Frame access & Gas tank

I cannot fit my hand into the frame on the driver's side in order to attach the rear-most bolt on my driver's side slider. I removed the skid plate, of course, and IIRC there were some straps over the tank itself. Can these be loosened a little so as to push the tank over just a tad? I only need like 1/2" of play to get up in there. I already buttoned it back up, but this is eating away at me. In a rare moment of clarity, I decided that touching the gas tank was a poor decision. Thanks in advance.

 

Took me probably half an hour to get that one bolt done..... Yes it sucks BAD. I didn't drop/move the tank though.

 

(Conversation with your truck) Here is a toy Tundra, show us where the bad man touched you.

 

I'm unfamiliar with that specific application, but what I have done in such cases is duct tape the nut to the end of a wood dowel or similar (stick) that can be used to hold the nut in position to start the bolt into the thread. Once the nut is completely threaded up, you can pull the dowel and tape off the nut. Use an end wrench on the nut to torque the nut to spec. You may have to tape the wrench to a stick, but you'll want to recover the wrench.

 

Yeah, thanks for that suggestion. I figured that is just about my only solution. Of course, I'll need one of these, too -- to retrieve the washer I will inevitably drop, etc.

 

I had to drop the gas tank when i installed my sliders from sdhq. Not that bad at all just make sure tank is almost empty and put some shoring underneath. you don't even have to drop it all the way just a few inches...

 

So remove one side of the straps and allow it to lower a few inches onto blocks? There's enough play in whatever to allow it to drop a couple of inches?

 

no i loosened all the straps and just let the tank down onto some blocks of wood. then reinstalled using a jack. getting straps started was a little pita but it wasn't bad. There was enough play I wasn't concerned about pinching anything just be observant.

 

In case you missed it, @ViktorG covered the removal of the fuel tank in a recent thread about fuel pump replacement. His is a Gen2, but some claim Gen3=Gen2 anyway. If you need to go this route, you should have enough room without dropping the tank completely.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/tundra-fuel-pump-replacement-step-by-step-how-to-video-guide.81181/

 

Thanks for that video @JohnLakeman. It took me a few weeks to get down to E but today I removed the skid plate (can it even be called that?) and stacked 2 pallets under the gas tank. I then removed one side of each strap, and using a pry bar was able to push the gas tank toward the passenger side just a bit. That quarter inch or so was just enough room for me to get my hand further up in there and get that last bolt. It was sort of a circus trick juggling a pry bar, the bolt, and the washer/nut combo up inside the frame. I also tied a string to my box wrench just in case I dropped it in the frame. But I got it done. Again, thanks for that video reference!

 

Appreciated, but thank @ViktorG for the video. Glad that it helped you.