transamracer

I know the gas tank story has been debated many times... I am not doing the pump, I am repairing the retarded filler neck to gastank joint Apparently there's a recal for 1991 F-Bods for that exact problem, but not in 1988....

So.. today I finally decided to tackle this job. So I started by unbolting the exhaust hanger by the cat, jacked up the back and started going nuts.. first removing the panhard rod from both sides, then the shock and stabilizer mounts off both sides then let the rear end drop... not enough slack on the brake flexline.. so I pinched it off with vise grips (not sure if people will agree with that, but it saves a lot of air in the system) undid the lines going to the rear calipers, and unbolted the dist. block... now the read end is on the ground, still connected via torque arm and driveshaft... This is where I am now.. taking a rest

Dilemma, I have the exhaust hanging, muffler and all... not enough room to slide the tank out (stupid filler neck). I am going to try jacking the car up higher to give a little more room... if not, I guess I have to drop the whole system, since my muffler is welded to the system. Does anyone have any pointers on getting the beast out?

I think I'm going to continue tomorrow, if the wife doesn't mind... actually sunday, cause i Have to work on the wifes sunfire

transamracer

Well.. I got the tank out and back in... but I decided to leave out those rod thingies that go from one side of the car to the other, they attached to the axle.. I figure I'd get some weight savings since they're useless anyway.

kretos

actually they tie the rear of the car together, but if you call that useless......

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

yeah those happen to be the upper and lower panhard bars. If you drive the car without those and go around a corner it'll only be so long before the rearend falls out.

transamracer

ok ok ok... I was just yankin' your chain... it was fun.. if only I could see your faces.

transamracer

I find this funny... I make a post and ask for some suggestions on making the gas tank removal easier, and I got nothing.... As soon as I joked around saying I lewft the trac bars out, I get 2 responses right away. Thats what makes these boards lose their effectiveness, people on the prowl for a post to flame on

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

What makes this board useful is the search function. Removing the tank has been discussed over and over.

You ended by saying you were going to go at it again. I didn't happen to read this thread until now, but if I had, I would have said to continue removing what was in the way.

What really makes this board ineffective is posting things that aren't true.

transamracer

i had everything down.. I was just looking for that little piece of advice on how to shimmy that tank out of there

91sleeperRS

i honestly dont know how i got mine out, i think it was a little muscle, but mostly hopes and dreams. never again

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

i turned mine i believe towards the back of the car with everything out of the way and it came right out. The first time i changed the pump i kicked it out lol. But the last 3 times ive changed it the turning thing worked

firebird45331

kicking it out hmmmm very similar to the hammer method

transamracer

my main problem was the exhaust, if I had taken it right out.. it would have came right out.. but we managed to get the exhaust to the right and sneak the tank out that way.

DF'sCamaro

I think I have the same problem you do transamracer. I don't know for sure, I know its not my fuel pump cause I did that less then a year ago. Every time I fill up it smells of high heavens of gas till may gauge goes down till about under half. What do i need to replace?

transamracer

if it is the same problem as mine, you have to get the seal around your filler neck welded/brazed by a gastank/rad shop. I used an epoxy to seal mine, but I'm not sure if it did the job yet, have to wait til pay day to fill the tank up and see. I'll let ya know if it works.

Is your tank rusty at all?

DF'sCamaro

Well does that sound like the symptoms of what was going on with yours before you fixed it. Did you ever smell exhaust fumes? I dont know if my exhaust tank is rusty because I never dropped it. Think of taking it to a shop can a normal mechanical shop fix this?

transamracer

exhaust tank? now you just lost me.

Most likely its your fillerneck.. and it will drip onto your exhaust, causing a stong fuel odour.

DF'sCamaro

lol i meant gas tank. Can a normal shop fix it or will I have to take it to a specialty shop. Or how hard would it be for a first timer if i did it myself?

transamracer

well.. this was the first time I've done it on my car.. and it got done.. just take your time.. and make a mental note of where things go. Any shop should be a ble to do it.. but get ready to pay huge labour costs

DF'sCamaro

Well you will have to tell me if for sure the epoxy fixed it. Besides that im assuming the other way you would fix it would be a torch but the gas tank is so close

