379 fuel tank crossover questions

ROTFLMAO!! I know all about the pickup tube issue! 4 State Trucks got a batch of bad copper pickup tubes a while back, & I got two of them in a row -- first one stuck me in the middle of BFE, having to be towed home -- they overnighted me a new one immediately; that replacement went out (cracked horizontally below the fitting) a year later in Peru, IL having to be towed off the interstate in a blinding snow storm. Gotta admit, 4 State more than made up for the lost money & time -- but I only use the Pete plastic tubes now!!!
I just got done putting new 135-gallon polished aluminum tanks on the Pete (gratis -- courtesy of 4 State!) and I went back to the old crossover design for simplicity -- I have a FASS system, which has it's own return, so it was simpler to just draw from the left tank & run both engine & FASS return into their own ports on the right tank with a crossover line to equalize.

 

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most if not all dual round tank setups pulled from a tee at bottom or the left tank. # 10 aeroquip (stratoflex) hose from tee to fuel pump. #10 hose for crossover from bottom of right tank to tee on left tank. All fuel was returned to left tank. Not sure on Cats but some Cummins PT pumps were setup to have two separate returns to top of left tank on Petes. One from pump usually a #4 and one from return rail on engine. Usually a #8. All aeroquip/stratoflex.
Put a 1/2 shutoff valve at bottom fitting bung on each tank. Either a ball valve or hose bib type to shutdown fuel.
They are not illegal but had been phased out as the electronic engines took over and fuel supply systems changed.
The biggest problem with them was the fools that didnt keep them secured by a crossmember or pipe like the oem’s did. There were also lots of folks that used stupid stuff like garden hose and worm clamps as replacements.

 

The funny thing is I hear lots of comments from folks that don’t really know but just heard how so called “dangerous” they are. But look at it this way for 50 years diesel powered trucks used bottom feed fuel hose and crossovers made of aircraft quality steel braided hose and heavy duty fittings. Hose that has to be cut with a hacksaw or chop saw.
Now they use plastic line you can cut with a pocket knife.