Leaking Fuel Tank

[Fo55il]

hi pplz -
just need help - my petrol tank is leaking !!!!

n this is wen i got home from topping it up ....

anyways ... i think most of it leaked out - but i jacked it up form d back right so it dun all leak out ... lol

anyways

my question is dat any1 done a diy or can give me instructions on how to change d fuel tank ???

[omgzilla]

Can you work out where its leaking from?

Is the tank physically split? I'd be betting its just a split hose to/from the tank.

I'd be pulling the tank out and inspecting it further.

Maybe have a read of this:
http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/14/1a/0b/0900823d80141a0b/repairInfoPages.htm

Hope this helps!

[Fo55il]

thanx man

BUT - TAKE EXHAUST OFF????

dats gon be a bitch - but it must be done -

i shall check !!!

n let u kno

thanx pplz

[Setanta]

I am going to be deadly serious here.

DO NOT REMOVE A FUEL TANK YOURSELF!!! ESPECIALLY IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS/KNOWLEDGE!

You are dealing with highly flammable liquid and even if you drain the tank, you have residual fluid/gas remaining that can and will ignite at the smallest provocation. Having had a mate literally go up in flames for trying to remove one and dropping it having it, him and the car catch fire, I can't emphasise enough how important it is to get the whole car to someone who can pump inert gas through the tank to remove residuals. It's like playing Russian Roulette, you may do it successfully, or you may end up in a world of trouble.

Suggestion: track the leak by cleaning the tank with a damp cloth. Buy some tank-weld putty if you find the leak, plug it up and then take it to a specialist. If you can't find the leak or if it's a split, get it put onto a tilt-tray and taken to a specialist.

Your call, but while I'll do a lot of work on my own cars, I know my limitations and I don't mess with fuel systems other than pump/line removal.

[Fo55il]

oh ok thanx man -

atm i havent cdecided waht exactly i wanna do - but ill let u guys kno

[DNT-CRY]

i had this problem i took mine to a mech and my whole fuel tank was buckled sideways and the mech said if i drove it 1 more day he said the car would of been up in flames so dont take the risk. play it safe n take it to a mech asap

[omgzilla]

While others have stressed the caution you should use in dealing with the fuel system, it might be worth at least investigating a little further into the issue, yourself.

Check over all the hoses, inlets/outlets and seals on the tank and if you can't find the source of the leak try wiping it all down, take it for a drive then check it immediately once you get back and look for the leak while the residue will still be noticeable.

As others have said - I wouldn't even think about removing the fuel tank without first pumping all fuel out of the tank and letting it vent for a few hours.

[TJsol]

take it 2 a machanic..

if it leakin jst buy a aftr market fuel tank not 2 much off memory. lol..

[Fo55il]

yeah i foudn out how much they at teh wreckers ... 100$ . not too much

but atm i jacked d car up so its on a angle - n its not leakin atm - i havent had tiem to check out d leak atm - due to assignemnts n exams - but im gonna be checkin out ....

hope its not harmful keepin d car jacked up ....

[omgzilla]

As long as the car is jacked up from a suitable position (somewhere solid - chassis rail etc) and evenly (so car body is not flexing too much) it will be fine.

You'll probably need to have the fuel system under a bit of pressure to get it to leak. You can do this by putting the ignition on and letting the fuel system prime. The fuel regulator usually holds pressure in the fuel rail, but if its a hose coming from the tank you most probably won't be able to see it leaking unless the hose is under pressure. Depending on how badly its leaking you may need to cycle the ignition again periodically to keep priming the system as pressure is lost.

[TJsol]

shuld b alright wif it jackd up..
jst find the leak.. n decide wat u wna do about it..

also get a quote on how much it gona cost u if u dnt no any machinic 2 put it in.. tank mayb cheap but a frnd did it n it wasnt to hard jst a pain in the ass to do. lol..

all the best for it!! keep us up2 date wif wat happnz :)

[Fo55il]

thanx ill let yall kno

[Setanta]

hope its not harmful keepin d car jacked up ....

As long as you aren't keeping it up on a hydraulic jack and are using the correct jack/stand positions you should be fine. Hydraulics tend to let go after being kept under pressure after a while - scissor jacks are actually ok.

No comment about getting a friend to do it - you think an insurance company will pay out if a backyard mechanic stuffs it? :D

BTW - had a case of a guy in a garage pumping exhaust fumes through a tank after letting it stand a few days in the hope of flushing out fumes... they then went to work cutting it open and .... fire anyone? :D

FYI I'm spending a fair bit of money getting a custom stainless steel 70l tank made for the EH as the current 40l tank doesn't cut it with a 202/trimatic fuel guzzle and won't be any better when I drop in the Nissan/Holden RB30ET. No way am I removing the tank, even if it is easier than in a Honda. I'll route the fuel and return lines etc but not touch the tank itself - that's for people that have the equipment to do it. Cautious? Yeah, you bet :)

[Hacs]

After having a slight fuel smell as i start my car in the mornings sometimes.. i think ive got the same problem as fo55il except not quite as bad.

based on the discussion here, might take it to a mechanic this weekend.. better yet, asap ><"

thanks for the general info guys.

[TheGoodDeal]

After having a slight fuel smell as i start my car in the mornings sometimes.. i think ive got the same problem as fo55il except not quite as bad.

based on the discussion here, might take it to a mechanic this weekend.. better yet, asap ><"

thanks for the general info guys.

^^^^That's normal I believe. When engine is cold fuel do not burn completly

[Setanta]

Easy solution: Check around your fuel pump (if you run an external), fuel lines and look at the tank for dampness/brown staining. If it's mornings only then there's a good chance it's just auto-choke/unburnt fuel from the tailpipe as TheGoodDeal said.

[Fo55il]

After having a slight fuel smell as i start my car in the mornings sometimes.. i think ive got the same problem as fo55il except not quite as bad.

based on the discussion here, might take it to a mechanic this weekend.. better yet, asap ><"

thanks for the general info guys.

bro - my fuel gas tank is an empty gas tank within an hour lol - it leaked out

[Fo55il]

thanx alot pplz - i went under d car - foudna lil hole ..... now how can i fix it ?

silicone ?

[Fo55il]

bought this putty stuff from repco- made for petrol tank leaks -
$7 .

just waitin to see resultss now ...