Regular Tank on Fat Bob Frame

[ramcr913]

I have a 1980 FXEF. I want to run something besides fat bobs for a while. Any way to do this without torching the mounts off?

[pappyfreebird]

one werd (nope), a wider tunnel top mount could be handled n plug the the front up to look good ..but easier ta cut the mounts n toss in a drawer

[moosemush]

Sure. A stock style FX 3.5 gal tank will fit right on without any mods. You'll just have to get the correct mounts. I think you can get a complete kit from the aftermarket so you don't need to buy them individually from the dealer. My old FX had all the fat bob monts still intact under the tank.

[76shuvlinoff]

  That's interesting. Been wondering about that for over a year. Do the FX mounts weld on or can they be bolted on?

[billbuilds]

     Mark,
     The FX mounts bolt right on. The front mount is a long bolt that goes in the frame hole just forward of the fat bob mounts. It includes a large rubber grommet for each side of the bracket on the tank. There is a good size rubber pad that fits on the backbone of the frame on which the front of the tunnel sits. The tank is further kept from flopping from side to side by a 90 degree steel brackets which bolt onto the rear portion of the stock fat bob tank mounts and have a rubber grommet/pad which contact the bottom of the tank. The rear mount is just a spring with a rubber sheath which wraps around the bottom of the back bone and clips into each underside of the tank. The only way that I've seen them aftermarket is thru Tedd or one of his distributors. You can find portions of oem mounting kits on the bay. Bill

[pappyfreebird]

well be it 3 er 5 ..fatbobs mount same..where i rekon im gittun lost is fx mount... stock fx fl have same mount set up unless been cut fer flatsides er uddawise changed...er am i all wet  whats a fx mount?? i thought he were talkin like a mustang er peanut er any tunnel type tank..a deep tunnel will werk but hafta cut off back mounts,,the front itll sit up over but hafta fab a lil tin cover ta hide the gap n it sits higher..oh cheeuyt ok fx mount ,,jus the dash mount thingie that bolts up ok ..i once were lost but am ok maybe still lost but walkin the right direction

[pappyfreebird]

heres n fx homeade to fl (the two lil copper spacers) rear tabs cut off fer flatsides,,the ony dif in fx n fl is the fl is as seen n the fx has the rubbar isolater skeerood in middle hole(theres 1 in middle of 2 copper risers) n then a metal plate wid 2 tapped holes fer fx dash,,,at left of pic ya kin see 1 flatside mount stickun up,,jus below that is where the fatbob mount use to be..i cut them off n put in drawer so kin be rewelded back to stock someday...most cats jus say fug it when ask ifn wan em when mount flats fer em..i in a way skeeerood meself (fer mountin tunnel styles)cause ran all my breakers n relay between tank...but when mounted cant see n ony lift leather tank chap ta git ta breaker n relay

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[76shuvlinoff]

thanks Bill

Pappy, I first believed we were talking about a single tank vs the split 3.5 or 5 gallon jobs or maybe I'm the one that's all wet?    Guys? 

  Don't want to hijack the thread but that's what I'd like to have for my own project, a solid tank that I don't have chop the old mounts off for would be an answer to a prayer... or I go with split 3.5s.  I've got a oem frame I don't want to muck up.

[Speeding Big Twin]

Here's a H-D catalog picture showing the single tank, first introduced for the 1973 FX. I'll also be happy to post H-D part numbers if anyone needs them. The second photo shows the early Sportster-style tank I mounted on my genuine H-D Panhead swingarm frame and I've also mounted that same tank on a 1980s H-D Shovelhead frame. The frame's front mounts can be left on but they need to be ground/shaved a fair amount to suit. The big tanks and instrument panel base can be re-installed later with the use of spacers etc. I have my tank's front bolt running through a lower frame hole than some people use because I prefer that look and it allows for slightly more fuel capacity. Obviously the higher frame hole can be used, allowing less trimming of the frame's front mounts. The frame's rear mounts can be bent over and using a torch is the preferred method. I cut off the upper rear holes on my frames because I figured I'd never use the seat bar again but I retained the lower holes which accept the tank mounting studs.     Eric

[pappyfreebird]

yeup thats wud im talkin bout  eric...the back tabs cut off er bent be better...but a wider tunnel one peice tank kin be done ,,but hafta fill in the (make a fake lil plate) to cover that tank doesnt fit down as a tunnel tank should er would.. in the front...i did my flt that way wid a stretch tank n a 03 style tank

sns thats wud i thought too er dream of myself,,,but since ran wires above n wired switch to above (fx is by oil tank) now i done skeerood meself so keepin the flatsides..wud im tryun ta put here is look at my pic (where dash mounted) that hasta stay n git tucked under (erics pic) tank ...a deeper tunnel is better n ya hafta make a lil tin cover over front sosin it looks cool n finshed or ya lope that glob offin there n reweld nuther day...a sporty king tank has deeper tunnel n hold 3 gal..superglide tanks jus make em look like superglide,,ok i shut up now ps erics tank is a deep tunnel peanut

[ramcr913]

Thanks for the replies. I will probably torch them off, I can always weld some mounts back on if I go back to fat bobs.
Ran 3.5s and 5s back and forth several times since the bike was new but I am thinking about doing something different this time.

[Speeding Big Twin]

Pappy, you're right about all that wiring being hard to hide. For a couple of years I owned the 1974 Shovelhead below but when I bought it in 1976 it was a full dresser and after I removed the big tanks I rewired almost the whole bike, doing away with the indicators, electric starter and as much wiring as I could.

I'd almost forgotten the tank I used on it. It had a similar shape to a Sportster tank but was made of fibreglass and IIRC the tunnel was wider than the steel one I put on my Panhead. The glass tank required a horizontal bolt at the front but a vertical bolt at the rear and I think it was sold undrilled to accommodate universal mounting. One of my mates put one of the glass tanks on his FX but he left the rear unsecured so he could lift it up when he was running low on fuel.     Eric

[pappyfreebird]

thats a great ol pic there dude!

[jlat969]

hello; my plan is to be able to go from single to split. I have run the stock a superglide tank and the quickbob tank with is one pc. now I want the 5 gal. split tank. I never ran a split tank and I've learned a few things. But in that picture of both tanks the split shows item 60 to be teeed of and run as an overflow(I think) I was told just to run a hose there connecting the two. Whats correct?
thanks

[76shuvlinoff]

As long as you have a vented gas cap on the right side tank you can leave the T out and just connect the two sides together.