I thought my tank was 12 gallons, but the other day I was really low on gas and filled up, it took 12.3 gallons.

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'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
FLOWMASTER, NO CAT
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat
2:73 GEARS
Rebuilt 700R4, with manual valve body
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite
Soon to be installed
3:73 Richmond Gears and 3" Hooker Aero Chamber
Corvette Servo & .500 boost valve
15.61@ 95.2mph G-Teched, 1-2 shift slippage, and just replaced a burnt plug wire
"There is nothing more addicting than speed"

 

i think somewere around 15

 

The most I've crammed in is around 13 gallons; I don't know why GM says they're 16?


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

EFI 15.5
Carb 16.2

The difference in volume is the EFI pump. Some of the earlier cars were rated a little different, but still around 15-16. The mythical 18 gallon 1LE tank to my knowledge has never been verified to exist except in he said she said folklore.
Also worth noting, as much as they'd like you to believe they are accurate w/ their officail state/county calibration stickers, gas station pumps have variance just like any other measuring device. I've put 14.8 gallons into mine, and wasn't having any low fuel associated problems such as stalling/stumbling on turns/hard braking, etc. So i really doubt i was that low, eh?
...ed

------------------
Ed Maher - Moderator @ The TPI & Carb Boards
92 Z28 Convertible - Quasar blue / Tan top
LB9 4L60 GU2 G80 - stock, soon to be sleeper
-=ICON Motorsports=-

- Definitely prototypes, high powered mutants of some kind. Too weird to live, too cool to die

 

Actually Ed, IIRC is goes like this:

V8, V6 = 15.5 gallons
I4 = 14.x gallons

For the rest, do not confused rated capacity with "how much fits in the tank". These two things are totally different. The capacity (how ever GM measured it) does not include the filler tube, nor extra space for fuel (to not overfill). How much you can fit in the tank will always vary and will never be the same from one car to another. This is also due to fuel pump station specs, at which point they shut off (back pressure?).

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George P. Lara
1984 Z28
2001 SS #0391
SCCA, SCFB, SC3GFB

 

I've gotten my fuel level as low as I dared and got about 15.3 gallons in there. That 15.5 is damn close. I always have problems with fuel starvation at anything less than about 2 or 3 gallons. Sucks.
bsa

 

It seems the consensus is around 15.5 gallons, but I don't think I could have gone another 54 miles and not run out of gas. I mean my needle was basically on E, I know these gauges are the most accurate, but could it be that bad when the needle is on E.

------------------
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
FLOWMASTER, NO CAT
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat
2:73 GEARS
Rebuilt 700R4, with manual valve body
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite
Soon to be installed
3:73 Richmond Gears and 3" Hooker Aero Chamber
Corvette Servo & .500 boost valve
15.61@ 95.2mph G-Teched, 1-2 shift slippage, and just replaced a burnt plug wire
"There is nothing more addicting than speed"

 

sorry meant to say I know there not the most accurate.

 

I usually can fit 14.0-14.3 gallons in my tank. If I am really low I've gotten as much as 14.7 in there

Kat

------------------
90 RS 305 TBI A4
Dumb ***/**** poor/orginating memeber of the infamous NE Crew
Time to see, believe this in me,This pain that i feel deep inside

 

Its 15.5

Wanna see my Owners Manual?

And I have never been able to get more than about 14 in my tank, even after running out.

 

Not to be a schmuck but are you guys nuts? Doesn't running your car so low on gas prematurely kill the fuel pump? I usually don't let my car get below half a tank. Am I crazy?

 

I usually only get 12 or 12.5 into there when I fill the tank... I believe they are 15.5 gallon tanks so I guess I get fuel starvation with about 3 gallons left... when the needle is on E...... interesting

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1989 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
L98 - 350c.i. TPI, rebuilt 700R4 auto w/shift kit, Dual catalyst Monza PaceSetter Cat-Back, SLP 1 5/8 Coated Headers, 3.23 Posi rear, Hypertech chip with 160stat, Under-Drive pulleys, AFPR, K&N's, !Air Box w/ Ram Air, moddified MAF, throttle body coolant bypass, Spohn SFC's on order, Alarm, Keyless entry, remote starter, 92 Z28 AeroWing, Brand New Paint (6/21/01)

Future: ZZ4 TPI w/EGR, T56, 3.42 or 3.73, Spohn strut tower brace and LCA's

1989 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport
2.8 MPFI, no mods
225,000 miles and still ticking!

More info and pics on my webpage:http://go.to/iroc-z

AOL IMer: GPA 0point0

 

Same with me too.

------------------
1988 Jet Black IROC
5.7L W/ 64000 miles
Flowmaster Exhaust
Fully Loaded
------------------

My IROC

 

Yes, the tank, when completely empty, will take 15.5 gallons. However, (and you knew this was coming......) your pump cannot completely drain the tank, there is 1 or 2 gallons remaining in the tank even when the engine stops running. The pump simply cannot get the last little bit of gas.

