etc to fit it.

Finaly you re install the filler. Mine was never straight due to it being fitted to the underside of the tray and given that the new tank doesn't have the filler extension on it it gave me the opportunity to re fit it straight.

You have to split it and insert the steel extension to make up the 100 odd mil thats missing.



Re install mounting the "Big" end first onto the tank with the extension in situ.



Finally re install the last half leaving the hose clamps loose to allow for allignment with the final fixed position. Install the blue plastic hose joiner (supplied) into one end of the LR breather and add the xtra 100mm of hose and clamp off. Once the filler is fixed off re istall the modded breather.



Lastly, check all fittings, re fill with the diesel you drained making sure its clean, re install the tow bar, take to your local woolworths petrol outlet and empty your wallet into the till, add about 80l of fuel, stopping at the 60l mark to check the guage.

Enjoy.

Originally Posted by allanj

That's taking customer service to new levels
Did it come with all the bits & pieces to fit?

Yes it did, the only thing missing were the instructions.