Gas leak.. now more problems

[one_bad_MJ]

ok i was smelling gas real bad for like 2 weeks now but no sign of a leak.

 

i filled up the general today and look down its like a waterfall of drips

 

brought it home and went to check it out. took 3 of the 6 bolts out of the stupid skid plate and the other 3 on the back are spinning and won't come out.

 

Now the stupid spot welds broke that hold the nut part of them and I'm F'ed

 

gas still leaking out 4 hours later. i can't use a gringing wheel to remove the stuck bolts due to everything's covered in raw gas.

 

 

what should i do???

 

how do i get this skid plate off to inspect the leak and fix it.

 

 

and do they make a plastic gas tank yet for these?

 

 

as far as i can see theres no rust on the fuel tank. maby the seam split

[jteckmann]

Hmm.

 

Can you reach the nuts with a metal rod? Try some JB Weld on the end of it, see if you can get it to stick, and use the rod to hold the nut in place. Then soak the thing with PB Blaster and try and get the bolt out. I've used that trick with broken speednuts that were hard to reach, but I don't know if the JB Weld is strong enough to hold with a tough stuck bolt.

 

Since the tank didn't leak till you filled it full, other possible culprits could be the gasket around the fuel pump assembly, or the vent hoses up top. Maybe where the filler tube attaches, too.

 

I feel your pain, man ... I hate working around gas - I always get paranoid.

[Geonovast]

I had a gas leak in both MJs.

 

The 2.5's was due to me replacing the pump without dropping the tank, and the O-ring didn't seal properly, because it's a pain to install with the tank in the truck.

 

The 4.0's leak was due to the seal where the wires go through being shot.

[one_bad_MJ]

I had a gas leak in both MJs.

 

The 2.5's was due to me replacing the pump without dropping the tank, and the O-ring didn't seal properly, because it's a pain to install with the tank in the truck.

 

The 4.0's leak was due to the seal where the wires go through being shot.

 

 

the fuel pump seal is fine the leak is coming from the front on the side somewhere the skid plat is covering it up

[one_bad_MJ]

Hmm.

 

Can you reach the nuts with a metal rod? Try some JB Weld on the end of it, see if you can get it to stick, and use the rod to hold the nut in place. Then soak the thing with PB Blaster and try and get the bolt out. I've used that trick with broken speednuts that were hard to reach, but I don't know if the JB Weld is strong enough to hold with a tough stuck bolt.

 

Since the tank didn't leak till you filled it full, other possible culprits could be the gasket around the fuel pump assembly, or the vent hoses up top. Maybe where the filler tube attaches, too.

 

I feel your pain, man ... I hate working around gas - I always get paranoid.

 

 

yeah ive sone some crazy $#!& in the past high risk of blowing my self up but there too much gas.

i will pull it back in and see what i can come up with to getting the skid off with out a burn unit trip

[Wildman]

Have you made out any better since the phone call??????

 

jteckmann - The bolts he wrote about are "sheet-metal" screws, into the under side of the bed, they rust out, and just spin. The only way I've gotten them out is with a zip wheel, but I told bad_MJ not to use a grinder under there with all the gas :eek:

 

Maybe try to chisel the head of the screws off :dunno:

 

If you leaking really that bad........drain the tank out, either with a siphon hose/pump, or disconnect the fuel line at the gas filter, and jump the relay to run the pump.

 

If you take out say 5 gallons of fuel, check to see if you still leaking, if not, then you know the leak is up high.

 

Your SWB, correct......so you only have 18 gallons of gas in the tank of a full fill up.

 

Call me if you need any more help ;)

[one_bad_MJ]

i can't get them out I'm taking it to my buddies garage and were gonna torw it on the lift and try some things up there..

[green_miner]

i'd use a air hammer with a chisel with a buddy holding a fire extenguisher right nearby

[Wildman]

i'd use a air hammer with a chisel with a buddy holding a fire extenguisher right nearby

 

 

Ah.......yea......... :roll:

 

I also know a guy who was working on the other side of a truck shop, then his "former" co-worker was working near a gas tank..........Oh, he made it out.......some how, still don't know how :dunno:

 

I wouldn't go into the other details, use your imagination.

 

But.......they rebuild a nice new shop in place of the old one, minus one mechanic.

 

Gas don't burn.........vapors Explode :eek:

 

I'm sure Bad_MJ know enough to seek out his friends advice on this matter ;)

[one_bad_MJ]

yeah i took it to my buddies garage wheres theres a llift and we used a new snap on air hammer and a very sharp chisel attachment for it. my air hammer dosent hold a candle to the one he just bought

 

 

 

found 6 pinholes in my tank. going to JB weld it now..

 

calling RAYBUCK in the morning there 45 min north of me. if they have a tank I'm buying.it.

[one_bad_MJ]

Bump anyone fix a fuel tank ever??? raybuck can't get a new tank until next Friday

[DJM/78]

It may not work , but for an emergency try rubbing Lava soap on the small holes , when the gas hits the soap it will solidify sealing small

holes .

 

I would just wait for a new tank instead of doing this over again in the future . The soap works though , old Ranger handbook stuff .

[jimoshel]

I've patched several gas tanks using chemicals, JBWeld, Epoxy,etc., Soldering, brazing and welding. Properly done they all work. If the tank is one big rust bucket, anything you do is a waste of time. other than replace it.Pinholes are easily fixed. The most common reason patches fail is because the surface wasn't properly prepared. It has to be clean. All dirt, crud, surface film completely removed down to good, bare metal. Think steel wool or Scotchbrite.

[one_bad_MJ]

I've patched several gas tanks using chemicals, JBWeld, Epoxy,etc., Soldering, brazing and welding. Properly done they all work. If the tank is one big rust bucket, anything you do is a waste of time. other than replace it.Pinholes are easily fixed. The most common reason patches fail is because the surface wasn't properly prepared. It has to be clean. All dirt, crud, surface film completely removed down to good, bare metal. Think steel wool or Scotchbrite.

 

 

the rest of the tank is nice its just a 4" spot below the filler hoses where the dirt and crap lays its bubbled a little and has pin holes.

[jimoshel]

I would sand the area real good, removing all rust out to 2-3inches past any hole. cover the area with resin, lay fiberglass cloth over the resin, resin over the cloth. A typical fiberglass patch. The longest i've ever seen a patch hold up done this way was 20 years. If none of the holes are over 1/4inch Then JBWeld will probably work. Again, make sure the surface is CLEAN. I like to heat the area after applying the JB. It turns the JB into water, literally, and it flows into every crack, cranny, hole there is and sticks like weld.

[one_bad_MJ]

i have it JB'ed now i may fiber glass over it

[BORDENCOMANCHE]

and congrats on not blowing yourself up.

[one_bad_MJ]

and congrats on not blowing yourself up.

 

haha yeah. thanks yeah no welding around that.

 

when i pulled the return line there was like 8,000psi in it and gas shot clean across the garage. whoops. this about got crazy,

 

 

well its fixed and to drove it no leaks. and took some flex shots real fast there in my sig. nothing like tucking 33's