 

Madmax is correct at least as far as my Z28 and Fbird go 15.5.
Ed does have a point about lesser volume due to the electric in tank fuel pump which MRZ touches on. The rate the capacily unloaded "- the fuel pump/sender".
Now there was a similar thread about this two weeks ago and most people can squeeze about 12/14 gallons in MAX. I figured I would test this so I filled up my tank about 11 gallons I was almost empty about a gallon left 12/13 gallons total. I figured I would let it settle and try to squeze some more in in the mourning. I got another 2.4 gallons in so roughly 15 or so gallons. I dont know what would cause the tank to be unsettle to not allow the 2.4 gallons more in the night before but 15 gallons can be done just not at one time. And yes I drove to the gas station
and that could account for some extra fuel but the gas station is only a mile away.
SSC

 

You're right, Irocnroll... that's why after doing my first fuel pump, I never, Ever, let the gas get that low again!


------------------
-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

Is it hard to put in a bigger tank

 

It depends. The 83Z has a 12 gallon tank and the 86 IROC has the 15.X gallon tank. According to the owner's manuals anyway. Don't know why the 83Z is so small, at 11 mpg it doesn't go long without visiting the gas station.

------------------
Z's r Best

 

I went 80 some odd miles on the highway when my needle was on "E". Since I get about 22-23 mpg on the highway that comes to about 3.5 gallons. What a rip!! 3.5 gallons is far from empty.
bsa

 

It's only 15.5 if you have fuel injection, like Ed said. Rated capacity of a tank in a carb car is 16.2. And that's in *MY* owner's manual.

'84:
5.0L V8, 2.8L V6: 16.2 gal
I4: 15.5 gal

 

Only if you have a fuel pump back there to kill.

 

Well I would like to beleive that but I have an 82Fbird LG4 original CC Carb. In the owners manual it staes 15.5 gallons "all modles"
One my 85/86 camaro I dident receive an owners manual but it could take more gas at one time than the firbird, around 14 gallons.
I dunno mabe a gm cross company thing.
SSC

 

Well....I guess you got me there. But I know alot of these guys do have fuel pumps, and know that they are bitch to change when they die.

 

You are all wrong! It has to do with the outside temperature on the day you pump the gas. It is a scientific fact that liquids expand when it is warm out, so of course your tanks will hold less gas during this time of year. I bet $$$ if you take notice in the dead of winter, you may be able to squeeze as much as 17-18gal. in that tank!!! I have a web page that sells a special blanket that wraps arround your tank and hooks up to your AC to pump cool air around your tank. This allows you to get an extra 2-3gal. into the tank for long trips. It also makes a denser charge of fuel and helps performance in the 1/4mi... Cooler fuel equals more HP!


BTW- most I can get in there is about 13.5gal...

------------------
1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock with the exception of the Holley 750vac... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

That is true about liquids, but no matter how hot or cold out it is I usually fill my tank up with 10-11 gallons no matter the temperature.

------------------
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
FLOWMASTER, NO CAT
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4 vette servo and .500 boost valve
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite
Soon to be installed
3" Hooker Aero Chamber

 

I doubt that the 83Z only has a 12 gallon tank because I have put more than 12 gallons in numerous times. And I don't even run it till empty. I think it has the same 15.5 gallon as all the others.

 

Back when my gas guage quit, I ran my 82 until it died. I was just a few yards from the gas station so I did the restart and die thing 4-5 times and made it to the pump. I put in just a little bit over 16 gallon it it. It was about 80 degrees outside.

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350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkin bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, currant red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro

 

I can explain this one, for the people who disagree. By the time your fuel guage is on E, you still have about three gallons left in the tank. It's the way the tank is shaped. I just fill up when I'm at E anyway, just in case :P but in actuality, you still have three gallons left. When i first got my car, the guy drained the tank for winter, and he put 2 gallons in to get me to the gas station. The needle never moved with those 2 gallons, and it took about 14 to top it off at the gas station. By the time your needle hits F from a full tank, you've used practically a 1/4 of it already, haven't ya noticed?

------------------

 

When my gas gage hits E I have less than a gallon left in it because it will take about 14.5 gal. to fill it up if I wait that long. But I have put over 15 gal. in it several times when I forgot to check the gauge.

------------------

92 Camaro RS 5.0 5-Speed (Quasar Blue)
T-Tops
14" Open Air Cleaner
3.08 Posi-trac
Edelbrock TBI Intake
Crane cam
Ported & polished stock heads 3 angle valve job
HyperTech Chip
UltraFlo cat-back exhaust

74 Dodge Dart Sport 360 (11.2 1/4 mile)

2000 Dodge 1500 Ram Sport

 

I've noticed that when I accelerate, the gauge goes up on my stock 82. And when I brake, the gauge goes down.

That would explain why I could fit so much more gas in their when it was in the single digits. I was really confused until now.

 

I know what you mean. It aggrivates the **** outta me. I never know how much I exactly have. It can go from 3/4 to over full with just a touch up the gas. Lay my foot into it and it soars up. Then of course comes down quickly LOL

Nate