71 F250 Fuel selector hose lines

[Robo]

Hi all! I have a 71 F250 Sport Custom that I haven't driven/fuelled up in a while and remaining gas evaporated over summer. Got a gallon in container but before putting it in I remembered last time it leaked a bit at the gas station. I only use the auxillary tank on drivers side. Checked the filler neck/hose connection and it looks like rubber around it probably needs replacing and more than likely the cause of leak while filling up. But, I also checked the fuel selector/hoses and that is where I'm trying to figure out what is going on. There is a loose hose that obviously seems to have come off a flange, but why is it looping back into itself? In cab tank line seems right. Why is the aux tank line/hose looping into itself and not connecting with selector? My in cab gauge (set to aux) has always worked, as well as switching to in cab tank if desired. There in no manual switch on floor as a wire from gauge switch seems to do that job. Is this selector hose setup correct as I never noticed this before? Also, what is that thing to the right of filler neck and on top of tank?

[Robo]

Added this closeup of mystery part on tank.

[m9452p]

The electrical connection looks like the plug in for the electrical for a slide in camper. Is it a Camper Special? I'm going to go look at my 1969 this afternoon to see if its the same connector.

[Robo]

Hi! Oh yes I see now. My Sport Custom had tall slide in camper when I bought it years ago. First thing I did was drive it to a parts yard and paid for them to lift it off and keep it. The bed raised up about a foot!

After much internet searching I found a couple of photos of the fuel selector/hoses in original configuration. Since I only use the aux tank, a mechanic somewhere along the way routed the aux tank directly to the fuel pump line I guess.

The cut sections of gas hoses at the parts stores seemed too stiff to wrap around the original cracking tank hose. I went with softer coolant hose for now as it was better than what was holding it together before.

[Fraser]

A couple of things I have noticed, your truck has a hose squeezed between the box and frame, this was used in '73, but your truck should have the filler in a boxed section, bolted into the box. Those hoses were problematic in the later trucks that were designed for them, but yours was not, and it is pinched way too tight, I think a previous owner has added that tank, from a newer truck. You could find the correct filler and cover from a '70-'72, but it may not line up with the later tank.
Also, it looks like someone has put an electric diverter valve on, that was '75 I think.

[Robo]

Hi! I appreciate you pointing those things out. I will look into them and see whether to change or leave as is. Yes, the selector/diverter is electric, though I dont use it anyway.