Dodge Chassis Fuel Cell

[aliendude]

Took my Clipper in for a smog and got thrown out for leaking fuel....
Bummer......

Kind of funny watching them freak out though....

I tightened up the filler neck to the tank to fix one leak....
But the other
It's coming from a hose that goes thru the frame- to the top of the tank.
The vapor vent line I guess, that goes to the filler neck.....
Which I can't see how to get to it.    

I'm going to drop the gas tank to replace the hose; but in case it is
the tank,  where can a person get a similar new one....
Or is there a epoxy for the fuel cell plastic?  

Also how would I get to the filler neck from the inside?    Cut out the wall?
At this point, I don't care.   I just want it registered.  
I think the metal vapor line up to it is corroded and loose off the neck too.
I'm debating measuring and cutting a hole in the floor......

[bigray]

If you had bad gas milage, I guess that's the cause. 'ey.

The good news: It's destine to get better!

[junebob]

ALIEN DUDE- Fuel tank.
All of the problems you addressed can be handled by dropping the tank. Once its on the ground you can replace any hoses, put new connecting hose on inlet pipe and vent pipe. Or repair your tank if needed.   I'm sure there are special materials to repair your plastic tank. Even Epoxy with fibre glass , or fibre glass and resin will do the job.Bob Chaney

[Andy Illes]

Geeze guys... when it rains, it pours, huh?  I've been smelling a faint smell of gas since I messed with my charcoal canister, and through it was that.  Just noticed today it's a tank leak (not hoses, fittings... the tank).... groan.  I found a pinhole leak under one of the front-to-back bands.. looks like a little pebble got in there years ago and finally wore it's way through.  I probably opened it when I blew the wasp outta my vent line.  Oh well.

Anyway... the tank's made out of polypropylene... which is NOT easy to "glue".  I spent a few hours online and on the phone with different tech support, and finally found some stuff that's supposed to work with both that plastic and gasoline.... Permatex Plastic Bonder #82565.  After some more calls, I found a tube at Discount Auto ($3.99), but got back with it too late to try it yet.  The permatex techie suggested cutting a "patch" from a little chunk of sprinkler pipe (which I picked up at Home Depot on the way [free, cuz I only needed an inch]  :lol: )... it's that black stuff.  Clean and roughen the surfaces and put the goop on both surfaces, then press the patch on and hold it.  I'll just put the band back on, that oughtta do it.

Best regards and hope this helps, Andy

[bigray]

Good luck Andy. Let us know how it goes!

[Andy Illes]

Hi guys (and gals)

Well.... I'm stumped!!   I've had my gas tank out and full of water for 2 days now, and can NOT find where the thing's leaking from!!!  It definitely wasn't from any of the fittings/connections.  Any ideas?

Btw, after looking at tons of stuff (mostly off-road and MC posts) on repairing these plastic tanks meanwhile, I got some other goop called "Seal All", and think I'll use that instead of the Permatex stuff... assuming I find WHAT to patch.

I wound up with other questions that have nothing to do with this, and will post that separately.

Anyway, if anyone has ANY idea where that damned gas couldda been coming from... please post.

As always, thanx.... Andy

[Horst]

Andy,
You said you "found a pinhole leak" under one of the support straps.
Did you look carefully to be sure that the leak didn't come from higher up on the strap? You said a rock must have gotten in there, etc. I'm just wondering if the hole is at one spot, but the gas is "coming out" somewhere else - could be running under the band for a ways?? don't know - just a thought.

Now as to why it's not leaking now that you have it out? No clue - but - maybe, when the tank is in the Clipper, and "hanging" from the straps - that may createdifferent pressure/warpage of the polypropelyne than when you have the tank sitting on the ground full of water?
Maybe when the tank is on the gound the crack is crimped shut? Maybe gas is thinner than water and finds its way out easier?

If you have any junkyards close by - go grab a spare tank - they were fairly common on B200 and B300 vans, 73 to 77/78 - probably cost you $30-$40 - money well spent.

[Andy Illes]

Thanks for the input Horst.  

Yeah, that little pebble's what it looked like with the tank still hanging, but now that it's out, I've traced all around where it was with a sewing needle, I had marked the spot with White-Out, and can't find a THING!!!  Talk about frustrating?!?!?!?!?   I've even tried plugging all the lines and blowing into the filler opening (YECH!!!!).... no leak.

Does this plastic material "bleed" if it's too thin somewhere?   There ARE areas that look like the strap/insulation things wore into it.  I just dan't find any place it's actually leaking.  Is it possible, for whatever reason, that gas would leak, but not water??

One possible clue... what was dripping seemed to have a higher viscocity than gas and was a brownish color (though it did smell like gas)... but what the hell else is back there?  I sure don't see any other possible leak source (and yes, Ray... I DO know what a blackwater leak would look/smell like...  :wink: ).

All ideas thankfully welcomed.... Andy

[bigray]

See............I wasn't even going there.

[Den]

I'm wondering if it wasn't a line connected to the tank itself and not the tank ? A return line perhaps. I'm thinking if it was the tank you would of noticed it or smelled it before you took it in. Doe's it leak just sitting or doe's it have to be running ?


"(and yes, Ray... I DO know what a blackwater leak would look/smell like...  ). "

I hope I never will. :|

Den

[Horst]

Den makes a good point....

and

does it only leak when the tank is full?
how about 3/4 full?
how about 1/2 full?
etc.

might help you isolate the source

[Horst]

that "brownish" stuff - most likely just gas mixed with dirt/grime that is on the outside of the tank.

[Den]

That's what I was getting at. Did you fill it up before you pulled in ? Why was this never a problem before ? What different did you do this day. From the sounds of it we need to take this problem backwards.

Den

[Andy Illes]

I noticed the drip before I topped the tank off to test my charcoal canister fix, so it was about empty then.  It doesn't seem like the level made any difference, though sloshing around driving might obviate that one, huh?

Yeah, Horst... I think you're on the right track about flexing.  I've tried "poking" the stupid thing here and there, and particularly around where I thought the pinhole was and STILL can't make it leak.

"Hello... junkyard?"

[Andy Illes]

EUREKA!!!  Pretty sure I found it, and you guys were right on all counts... thank you all!!!

I could NOT get that stupid tank to leak, so I dumped it out, dried it (compressed air) hooked everything back up with it still sitting on the ground (still old hoses)... puffed some smoke from a construction worker's Burgess mosquito fogger into it before I hooked the filler pipe up and and then ran some compressed air into the thing through the filler after I hooked it back up.  Guess what... smoke came from a rubber connector for the line to the charcoal canister.  It had a little split in it I couldn't see and was dry.  It probably leaked fuel those times I did the overfills (btw, one of the guys helping/watching may have found the reason why gas surges while filling, I'll put it in that thread).  Like y'all said, the gas probably mixed with crud under the bands and didn't all evaporate, and those were the drops.  I won't know for sure till I get new hoses on it and bolt it back up.

Btw, it was sortta funny that practically every guy in the campground seemed to be sitting around sucking beers, helping and offering suggestions... some of 'em pretty good mechanics... and once it was obvious the tank wasn't leaking, they were saying pretty much the same things you guys were.  Let's hope this fixes it.  Now.... after I finish this Heineken and post about the surging... off to the parts store for hoses and clamps... I'll lettcha know.    Thanks again for all your help...