Fuel Tank options for Land Cruiser 250/ GX550

[Winchester44]

Good thing no other US states follow CA clean air regs either

Under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, states have the option to adopt various California’s programs instead of the federal EPA baseline — but they are neither required nor allowed to adopt all CARB regulations wholesale. Adoption happens program by program, and each adoption requires a formal state rulemaking. When a state chooses to adopt a CARB program (for example the Low Emission Vehicle rules, the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, or the Advanced Clean Truck rule), it must adopt the entire program as written, with no modifications or cherry-picking. Beyond that, states are under no obligation to adopt every program, and they legally cannot create a blanket adoption of “all CARB rules.” Importantly, none of the Section 177 states have adopted California’s restrictions on aftermarket fuel system modifications. That rule remains unique to California hence the “49 state legal” qualifier on aftermarket tanks. The qualifier you are reading is because states could eventually adopt the CARB program banning fuel system modifications.

 

[Winchester44]

Ok so who has ordered a tank?

Also why are they so much cheaper in Australia?

 

[AlexGates]

Ok so who has ordered a tank?

Also why are they so much cheaper in Australia?

Shipping, customs duties, 10% tariff, limited demand.

 

[doubleD]

another option unless my search skills are failing me - main tank replacement. I have inquired to see if this will fit a US spec 250. I have no idea why the preview says it uses a siphon system, that seems to be taken from their aux tank option; the main replacement uses the factory pump.

FK NOTVUCH 110L(29 Gallon) Main Fuel Tank Fit for LC250

Unlock the ultimate long-range capability for your LC250 2.4 Hybrid with our 110L fuel tank. Expertly crafted from high-strength, lightweight aluminum-magnesium alloy, this tank provides exceptional durability and corrosion resistance. Designed for a perfect, bolt-on fit without any...

fkoffroad.com

 

[shwazz714]

another option unless my search skills are failing me - main tank replacement. I have inquired to see if this will fit a US spec 250. I have no idea why the preview says it uses a siphon system, that seems to be taken from their aux tank option; the main replacement uses the factory pump.

FK NOTVUCH 110L(29 Gallon) Main Fuel Tank Fit for LC250

Unlock the ultimate long-range capability for your LC250 2.4 Hybrid with our 110L fuel tank. Expertly crafted from high-strength, lightweight aluminum-magnesium alloy, this tank provides exceptional durability and corrosion resistance. Designed for a perfect, bolt-on fit without any...

fkoffroad.com

Looks like a great option

 

[Winchester44]

another option unless my search skills are failing me - main tank replacement. I have inquired to see if this will fit a US spec 250. I have no idea why the preview says it uses a siphon system, that seems to be taken from their aux tank option; the main replacement uses the factory pump.

FK NOTVUCH 110L(29 Gallon) Main Fuel Tank Fit for LC250

Unlock the ultimate long-range capability for your LC250 2.4 Hybrid with our 110L fuel tank. Expertly crafted from high-strength, lightweight aluminum-magnesium alloy, this tank provides exceptional durability and corrosion resistance. Designed for a perfect, bolt-on fit without any...

fkoffroad.com

Very interesting. Looks like it comes from China. Someone posted a while back about ordering a tank from my manufacturer in China. It looks like they sell both an enlarged Maib 29 gallon tank and a 15.8 gallon sub tank that even comes with modified exhaust pipe. Pricing is quite reasonable I wonder if the quality is though. Good information thanks for posting.!

 

[doubleD]

Video

 

[doubleD]

Anyone know why replacement tanks don’t seem to be the approach msot
Mfrs are taking? They all seem to be aux tanks. I get that you get more that way, if you replace the spare…. But the saddle aux tanks with OEM main tank doesn’t seem worth the squeeze if you can just replace the main tank.

 

[Winchester44]

Anyone know why replacement tanks don’t seem to be the approach msot
Mfrs are taking? They all seem to be aux tanks. I get that you get more that way, if you replace the spare…. But the saddle aux tanks with OEM main tank doesn’t seem worth the squeeze if you can just replace the main tank.

Not sure I follow

 

[D-mac]

Very interesting. Looks like it comes from China. Someone posted a while back about ordering a tank from my manufacturer in China. It looks like they sell both an enlarged Maib 29 gallon tank and a 15.8 gallon sub tank that even comes with modified exhaust pipe. Pricing is quite reasonable I wonder if the quality is though. Good information thanks for posting.!

Looks to me this tank was designed for international market gas LC250s without hybrids. As far as I know the US/CAN LC250 is the only one with the iForce max powetrain. But a Chinese vendor may be happy to sell one to a US customer anyway.

 

[doubleD]

Not sure I follow

Sorry for being unclear. I’m wondering why most (all?) aftermarket gas tanks for the LC are additional, auxiliary tanks if there is actually enough space to mount a 29 gallon replacement main tank. An Aux tank is a giant undertaking to install with a lot more complexity. You would think if a bigger main tank actually fit, then more companies would offer it.
I’m asking this mostly to see if there is a known reason why bigger main tanks are rare if they exist at all- eg they are overly exposed, unsafe, or as I think is pointed out in another post…they may not actually fit and the product is designed for another variant.

