Fuel tank fatigue

[slant6billy]

So when I filled up, I would see a drip every now and then. so today I got under the Volare and dropped the tank. I thought the vent line on the Passenger side was the problem. Nope! I found a small pin hole just above there in the flat top spot. The rest of the tank looks good. So I am going with the JB weld fix since I am short on the funds to get the new tank. My dad was a wiz with tank repair, he was a steamfitter by trade and could fab up anything and fix f- ups. Wish I had his crafty hands. So I am looking the pull the fill tube out without wrecking the donut. I figure I can lengthen the tube to slide the tank over one rib. Can I just pull it and then reseal it with the fuel / RTV sealant around the donut for the fill tube or do I hunt for a new one?

 

[Blackbirdsrt78]

Gas eats all RTV. New grommets are available online. Its a common part. but dont use RTV

 

[greymouser7]

I bought one for an a-body I think and it was a tad small, but with some vasoline it went on no problem. Try a B-body ring or something. I don't think that they are more than a few bucks each. Not sure how shipping is to you across the border though-I sent some paint masks to a guy in a shoe box and the post office wante $50 bucks. That is allot of Maple Syrup.

 

[slant6billy]

I'll see if the local part store can get me a donut. I was thinking vasoline too. That stuff on everything all my pool's o rings are vasied up and no leaks. I just work my neighbor's stang and sure enough the fill tube is now leaking. I was sure it would had held, but it was a beotch to get out and put the pump in. My hands still reek of gas.

 

[Monkeyed]

Gas eats all RTV.

Boy do I know that's true. about 15 years ago I doing my first ever intake swap. It was on a throttle body injected v8, well some nubskull told me slap a bunch of rtv on the intake gaskets to seal them up real good. Me having no other information about it at the time did just that. Looking back, they may have just been referring to the waterjackets, and me being young(er) and dumb(er) figured, if a little is good, a lot must be great!

couldn't figure out why it ran like poo till I pulled it back off again, for one thing the rtv had been squeezed when I tightened down the manifold, making a nice gross ring around the passages, and since it was a wet intake, let's just say I didn't have to scrape any to get it off there.. I was lucky none of it got pulled into the motor, at least I don't think any did ..

anyway I put it back on minus the rtv and put 30,000 or so miles on it that summer before trading it

 

[Aspen500]

I'll see if the local part store can get me a donut. I was thinking vasoline too. That stuff on everything all my pool's o rings are vasied up and no leaks. I just work my neighbor's stang and sure enough the fill tube is now leaking. I was sure it would had held, but it was a beotch to get out and put the pump in. My hands still reek of gas.

A pre-2005 'Stang? Yes, those tanks SUCK to remove and put back in. Fill tube goes into that grommet about 2 feet, doesn't it and the exhaust and trunk floor get in the way of sliding the tank off the tube, not to mention that roll over valve that gets stuck on the grommet just before the tube comes all the way out..............Not my favorite car to put a fuel pump in. There's worse ones, a lot worse, but those 'Stang's are up there on the PITA list.

Trying to remember where I got my filler tube grommet..................Drawing a blank right now.

 

[jasperjacko]

Got mine from the local dodge dealer

 

[Aspen500]

Got mine from the local dodge dealer

Now that you mention it, that's where I got mine from also.

 

[slant6billy]

So donut looked OK, so I'm going to roll the dice on it. Tank is repaired, reinstalled and moved one rib over. The filltube is modified and the metal tongue is removed so the fillups are not as painfull with the gas nozzle kicking off every 5 seconds. I am going to get a few gas cans and make a run for the octane. Then check for leaks

 

[F body Deconstructor Jim]

Fuel filler tube grommet part #4002010 still available for $10 +/- a few $'s.
Fits a boatload of mopars including all the F's.

 

[slant6billy]

I wanted to clarify what I meant by the fuel filler tongue. This is not the spring loaded flapper. The tongue is a divider that runs the complete length of the tube. You see it when you remove the filler tube. Over time it gets messed up and becomes a problem when fuelin up. The fuel nozzle kicks off repeatedly. F body owners need to hold that gas nozzle regardless, but the damn tongue is a real PIA when it is screwed up. As for the flapper, it is to prevent you from filling up with diesel or LEADED gas, since those nozzles are bigger. They check for the flapper in my state's inspection.

 

[David Clark]

I've got to replace the one on my Fuel Tank too. Will be getting the new/used trunk pan for the 79 Aspen Soon and been looking all morning for the Tube Seal that goes on the tank, rockauto has zilch for it, and the one I found at Steel Rubber is priced at Friggin 45 bullcrap dollars. I found one that looks similiar on the Dorman Site but they don't list the 79 Apsen/Volare on it's compatibility chart and 45 bucks for a small piece of rubber is just asinine to me. That's just rape if you ask me. Anyone know if this Dorman one will fit?? I've included links to both the Dorman and the Steele Rubber ones for comparison.

Fuel neck grommet

Dorman Products - 577-500

and I also found this one on Filler Neck Supply that is SImilar but again, the interchange doesn't list the 79 ASpen/Volare as being a fit.

1981-1996 Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth Fuel Filler Neck Grommet.

 

[80mirada]

Should be the same part, mid 77-89 for f,m,j bodies, maybe even earlier. Many part suppliers don't list back far enough to cover all applications. The Dorman one is about $8 on Amazon.

 

[Mr C]

Was the filler neck long enough to move it over 1 rib without having to add to the length of the filler tube? I've been thinking of making room for duals on my 5th Ave.

 

[slant6billy]

Was the filler neck long enough to move it over 1 rib without having to add to the length of the filler tube? I've been thinking of making room for duals on my 5th Ave.

No, not for the F bodies. I had a rubber fill tube from a Ram. So I cut the f body tube and used the ram rubber tube over it. The better way is to weld a section in. The M bodies that have the gas door might get you the ability without cutting?????