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Titan Fuel Tank
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Titan Fuel Tank
2. With the tank as empty as possible (you’ll have to drive it close to empty as most trucks now have anti-siphon valves so you can't just stick a hose in and suck it out), get the truck in the air making sure your lift or jack stands are clear of the tank. Get a lift under the tank itself.
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Titan Fuel Tank
3. Remove the tank's skid plate, disconnect the filler and vent tube (tech tip – zap strap a latex glove over the fuel and vent lines to keep out dust and dirt before you drop the tank) and disconnect the tank straps.
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Titan Fuel Tank
4. Double check inside the new tank to make there's no debris. It wouldn’t hurt to wipe it out as best you can with a diesel soaked clean rag then move the fuel level sender over to the new tank, install the filler hose and install the new vent tube.
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Titan Fuel Tank
5. Drain whatever's left in the old tank into a couple of Jerry cans, as you'll need to add fuel to the newly installed tank to drive it away. How many guys does it take to drain the tank? As many as want their hands in the photo.
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Titan Fuel Tank
6. Remove the transfer case skid plate and lift the new tank into place re-connecting the fuel lines and sensors. You’ll see how the end of the new tank wraps around the fuel filter and water separator.
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Titan Fuel Tank
7. Connect the new tank straps then remove the body mount bolt and install the new third strap. Check the fit, if the strap doesn't snug up against the tank, throw it in the vice and haul on it, adjusting the angle so it fits snug under the tank.
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Titan Fuel Tank
8. Reconnect the fuel lines and zap strap the extra fuel vent to the existing line.
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Titan Fuel Tank
9. Hold the transfer skid plate in place and mark out a section allowing the new tank the extra room it needs, cut off the offending metal, file the sharp edges and spray with black rust proof paint.
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Titan Fuel Tank
10. Remount the skid plate. As a final precaution, fire up the engine and check for leaks before you take it off the jacks or the hoist. If yours is an older truck, this is a good time to change the fuel filter.
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Titan Fuel Tank
11. The ‘after’ picture, looks just like before but will leave a guy with the OEM tank hundreds of km’s in the rearview mirror. Your fuel gauge is still accurate (although your reserve is much larger) but you’ll have to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer to get the ‘km’s until empty’ gauge re-calibrated.
Story and photos by Perry Mack
For those of us who work and play in remote locations, increasing the range of our vehicles by over 90% is an incredible opportunity not to be missed. Especially when it’s easy to do and replaces the OEM part with a tougher, stronger unit.
The secret to Titan Fuel Tanks durability is High-Density Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLHDPE). Compared to OEM tanks which use linear instead of cross-linked, the Titan tanks have 5 times the impact strength, perform better in extreme hot or cold temperatures, won’t corrode and have the widest range of chemical resistance.
We're installing the Titan tank in a brand spanking new (3 days old) short box, 2014 Ford F350 Super Duty FX4 with the 6.7L Power Stroke Turbo Diesel engine at Canada Image Customs in Kelowna, BC (www.cicustoms.ca). The 189L Titan tank will replace the 98L OEM tank boosting the fuel capacity by a staggering 92%. We give this DIY mod a difficulty rating of 3 out of 10.
I suppose it’s possible to do the job alone but it’s much easier if you have an extra set of hands when dropping the tank (especially if you don’t get most of the fuel out) and getting it back in place. Total job time a little less than 2 hours. At a real world city/hwy fuel consumption of 16.3 L/100 kms you’ll go from a 600km range to over 1100km’s on a single tank.
Thanks to Colin and the guys at Canada Image Customs for letting me take photos and keep my hands clean. For more info visit www.titanfueltanks.com.