I'm wondering if anyone knows if or what replacement options I might have to source a new fuel tank for my 2000 FLSTC (88B carbureted, Heritage Softail Classic). I tried to have someone paint my OEM tank but he dropped the tank almost immediately after re-painting, putting a big *** goose-egg in the left, front side and a few other dinks towards the bottom edge. Rather than step back and allow me to try and source out a proper repair (air pressure dent pop or even spot-weld dent pull) he reached inside with a ratchet and tried to beat the dent back out. Obviously this pathetic attempt only further damaged the main dent by adding to the crease marks in the metal, it also destroyed the interior lining in that spot. He then tried to bondo over what was left of the dent and re-paint it again. The repair job looks like absolute **** and the damage to the interior lining is significant as well. I honestly don't trust the tank enough now to bother trying to repair and re-use it. I love my bike and I don't have a whole lot in this world... so 1/2 *** repairs just aren't acceptable, not yet anyway.

Anyway, I've lost the riding season completely trying to source out an OEM replacement. I found a proper replacement listed on eBay from a re-seller in Germany but his supplier sent me the wrong tank (standard aftermarket w/no provisions for the left side fuel gauge) and then spent another few weeks waiting for his supplier to try and find the proper replacement tank, they claimed to have. They finally admitted they didn't have one available at all and now I'll have to deal with returning the aftermarket tank they sent me. The whole damn mess has eaten up the last few months and really pissed me off... but what can ya do?

I'm hoping someone may know other tank models that would fit the frame and still provide the fuel gauge option. I purchased a new fuel / battery gauge and float to repair the broken fuel gauge I dealt with for the last decade right before the re-paint but now I can't find a tank that works with it, since H-D discontinued my original tank style a few years back. I was hoping maybe a Road King or other Touring model of that same era might be able to be swapped out without too much hassle but I really don't know much about other models and I'm not the most mechanical guy around. At least I know enough to have kept my bike on the road after totaling and rebuilding it back in '06 and even modified a set of hard-bags to mount on my bike's trailer hitch frame, back before you could just buy hard-bag sets off the shelf, so there's that.

Appreciate any solid ideas and really looking for someone who might actually know what other model fuel tanks would fit on my FLSTC frame. I understand this might require me to source an entirely new dash setup to accommodate a different style tank than my original but honestly have no idea what all that might entail.

Pictures from eBay... so everyone can see some of the differences with this style vs. others. Noteworthy: The left side fuel gauge hole is larger than the right side, threaded opening for the screw in fuel cap and there's a tube welded through the tank to provide power to the fuel gauge from under the tank as well as 5 mounting screws for the fuel gauge float arm that sits under the actual gauge. The last pic has a different style mount for the petcock (female vs. male) but that could be dealt with. Sorry if I'm rambling. I just wanted to explain my situation and get all the relevant details out there. TIA!

 

Looks like it's the same tank for all 2000 to 2003 carburettor softails, according to https://www.jerseyh-d.com/ (I'm in the UK, so that's the Jersey which is an island between England and France )

FUEL TANK, 5 gallon (primed)
Part no. 62180-00D
Superseded part nos: 62180-00C, 62180-00A, 62180-00
FXST
FLSTC
FXSTC
FLSTF
FLSTS
FXSTB

Found some on ebay.com, including a new one in primer - 234679952166.

 

I appreciate the additional info but already researched the basics long ago. I still have the OEM part number (62180-00D) sitting on a sticky note on my desk.

I assume this is the one you referenced off eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/23467995216...3ABFBMlL6p9Odg




So, this tank is listed as a 2001 Heritage/Fatboy and has that large console hole in the center. I am completely unfamiliar with this tank design and have no idea what additional parts this tank requires. If it will fit on my 2000 Heritage frame, that's awesome but can anyone tell me more about the center dash-hole situation with this model? Does this use a different fuel float (taking advantage of the gaping dash-hole) or the same as the previous model? That listing on eBay doesn't show the left side fuel gauge mounting hole directly, but it does appear to have a similar hole for the fuel gauge power line on the underside, as well as the female vs. my male petcock fitting. This is NOT an exact fit but I am obviously interested in replacements. I just need to know more about the dash-hole and what other parts are involved and needed, in my case. I have to assume if that listing is correct, then the frame fitment should be similar, as I'm pretty sure there were no major frame changes from '00 to '01.

I'll be researching until I get this other tank returned and my bike budget back in line.

 

The big square hole in the top is for fuel pump service on injected models.

 

In your shoes, I would contact a couple motorcycle salvage yards, and see if they have a serviceable fuel tank from a 2000-2003 Heritage softail. They all use the same #62180-00D tank on carbureted models.

As far as what you could modify to make it work, I'll share what I know, but don't think this is the way to go...

The '00-'03 Heritage softails use the same fuel tank #62180-00D for carb models. It has the sending unit that goes into the tank, through the left side fuel cap hole.

I replaced that sending unit on my 2001 Springer w/carb. It is a self contained sending unit/gauge. The sending unit sends its signals back to the gauge. The gauge only connects to the main harness via the wires that go through the tank and connect under the left side of the tank. That is for power only (#23 in pic below).



You can also see in the above pic, that there were softail models (2003 Deuce) that used a fuel tank for carb models (#62082-00D), that had a center mounted float (#26 & #27) as well as a separate fuel gauge (#24) that has three wires. Unfortunately, although the center float tank models would fit your softail, I have no idea what wiring mods/changes you would need to do make the separate sending unit/gauge set up work. Those tanks are no longer available either, so you'd have to chase down used parts for that fix too...

