Dma251 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Has anyone ever heard of anyone installing a Hardbody fuel tank on a WD21 Pathfinder for use as an auxiliary fuel tank? Obviously some brackets would need to be fabricated, but it looks like the space is mostly available. It would bring the fuel capacity up to around 40 gallons, which would give some nice expeditionary range. Might just be time for another junkyard run..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialWarr Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 I've heard of it being done with other vehicles and a couple of mentions in the forums here but there is no "how-to" on installing a secondary fuel tank. Of the few problems you might encounter are equilibrium (left/right), fuel tight seals, proper venting and suspension upgrades to handle the extra weight. Internal is going to be baffling orientation (to keep fuel from sloshing around) and filtration issues. But I can say that I was thinking about it as an idea and decided that with the extra total weight of tank, brackets, nuts, bolts and fuel I wasn't so sure that the frame was going to enjoy have another 150-250lbs of stuff slung in the space between the wheels on top of all of the usual junk in the truck need for an expedition. Frame reinforcement was the one problem that I couldn't figure out how to work around. If you decide to go for it and install one I, for one, would love to see some pictures and a how-to if you feel up to it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 The frame is plenty strong, unless of course, yours is rusted through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 I looked into it and didn't like it.The HB bed sits 1" higher off the frame and is straight across (actually the bottom of the bed is even higher). It also uses a rod for the parking brake attached to a pull handle under the dash.The PF floor pan with seats and drop downs for the parking brake cables (and the cables themselves) are all obstacles.From a 4x4 standpoint just swapping in an HB tank would hang way too low.That being said, once upon a time there were extended range pathfinder tanks. They went in the same place but had square corners and tighter radiuses to squeeze an extra few gallons out of the same space. They may have been an inch or so taller too and were in the 30 gallon range IIRC.Perhaps you can buy or have made a big square cornered tank like that...One day I might make my own like that too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) Google found this...http://www.thelongranger.com.au/pathfinderlongrangefueltank.html oops, that's R50 and its only 95L/25gal Edited June 29, 2015 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motofish Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 What about a fuel cell, like these? http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-GALLON-UNIVERSAL-FABRICATED-FUEL-CELL-WITH-10-AN-FITTINGS-BLACK-/131533765209?hash=item1ea005fa59&vxp=mtr Ive never gotten down there with the intent of measuring the space for fuel tanks, but im sure you could find one or fabricate something that would fit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialWarr Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 What about a fuel cell, like these? http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-GALLON-UNIVERSAL-FABRICATED-FUEL-CELL-WITH-10-AN-FITTINGS-BLACK-/131533765209?hash=item1ea005fa59&vxp=mtr Ive never gotten down there with the intent of measuring the space for fuel tanks, but im sure you could find one or fabricate something that would fit... I'll be happy to take some measurements later this week when I have a few minutes (off of my Auto 4x4 Pathfinder, just in case you were wondering ).. . and post them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialWarr Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Alrighty: so that available space measure out like this. With the exhaust and driveshaft in place and leaving 1" of space for clearance on all sides. That leaves little room for plumbing and venting. We have a maximum of 9" vertical 13" wide and 20" long to fit a tank. Total volume is 8 gallons minus the volume for the tank itself. Brackets can only be mounted on three sides ( two in the front) because of the driveshaft. The only thing under there next to it is the floor and that isn't strong enough by itself to hold one end of the tank safely. Access to the fuel lines that run inside the frame remains a problem with the tank in place. Other than those problems there are great places to mount the tank in front and room to work. A rock guard will remove another 1-1.5" from the vertical height and increase the weight and we would be back to the same "reinforcement/ safety margin vs. additional volume of fuel" problem. There exists the possibility of a conjoined tank ahead of the cross-member but its volume couldn't be more than 1.5-2 gallons at most. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motofish Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Thanks for taking those measurements! Sounds like there is hope for something useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dma251 Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Yes, thank you for measuring it out. I really wasn't so worried about hooking it up to the fuel system, but more interested in just having the additional capacity. I could transfer it myself. It would be useless for almost everyone, but it was a question that should be asked, so somebody searching and considering it could find some useful info. That space might just be better-spent on my rig as a a place to mount the air tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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