RE: [ihc] Scout gas tank in pickups

["Ed Sohm" <idaemes@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Earlier this spring, my wife called me and was mad as heck.  She was
driving my Suburban and went to buy gas.  It shut her off at $50.  42
gallon tank so she was nowhere near full.  Of course this was my fault
because I handle the bills.  She (wrongfully) assumed that we didn't
have any money in the account.  I had to prove to her that we did when
she got home.  Once I showed her that and pointed out that they didn't
even know who she was or how she was going to pay when they cut her off
I was off the hook.  It hasn't happened again, but I don't think she has
been back to that station with the Sub either.  

Part of the hesitation to part with the factory hitch is because it is a
"factory" hitch (ducking anything thrown by Howard).  I like to point it
out to friends who drive lesser pickups with cobbled up hitches that
they are married to because they are welded to the frame.  I don't think
I'd ever put a spare tire under there.  

I've been very tempted to run high octane in my little tank (drivers
side on mine) because I'm not sure I know what ping sounds like.  I'd
like to keep advancing the spark so I know what I am hearing.  If
switching tanks stops it, it is ping.  
I've seen how much there is to gain from more advance, but my interior
is pretty quiet other than wind noise.  

I blew a muffler a couple weeks ago, a cherry bomb chamber style
muffler.  I haven't quite figured out why.  Well, I know what blew it,
the rotor was catching on the distributor cap and would stop turning.
The notch in the shaft would shear off the tab inside the rotor and it
was just dumb luck (almost)that the rotor would get back in the right
spot after a few turns and a backfire or two.  Anyone got theories what
would push the rotor up? Just happened out of the blue, I hadn't changed
anything in at least a few hundred miles.  

To finish that story, I had the muffler guy make me a pipe to replace
the muffler with and WOW does that thing cackle now, especially pulling
a gooseneck livestock trailer.  I need to decide if I want a new muffler
or am going to do the other one to match.  Seems more powerful now of
course.






-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ihc@domain.elided [mailto:owner-ihc@domain.elided] On Behalf Of
Tom Mandera
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 9:03 AM
To: allanw
Cc: ihc-digest@domain.elided
Subject: Re: [ihc] Scout gas tank in pickups


allanw wrote:

> Ed,
>   I think Tom might have been thinking of the 33 gal
> Scount tank in the back as an addition to the 
> 15 gal he already has.  And perhaps adding the
> optional 15 gal to the other side.  60+ gallons
> @6 MPG, now he would have at least decent, though
> not extreme range!
> 
>   Nothing like have the gas station do a credit check
> before you fill up...

IIRC, it used to be some gas stations would shut the pump off when you 
hit $50.. I wonder, with fuel prices being what they are, if that's 
still the case. :D

Yes, I'm considering a 33gal Scout II fuel tank where the spare tire 
would go.

I already have dual tanks up front, but the passenger tank is only good 
for 3 gallons, and since my truck was hit and I swapped front clips, I 
don't have a filler on that side anyhow (Travelettes are fender fill for

both sides).

I'm told you can get up to 5-way electric fuel tank switches now.. 
though a 3-way would do the job.

With dual 15s and a big 33, I might be tempted to fill one 15 with 
Premium, and the others with 85 octane.

Should I encounter pinging on a long slow hot grade, I could simply 
switch to the better fuel for the drive up.

But, since I only got my 392 to ping just once on my RMIHR trip, with 
12BTDC on 85, I'm not too worried about that part of the plan. :)

...

I may end up with a 31gal Bronco tank if it works out.  I have access to

a great many of these, while 33gal Scout tanks are a bit more difficult 
to come by.

Sometimes it's a good thing to have friends that race Broncos.. 
especially since they need to build a new one every couple of years 
(they don't seem to hold up to the abuse very well).. and they all came 
with 28 or 31gal tanks. :)

AFA the hitch issue, I have an aftermarket Class IV that mounts to the 
frame rails in a "U" pattern, vs. the factory "H" hitch, so that's not a

concern for me.

I've never had the spare tire under there - I'm missing some hardware. 
Usually I just put two truck spares on the trailer, and since I rarely 
take the truck anywhere w/o the trailer, it works out well. :)