If you are confident and handy working with metal.... You might be able to use a fuel injected Heritage tank #61625-01E (still available new, but very expensive), and modify the left side hole by drilling/tapping it for the one piece sending unit to fit. But then you would have to find a separate top plate to seal the center section. This would be a very expensive option, if you didn't drill/tap properly.

IMHO.... I suspect you would do best to run your old, damaged tank until you could find a good, used #62180-00D tank... or find a competent painter/body guy to fix your old tank...

Sorry for your misfortune, let us know what you decide and how it all works out...


NOTE: The touring models have a different frame... I have never measured the differences of the backbones of the two frames, but doubt a touring tank would fit without modifications..

 

Much appreciate the "deep-dive" details there. Super helpful @hattitude ! Sounds like an off-model replacement means dealing with lots of modifications and considerable expense to do it... if it's also discontinued. The bike is totally torn down right now and all the tins that were repainted, need to be re-painted again, due to runs in paint and clear, as well as spots where the clear went on so dry it's horrible to see. My new fender from JP Cycle came with dents that didn't get removed prior to spray, so lots of re-working to be done there too. Sounds like I'll be spending winter looking for the replacement tank (clean used or preferably n.o.s., if I can find one) and re-working the tins/bags for a total repaint when the weather warms up again. Not what I was hoping to hear but living on SSDI means I don't have a lot of money to throw around to get this fixed up quickly. If I did, I would have forked out the $2300 for a professional paintjob but you know what they say... "You get what you pay for".

Heard back from the german guy from eBay that sent me the wrong tank. He says they just discontinued these last spring. If that is the case... you would think that finding a n.o.s. tank in somebodies inventory wouldn't be impossible. Unfortunately, my local HD stealership are a bunch of snobby a-holes and weren't willing to check other dealerships for me. I hate dealing with counter kids that have no appreciation for anything. If it's not in stock, in a box in the back... they act like I'm asking them for a unicorn's horn or I'm riding some ancient pile of ****. That's why this repaint will be going badge-less. I love the bikes but I really don't care for the MoCo these days.

Anyway, thanks again for the details that fill in my ignorance on the fuel injected models.

 

Would this work for ya?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/355431776770045/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type =post&tracking=browse_serp%3A7d68cd75-5244-40db-b09e-d713a003e243&__tn__=!%3AD

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/355431776770045/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_st ory_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A7d68cd75-5244-40db-b09e-d713a003e243&__tn__=!%3AD

 

I don't have a facebook account, so I was surprised I could even view that one. Much appreciated Carl but I just got back from return shipping the wrong tank (dual fuel caps, no gauge provision) to the guy in Germany and stopped by my local indy shop while I was out and about. He has a supplier who says they are still able to get the original style tank, apparently built aftermarket. They're currently on back order but to be honest, I'd rather go through the hassle to get a fresh, new tank over a used one. I told him to go ahead and put in the order, so he'll contact me when he hears back from them. Until then, my search will have to go on and if I can find a n.o.s. or proper aftermarket built one with the fuel gauge provision, I'll jump on it and let my local indy know when/if... I got it covered. Picking up a used tank will be my last resort and I'm seriously hoping it doesn't come to that.

I'm not trying to be a snobby **** and I genuinely appreciate the effort but this is the last scoot I'll ever be able to afford, so I don't mind going out of my way to make sure everything is as good as I can get it. I'll blame my Grandpa Speed for putting all that "rat bikes ride at the back of the pack" stuff in my head, as a kid. Looks like it's going to be awhile before I'll be able to put that pulley you sold me to good use. Oh well. That's why us riders in the north have a winter season... to fix our old rides during the down time. haha.

 

Thought I'd follow up this thread for anyone who's contributed, has an interest/need or runs across this in some future site search. After searching almost daily since I left off (and well before) I finally came across a reseller on eBay who was advertising 3 tanks that aren't labelled "reproduction" but for all practical purposes, are... as far as I can tell. These have all the exact same features of the OEM tanks. After my last "reseller" debacle (yes, I finally got my money back from the eBay'er in Germany) and similar problems in the past, I decided to take the listing info and dig a little myself. Eventually, I came up with all the info and as it turned out, my local indy shop is an authorized dealer listed on their website. I just got back from having him make the order, that should arrive sometime next week. I'll follow-up again, if there's any issues that arise but until then, here's all the relevant info I was able to find... incase somebody else finds themselves in need.

The tank is apparently manufactured by a company called "Hard Drive", a division of Western Power Sports (W.P.S.)
WPS Part Number: 820-52211 List Price: $369.95
2022 Online Catalog (pg. 755): http://catalogs.wps-inc.com/2022/vtwin/755/

If anyone cares, Western Power Sports appears to be headquartered in Boise, Idaho with a few warehouses around the country.

 

Got my "Hard Drive" replacement tank in today. I haven't tried to mount it up yet but I did get it home, unboxed and compared it with my original tank. It has everything I was looking for (fuel gauge provision w/through tube for elec. supply, left side male petcock fitting, bottom tank crossover tube fittings, right side screw in fuel cap, proper dash mount bracket) and appears to have come in without any additional dings or dents, despite the shipping box looking pretty skimpy on the protective packaging. The only noticeable difference between this tank and the OEM tank is the curvature on the bottom of the tank. The OEM tank is absolutely flat across the bottom but this aftermarket tank is curved. It's not a major deal and the curve only represent about 1-1.5" difference at best but it is a noticeable difference. I don't think it's any kind of problem or radical enough change to avoid but being aftermarket, it's something worth pointing out. Hell... it might even look better than the original, when it's all said and done.

Unless there's some major problem with it when I try to install prior to body/paint, I'll let this thread RIP. Thanks again to all ya'll for the assist and hopefully this might help someone out in the future.