SKEEZ IS BACK! (just when I was about to clean this thread out of my collection!)
Good to hear from you man!

BackTracking: Gas Tank Swap
 

Hey guys! Yes. I am BACK!

However, rather than moving forward with the updates I have decided to backtrack a bit. After reading through my own thread to catch myself up I realized that I showed the new tank on the Bones without really going into any detail about the swap. So since I have been away for so long let's get right into it.

Most of you are familiar with my Denim Black tank with retro emblems. It was my original Bones tank that I had repainted to get rid of the stock script and pin stripes and then added the badges myself. The tank that replaced it was not just more colorful, it was a tad different in a couple of areas due to the fact that Harley added a safety feature beginning in 2011. My original tank is a 2008. I'll describe it as we go.

Attachment 522130

The picture above shows the front of my original tank. Notice the nipple for the vent line. This is covered up by the front most part of the console.

Attachment 522131

This picture shows the inside of my original tank. The four tabs in the center are where the fuel pump mounts to via a long plastic tab and sits to the left side of the tank. On the right side along the side of the tunnel (barely visible in this pic) is the mount for the fuel level sensor. Take note of the white X.

Attachment 522132

Now here is the inside of the replacement tank made for 2011-up Softails. Everything is the same except that there is a threaded stud welded to the tunnel where the white X was on my original tank. In this tank, that threaded stud is used to bolt down a rollover valve which has a flap that closes shut should your bike tip over. I'll clarify more as we go.

Attachment 522133

This picture should help make things clearer. As I have already shown, the original tank had a nipple on the front. A rubber line attached to it and ran under the bike and towards the ground on the left side of the bike just forward of the rear tire. If the bike tipped over fuel could simply run out of this line into the ground. The newer tanks don't have this nipple. Instead, the top plate has the nipple both on the inside and outside (upper top plate in the picture). A line runs from the rollover valve that I described above to the nipple on the inside of the top plate. Another line with an angle (you can see it in it's package at the top of the picture) attaches to the nipple on the top of the top plate and runs to the front of the tank where it attaches to the rest of the line that goes to the bottom of the bike. With this system, if your bike tips over then the roll over valve close and does not let fuel spill out of the vent line. As long as the bike is upright, the valve stays open and the tank fumes get vented normally.

All that said, I did not install this roll over valve in my tank. It is not necessary for the bike's operation and is merely a safety feature. I did have to use the newer top plate because otherwise, my new tank would have no venting. So I opted to simply go with a new style top plate, the matching vent line with elbow and then connect the whole thing to my original vent line.

Take note that I didn't just get any new top plate. It had to be the one for the Crossbones because the bracket that is welded to the top of the top plate has to be correct for the console to fit properly.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...psdmg4yu3n.jpg

Here are all the guts from my tank. The line on the left with chrome fitting is the line that send fuel out of your tank. Many people say these lines are no good and claim they get holes in them by rubbing on the bottom of the tank. I pressure tested my line and was fine and had absolutely no signs of any rubbing. The chrome fitting is what you see on the bottom left side of your tank and has a line that goes to your fuel injectors. The white plastic fitting on the other end fits into the fuel regulator which is the black part bottom center. This regulator attaches to the underside of the top plate. The fuel pump is the part on the right of the picture and the line on it goes to the fuel regulator. It also has an electrical connector that connects to the underside of the top plate. It also has a connector for the fuel level sensor which is the which is the top middle unit with the bobber. The items are powered when you connect your tanks wire harness to the yellow plug on the outside of the top plate. Harley warms to be very careful not to bend the wire arm on the bobber for the fuel level sensor. This had me freaked out thinking it was a very delicate piece of wire. Although I will say that you should be careful not to bend it so that it reads properly, it is rather stout and can be handled without too much worry.

Attachment 522134

While I am at it I replace the in-tank filter. This filter (also called a sock) sits just off the bottom of the tank on the left side. If you could see the underside you could see all manner of debris caught in the fibers including paint chips that come off the thread in the fuel cap bung.

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The new sock installed on the fuel pump.

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Installing the fuel pump into the new tank. You can see how the plastic bracket attaches onto the top of the tunnel. Again, note the threaded stud where the roll over valve should go but is being omitted for this project.

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The guts installed. The fuel regulator mounts to the underside of the top plate and all the wires and hoses sticking out of the opening above connect either to the top plate or to the fuel regulator. That is probable the trickiest part of this job because you have to try and hold the top plate and maneuver everything around to get it plugged in and while nothing binds and fits properly down into the tank.

Attachment 522138

The top plate installed. The new one came with a new gasket. I purchased new top plate screws as recommended by Harley. I decided to replace my screws because the original had over 60K miles on them. Figured I wouldn't chance the little rubber seals failing.

Attachment 522139

My little helper assists me in setting the tank on the backbone.

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The console gets installed. The wire harness has a plug that goes to the yellow plug on the top plate as well as several connectors that go to the console including plugs for the ignition switch, speedometer, trip meter toggle switch and lighted indicators. The vent line is also attached to the top plate. Everything fits snug under the console.

http://vid290.photobucket.com/albums...psmk8eqysi.mp4

And for those of you who haven't seen this vid earlier in the thread; here it is one more time so you can get a good look at the tank from several angles.

Questions? Ask away!

Good to be back!

Skeez

Great looking Bones. You have the unique ability to use your artistic eye and apply it mechanically to your Bones ..You the man.

Thanks
 

Thanks, Brother.

I've been lurking about on and off but I am really in the mood to get back to some regular activity. Really looking forward to documenting my attempts and shooting paint!

How've you been?

Much appreciated! Wish I could push the artistry a little more but at the moment there too much learning that I am doing so I don't really feel like I have as much room to just get creative.

Didn't read the whole write-up but, where'd ya get that 2 into 1 fishtail?

This has been an interesting read. Cute kids, hope they are well

It's a SuperTrapp exhaust. I bought mine on eBay pretty cheap. You can probably still get it from SuperTrapp or one of their authorized dealers but they are really expensive and in my opinion not worth the full retail price. I wouldn't own mine if I hadn't gotten my hands on it for around $300 in near new condition.

Skeez

So you put a newer gas tank and top plate on your bike and connected the vent to the existing??? The insides of the tank can be intimidating at first; but it is not rocket science.

Not sure why all the question marks but yes; the external vent line is the same between newer bikes and what's on mine. It's just a rubber hose that runs down the neck and under the bike. I just needed a way to connect that vent/overflow line to the new tank which meant I had to get the corresponding top plate with a fitment for the vent line since the newer tanks themselves no longer have it built directly into them.

Most things on these bikes are not "rocket science". That doesn't mean they aren't a mystery for folks who have never worked on them. Or am I missing your point?