 

[Winchester44]

Looks to me this tank was designed for international market gas LC250s without hybrids. As far as I know the US/CAN LC250 is the only one with the iForce max powetrain. But a Chinese vendor may be happy to sell one to a US customer anyway.

It looks like it was designed for the Chinese market where the hybrid is sold. It says the following “ Go Farther, Weigh Less: Lightweight aluminum-magnesium construction minimizes added weight, helping preserve your Land Cruiser 250H's renowned hybrid efficiency, even with the extra range.”

Curious why there are so many folks convinced the hybrid has unique requirements vs. other petrol models when it comes to the gas tank? Not saying that’s incorrect. I’ve just not seen any stated reasoning behind that.

 

[doubleD]

Looks to me this tank was designed for international market gas LC250s without hybrids. As far as I know the US/CAN LC250 is the only one with the iForce max powetrain. But a Chinese vendor may be happy to sell one to a US customer anyway.

Right. I should get a response tonight. The vendor asked for more info to see if the tank fits.

 

[Winchester44]

Sorry for being unclear. I’m wondering why most (all?) aftermarket gas tanks for the LC are additional, auxiliary tanks if there is actually enough space to mount a 29 gallon replacement main tank. An Aux tank is a giant undertaking to install with a lot more complexity. You would think if a bigger main tank actually fit, then more companies would offer it.
I’m asking this mostly to see if there is a known reason why bigger main tanks are rare if they exist at all- eg they are overly exposed, unsafe, or as I think is pointed out in another post…they may not actually fit and the product is designed for another variant.

Ah good question! I suspect it’s because you can get more total capacity justifying the investment. Example 16+18 gallons via sub tank is quite a bit more than 29 gallons with just an enlarged main tank. I would say a sub tank is a bit more complex, but Toyota does it every day so its pretty straightforward on how to do it correctly

 

[EOD Guy]

IMO, it's a price point and how many would justify purchasing it vs more frequent fill-ups. Over seas where the distance is between fuel stations is sometimes great distances, they would probably have a better consumer demand vs the US market. If the cost to import the OEM diesel aux tank wasn't so large, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. But my dealer said it's not available to the US market, which I find odd.

 

[Matsayz]

IMO, it's a price point and how many would justify purchasing it vs more frequent fill-ups. Over seas where the distance is between fuel stations is sometimes great distances, they would probably have a better consumer demand vs the US market. If the cost to import the OEM diesel aux tank wasn't so large, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. But my dealer said it's not available to the US market, which I find odd.

I had Perplexity run the numbers for me, 200+ fill ups before it made any sense. And that was with my current expectation of 10,000mi/yr so it'd be over 15yrs, which while I'd love to keep the truck... I don't think I'll have it for that long.

 

[D-mac]

It looks like it was designed for the Chinese market where the hybrid is sold. It says the following “ Go Farther, Weigh Less: Lightweight aluminum-magnesium construction minimizes added weight, helping preserve your Land Cruiser 250H's renowned hybrid efficiency, even with the extra range.”

Checking the specs on toyota.com.cn, the Chinese market Prado LC250 is a 282hp 4cyl 1MT mild hybrid that is made in China, and has a completely different powertrain than the 325hp Japan made full hybrid North American LC250. This is probably because Chinese clean air regs are looser than US or European regs.
In any case, if still interested, it's probably a good idea to make sure whomever selling these Chinese fuel tanks has evidence of successfully installing them on USDM LC250s, and can provide proof of compliance with US DOT and possibly State of CA emission regs.

 

[Winchester44]

I had Perplexity run the numbers for me, 200+ fill ups before it made any sense. And that was with my current expectation of 10,000mi/yr so it'd be over 15yrs, which while I'd love to keep the truck... I don't think I'll have it for that long.

What is the math on this? What do you mean made any sense?

 

[Winchester44]

Checking the specs on toyota.com.cn, the Chinese market Prado LC250 is a 282hp 4cyl 1MT mild hybrid that is made in China, and has a completely different powertrain than the 325hp Japan made full hybrid North American LC250. This is probably because Chinese clean air regs are looser than US or European regs.
In any case, if still interested, it's probably a good idea to make sure whomever selling these Chinese fuel tanks has evidence of successfully installing them on USDM LC250s, and can provide proof of compliance with US DOT and possibly State of CA emission regs.

Good intel.

 

[Matsayz]

What is the math on this? What do you mean made any sense?

Financial and length of time for me using current Maine prices. I had it in another post as well. I suppose if you're doing a ton of miles, 20,000mi/yr or truly need a ton of range then it might be acceptable price-wise. I cannot currently justify the price of tank+install.