Notplayn

Df, if you remove the plastic "shield" that surrounds the top of the filler neck where the gas cap is. You should be able to shine a light down to where the neck goes into the body of the fuel tank. Most fuel tanks will be dirty/grimey. Look for a clean "washed" area around where the neck goes into the tank. If you have one your tank is leaking. Know also consider that if you do have a leak it may not be bad enough locate this way. I just had to remove my tank to replace the fuel pump and found my leak. Took it to a radiator shop, they fixed it for $75.00 bucks. I would not recommend trying to fix the leak with epoxy. It is to big a job to do twice.

transamracer

I agree with the last post... if I had the money.. i woul dhave gotten it fixed right the first time.. but if you want to fix it with epoxy, and you have really small hands.. maybe you can get it on there throught hte access hole... but if you take it out.. either get a used tank, or get it repaired by a gas tank shop

devo3skt86

alright i have a leaky gas tank like leaky like a damn sive it pours out on hot days i dont drive it anymore and i dont want to repair the thing i want a new one with a bendable filler neck i was thinking using a radiator house or sumthin of the sorta cause im gettin tired of askin friends for rides and i wanna drive my damn car in the sun with the tops off and with 3 ladies in the other seats lol yes ive tried to take it out but couldnt i didnt go to the step of takin the rear off didnt have enough time if anyone could tell me where i could get a new tank it would be much appreciated seeing how im stuck with a skateboard or the bus im about to lose my job if i dont fix this problem quick

transamracer

check your local parts supplier, or even a wreckers. problem with a flexible fillerneck is there is nothing to support it up top.

firebird45331

you don't have to pay for a recall do you? all the recalls we did on chryslers were free to the customer

Notplayn

Devo, where is your tank leaking. If it is leaking at the neck and is repairable I strong recommend that route. Dropping the rear end is not hard or very time consuming. 3 bolts on the panhard bars, 2 shock mount nuts and 2 sway bar nuts. Oh and pulling the springs, at least the right side. The exhaust maybe harder on yours than mine if it is welded. If not welded you should be ok. The trick is getting the car high enough the first time. This is NOT the job you want to do twice. If the tank is shot replace it with a good used one if money is an issue. Here is a pic of mine during the surgery

transamracer

noooooooooooo put that picture away!!!!!!! LOL the nightmare is coming back to me. :P

The recal was only for the 1991 and maybe 1992 F-body's.. the rest of us rode the pines.

Fire"Dutch"Bird

iTrader: (1)

The recal was for the '89 and up cars.....
My '88 Firebird was leaking at the filler neck as well, I managed to fix it with so called "liquid metal" stuf, (I think it's epoxy), with the tank in the car!
Just unbolt the straps that hold the tank in place, gave me just enough space to get this liquid metal stuf all around the neck/tank weld.
When I open the tank for refueling now, I hear a hissing noise, indicating, my tank is sealed well!
And I never fill it to the top again anyway...!

transamracer

you never fill it up? why not? if it is sealing the pressurized vapours, then it should seal the liquid too. I used a tube of epoxy. its like play-do, an outside layer of grey and an inside layer of black... you mix them together and it becaomes rock hard in a couple hours (well.. 30minutes,but to be completely cured, 2 hours) And mine does the same as yours.

Here's a question though. When my car was hot as heck the other day (30 minutes of stop and go traffic) I smelles the ever so familiar vapour smell, but only a couple times. That white valve attached to one of the lines coming from the sending unit, does that relieve pressure if it becomes to high? kinda like a blow-off valve? Cause thats the only time I smelled it, when it was hot.

Fire"Dutch"Bird

iTrader: (1)

@ Transamracer, sounds like the stuf I used!
If you want to be sure if your car is covered by the recall, have a GM dealer check your VIN #.
My car was covered, but since it was privatly, used exported to The Netherlands, the official Dutch importer wouldn't help me ( wich is kinda logic to me, but I tried anyway...) they suggest taking the car back the the USA, wich I certainly don't..!!
Back to your fuel smell, there is this coal cannister in the engine bay, there are lots of fuel lines running up and down the car, there are vents and so on, and everything is like 15 years old at least or more, so some fuel smell occasialy is not uncommon to me, I wouldn't worry!
I worried when fuel was dripping on the ground from the infamous fillerneck, but we cured that right...?

devo3skt86

ok i couldnt find the hole cause its on the top right side of the tank where i cant reach too i found another hole but i think my grandfather put that one in it when he was tryin to wedge the gas tank out so is it easy ta get the whole tank out once the rear is dropped cause if so ill do it and thats a no on reproduced gas tanks?

transamracer

I haven't filled my tank yet.. but I've taken some hard right and no fuel spillage.


Check you local parts store and wrecking yards man, should find something decently priced.