How big is the gas tank?

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Liquid_force

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~16 gallons, right?

I ran my last tank dangerously low.

Fill up -- 18+ gal. 18.2 IIRC.

Just hit 120 miles and the needle finally dropped BELOW the FULL line.

Weirdness.
 

kevinspann

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I think the most I've put in mine was 14 or so gallons, and the fuel light was on at that time.
 

stephen newberg

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I love this question.

It is sort of fun. From empty my tank, including the filler, will take 20 US gallons.

I am told this can cause gas to go into the evap canister, but to my knowledge it has never happened to me. I seldom try to fill it to the very top, though, except when on a long highway trip.

pax, smn
 

Liquid_force

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I love this question.

Yeah, well...I'd like to be talking about my successful 5 speed installation, but I think it's a safe bet to say THAT's not gonna happen.

So gas tank capacity it is :woo-hoo:


Found the receipt -- it was actually 18.4.

I've put 14-14.5 in when I THOUGHT it was really low before. 18 was surprising.
Sad thing is I only got about 260 out of that tank. Oh well, I guess the new tires strangely added some weight to my right foot :evilgrin:
 

stephen newberg

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I think what fools most people is that the filler neck is very messed about. To get in the larger tank for the V8, Ford had to put in a new filler neck and it does not clear properly. Hence, you can dribble in 4-5 more gallons after the initial click off if you do it slowly and carefully.

Regardless of tires and right foot, you will never get great gas mileage out of the car, though. Once, in the prairies going straight with zero traffic for hundreds of miles, I got almost 29mpg, but without those kind of conditions...

pax, smn
 

newshofan

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I normally put around 14 in mine. I may have got 16 in once or twice when I ran it really empty but I don't like to do that. Id hate to burn up a fuel pump.

I read somewhere once ford designed these cars to have the light come on early otherwise if the fuel got to low the pump would overheat but that may have only been on the v6.
 

stephen newberg

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True, you never want to run it dry (for the Gen III, I do not know for the others). Cooling for the fuel pump comes from the fuel reserve in the tank. If you want to do a from dry measure, you should manually empty the tank, not run it to get it dry. Personally, I never even run it down to the low fuel warning light, but instead fill up when down no lower than an indicated quarter of a tank.

pax, smn
 

SHOZ123

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Well if you do want to run it dry do it this way.

Disconnect the fuel filter front line and add some 3/8" hose to it, enough to sit in a bucket. Then disconnect the rollover switch and feed 12V to the pump.

You will see how much air it pumps when the tank is low. Not good it you are at WOT.

My Coupe cuts boost if the low fuel light is on.
 

stephen newberg

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Yes, that would certainly become one to look at, though I do not remember if they make a coupe, and I am certain I want to give up on the back 2 doors (or I would just keep driving the SHO forever :) ).

pax, smn
 

stephen newberg

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It is a 16 gal tank

<sigh>

IIRC, Ford indicates 16.6 gallons in the specifications list, though it has been obvious for more than a decade that in fact the tank itself, not counting the filler neck, is a good deal larger than that. As pointed out above, from dry to the top of the neck is about 20 gallons, but it is strongly suggested that you do not run the tank dry to try to find this out, as the fuel pump is designed to be cooled by gas remaining in the tank.

pax, smn
 

SHOGrabber

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<sigh>

IIRC, Ford indicates 16.6 gallons in the specifications list, though it has been obvious for more than a decade that in fact the tank itself, not counting the filler neck, is a good deal larger than that. As pointed out above, from dry to the top of the neck is about 20 gallons, but it is strongly suggested that you do not run the tank dry to try to find this out, as the fuel pump is designed to be cooled by gas remaining in the tank.

pax, smn

I understand what your saying about leaving gas in it to cool pump and so on........
But the question is and was how big or better put what is our tanks rated at????? It is again a 16 gal tank. I put up a pic of my tank on here back in like "03" or "04" still in car with a green sticker on it that says "16" . Now yes you can get more in it when you run it low as ****. But that IS NOT what you are supposed to do. Look at it as a safety or ******** feature. So when it makes it to the E or red mark you don't just run out and get stranded. Basically a small reserve. They just don't say that because of not wanting you to run it low for the reason you said. It still has enough in it to keep the pump covered and cool. You are to run a car only till the gauge reaches the E mark or red mark. Then if you fill it up till it clicks its gonna be ABOUT 16 gals. Thats why they say and are rated at 16 gal. So again the tank is a 16 gal RATED tank.
 

SHOZ123

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The G3 SHO tanks, at least up to '98 are 16 gallon, rated as said. The 18 gallon tanks on the '96-'97 had two vent wells and the SHO tank only had one. I believe after '98 the tanks all had two vent wells. Don't know if the capacity changed though for the SHO. And I have been able to get 20 gallons in mine a time or two.
 

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