1. First we will mount the tank in the bed of your truck. You will need a drill, tape measure, a file, a 3/16" drill bit, a 3/8" drill bit, 5/16" nut driver, 3/8" nut driver, 1/4" nut driver, 9/16" wrench and socket, ratchet, and a 1 3/4" hole saw. It is recommended that you have an assistant help you with positioning of the tank and also to help with bolting the tank to the bed of the truck.

2.. First we need to drill a hole to pass the fuel hoses and wiring through the inside bed of the truck. We suggest that this hole be drilled in the driver’s side of the bed, under the front stake pocket hole, about 8" down from the top of the bed. (See Picture 1) From underneath the truck, make sure there are no obstructions on the inside of the bed. Use your 1 3/4" hole saw to carefully cut the hole to pass the fuel lines through the bed. Take your time when cutting this hole, use a little penetrating oil, and keep your hole saw at a low R.P.M.

(Picture 1)

3. After you have cut the 1 3/4" hole through the inside of the bed, use your file to clean up any shavings that may be hanging on the back side of the hole. Be careful! This is a good place to cut a finger. After you have removed all sharp edges, install the 1 3/4" black rubber grommet supplied in the installation kit around the inside of this hole. (See Picture 2)

(Picture 2)

4. Have your buddy help you sit your new tank or toolbox tank combo in the back of the truck. Position it so that it is centered, and close to the back of the cab but not touching the inside of the bed behind the cab. If you have a toolbox tank combo, please make sure you have left enough room to open the lid or lids.

5. Crawl under the truck and be aware of any obstructions you may encounter when drilling the mounting holes for the tank. You will see braces for the bed, which run across the bed in 3 or 4 places. It can be very difficult to drill through these braces, especially on a spot weld. Get a measurement of the first brace that is near the front of the bed. Now go up into the bed of your truck and mark the location of the mounting holes to be drilled in the side mounting tabs on the tank.

6. You need to get a measurement from the inside, front of the bed to the center of the mounting tabs that are back nearest the wheel wells. Crawl back under the truck and measure the underneath side of the bed to ensure there are no obstructions to drilling the rear mounting holes. If there is nothing in your way, you are ready to start drilling.

7. You need to drill a pilot hole through each mounting tab where you have it marked. Use the 3/16" drill bit to drill the pilot hole in each mounting tab. After you drill each hole, leave the drill bit in the hole, then crawl under the truck to see where the bit came through the bed. (See Picture 3) Make sure that you have enough room to come back with a 3/8" drill bit to make a larger hole for the mounting bolt.

8. Use your 3/8" drill bit to drill the mounting holes in the mounting tabs on the tank. Start with the two rear mounting tabs. After you drill each hole, slip one of the 3/8" x 2" mounting bolts into the hole. This will help to keep the tank in position. When you have finished with the two-rear mounting tabs, drill your final hole in the side mounting tabs.

(Picture 3)

9. When you have finished drilling your 3/8" mounting holes, it is time to pull your new tank back out of the truck. Use a broom or shop vacuum to remove all metal shavings from the bed of your truck.

FORD OWNERS If you are installing a tank into a late model Ford truck, we recommend that you cut the corner off of the side mounting tabs. Position the tank in the bed of your truck where you’ll be bolting it down. Now draw a line on the mounting tab that is resting on the curved part of the bed. You’ll want to remove part of this tab so that the corner does not rest on that curved part of the bed. While the tank is out of your truck, locate the mounting tabs on the two sides of the tank. You’ll want to simply cut the corner off the mounting tab that is to the rear of the truck. This way it will bolt down better near that curved area on the sides of the bed. (See Picture 4) Carefully use a hack saw or similar tool to remove about 1/4" off the corner of the tab. You can sit the tank back inside the truck to get a better idea of where to make your cut.

(Picture 4)

10. Use your ¼” nut driver to remove the nine foot 3/8" hose and the nine foot 5/16" hose from the electric switching valve. Put a piece of tape on each end of the nine foot 5/16" hose you removed from the valve. This hose will be the return line to the auxiliary tank. Take these two hoses and the four-foot piece of 5/16" hose from the kit box and carefully push them through the 1 3/4" hole through the side of the bed. Leave 10" to 12" of the hoses inside the bed of the truck to reach over to the tank after it is mounted.

11. The wire harness supplied with the kit has two sections, which come together at a black plug in the middle. The front half of the harness has the switch at the end of it. The back half of the harness has a black and a white wire with a ring terminal on the end of each. Unplug the white wire on the back half of the harness at the spade terminal, where it is wired into the plug. Take that back half of the wire harness and pass it through the 1 3/4" hole along with the hoses. The end that has the spade terminal on the white wire needs to go into the hole first (put the hose in through the bed not from underneath). This end of the wiring will be plugged back in, under the truck, where you unplugged it. Make sure you leave 10" to 12" inside the bed to reach the tank. This end of the wiring will have a ring terminal on each wire to connect to the tank.

12. Move the hoses and wiring out of your way. Place the tank back inside the bed of the truck. Insert the 3/8" 2" hex bolts into the mounting holes with a flat washer under the head of each bolt. Place another flat washer then the self-locking nut onto each mounting bolt. Under the truck, have your assistant use the ratchet, 9/16 inch socket, and 9/16” wrench to tighten each bolt down part way, then you finish tightening down each one. You will see the mounting tabs start to bend when you are tightening up these bolts. When they start to bend, it’s time to stop tightening. You don’t want to “pull the tab off” of the tank.

13. When you have the tank bolted down it’s time to connect the hoses. Use your ¼” nut driver and hose clamps provided in the kit to connect the nine foot 3/8" hose that came off the valve mounts onto the 3/8" port that comes out of the top of the tank. The nine foot 5/16" hose with the tape on each end connects to the 5/16” port that comes out of the top of the tank with a hose clamp. The four-foot piece of 5/16” hose is a vent hose. Connect it onto the brass rollover valve in the top of the tank with a hose clamp. You may want to push a little more of the hose down through the side of the bed, just leave an inch or two of slack in the hoses where they run beside the tank. Make sure that the grommet inside the 1 3/4" hole stayed in place. Work it back into place if necessary. The white wire with a ring terminal on the end is the sending unit wire. Connect it to the brass stud in the center of the sending unit assembly using the 3/8" nut driver. This sending unit is what makes the fuel gauge work. Only remove the top nut from this brass stud. If you remove the bottom nut, the sender will fall down into the tank and will need to be reassembled.

14. The black wire with an non-insulated ring terminal is the ground. Use your 5/16" nut driver to remove one of the 5/16" tech screws that hold the sending unit in the tank and slip it through the ring terminal. The white plastic spacer should be on top of the ring terminal. This is where we ground the tank, so make sure you scratch any paint off of the sending unit where you’re connecting this wire (there is a black mark next to the correct screw). Reinstall the 5/16" tech screw using your 5/16" nut driver. Be sure you do not over-tighten this tech screw. (See Picture 5)

(Picture 5)