Venting about my truck

That's so darned true. And if it were easy, everyone would do it themselves and no one would be impressed when I manage to blunder through a repair myself!

Thanks for the info, I'll try to find a can tomorrow.

You sound just like me.

Couple of late suggestions. Kroil instead of PB Blaster. I hope you were spraying the bolts from underneath the truck. I heat hoses like that in hot water before putting them on the metal nozzles or pipe.

I've had the bed off an 87 misbegotten, ill designed Chevy so many times, I can almost snap my fingers these days and get the bed off. As far as the number of bolts, I've gotten by with two ... but they were the two best bolts.

I did spray most of the bolts from underneath, but once I got a couple turns, I would spray from the top so it would run down the shaft to the underneath.

As hot as it was, I don't think the hoses needed any hot water. Everything was HOT. I had to use gloves when lifting the bed off so I wouldn't scald my hands.

Thanks!! I will keep an eye out for Kroil. I'm always looking for more/better lubricants.

Did you get the $170 one from autozone or the $30 one from ebay?

I dropped the tank to change mine.

I know Wolfy-hound has his truck fixed now, but another suggestion for getting a hose on when it doesn't want to go, especially as small one, is to spit on/in the hose end. The spit acts as a lubricant and the hose will usually go right on.

I got a $100 fuel tube from Rock-Auto online. I don't have any way to raise my truck up to get to the fuel tank to drop it and no real way to raise it back up easily to reattach it. So the bed was easier(despite all the issues).

I didn't spit on the hose, but I did use a little bit of windex to make it slicker. Worked a charm. It was a snug fit which is good!

And I'm a female, not that it particularly matters though.

I went to autozone and they wanted $169. I'm like "its a rubber hose! How can it be $169?!?" I knew there had to be a cheaper way. Luckily I found them on ebay for $30 shipped, which is what I figured their value to be in the 1st place.

I never thought of moving the bed until I had the job done. Dropping the tank was what the book said to do, which wasn't too bad. It isn't heavy when empty. If I had it to do again, I'm not sure which way I would do it.

Yeah, the Autozone type places kept telling me I had to call the dealership where I found that ridiculous $500 price tag on a HOSE... ugh.

I hit google to find out what was involved and I'd say it was about 1/4 that said drop the fuel tank and 3/4 said move the bed. Removing the bed seemed so much simpler....

Yes, I thought so too until reading your post

That reminded me I have a bedliner with a 100 screws around the perimeter holding it in the bed (because when I pulled loads out of the truck, the liner wanted to go with the loads).

That bedliner would suck. Mine was just jammed in place. Just took some cursing and yanking to get it out. I haven't put it back yet... haven't even put the tailgate back on yet! LOL. Soon. I got the anti-seize stuff but it keeps raining now.

Careful with the anti-seize stuff... get a wee bit on your finger and before you know it, its all over you. A little bit goes a long way. You probably have a lifetime supply.

Considering what the weather fronts from this Tropical storm are doing to my knees and joints, I might need to use some anti-seize on myself!

I tend to agree with the 3/4 on this. Gas tanks are rarely terribly empty, and even dropped, the short hoses and wires make getting everything free darn difficult. Removing the bed, while physically larger, is generally a far more straight forward job.

As for Kroil vs PBblaster, I've used both, can't say I've found any of the various Kroil formulations to be particularly superior to PBblaster. If you stumble across a can, sure, pick it up to try. But I wouldn't go hunting very hard for it. Some day I'm going to buy a can of Mouse Milk, just for the name.

I've done this a couple of times. Use a transmission jack to lower gas tank...much faster than removing the bed!

__________________
It's not good enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required. - Winston Churchill

Wolfy, you sound like my wife. We have an '03 Dakota and an '05 Jeep Liberty and she's not afraid to dig in and help with repairs. She's probably better at changing brakes than I am.

I for one like when women defy the stereotypes and hunt, farm, and fix stuff. My wife's a tomboy through and through and I love her for it.

And Rocky, I think the tranny jack is a great idea, but more of a specialized tool that many people might not have. I'd probably take the bed off too, but this thread goes to show that there can be a bunch of "right" ways to fix a problem. It's always good to have options.

Thanks for the replies and ideas. Yep, no tranny jack here, I have a distinct lack of tools when it comes to specialty vehicle tools. I can say "used to have" a ton of stuff but that's all long gone.

I used to change out the starters on our diesel trucks, work on outboard boat motors, etc. When something breaks, you gotta fix it. I've never ever seen any reason to go wringing hands to find someone else to do it just because of gender.

Especially house repairs, I dearly loved my husband, but I always could finish a plumbing or building project in half the time, with a more professional job in the end than he could. I simply waited for him to go try to find some essential tool he had to have, then went ahead and built the aquarium stand or replace the sink drain before he reappeared. I suspect he liked that.

I know a lot of people who don't know how to change a flat tire. That's just really unacceptable to me.

A person should be able to fix their home, transportation, and their body. Plus, one should be able to defend themselves both physically and legally to a reasonable degree.

Women tend to be more interested in fixing their hair than anything else. I guess if you have a nice appearance, you won't have to worry about fixing anything else, but isn't that the definition of prostituting oneself for basic necessities?

An empty gas tank weighs about as much as an empty garbage can. Just drive the truck with a spare can of gas (in case you run out) until its been on E for a while. No jack required, but an extra pair of hands would be appreciated.

I always have a can of fuel. Normally I also have 2 gallons of water too, but until I finish with the truck bed, the water stays out(no tailgate).

With it being summer here in Florida, if I see someone on the side of the road, out of fuel.. I'm able to stop and give them a couple gallons to get them to a fuel station, instead of them trying to walk miles to a station in the heat OR waiting for hours for a service to bring fuel to them.

And I don't need to risk giving a stranger a ride in my truck with me if I already HAVE the fuel in the truck. Plus, I've run myself out of fuel a couple times.