So I filled up my 87 dodge ram beater. . . . and gas - leaking. . .

[episodic]

Been broke for a few months, and have just added 5 - 10 gallons at a time for a while. Today, I went ahead and filled her up (around 33 gallons). . . once it was full, I noticed gas dripping from underneath. I can't see from where. It leaked quite a bit (maybe a liter or half a liter more likely). . . it has stopped leaking - but when I stop, I smell gas pretty strong. Likely a hole in the tank? What else should I look for?

This never happened when the tank was always below 1/4 full . . .

I know this isn't good - likely to catch on fire? I've been letting this truck go for a while, and I figure if I need to keep it below 1/2 a tank and it runs for another year . . . o well. . .

Thanks for opinions. . .

 

[LTC8K6]

The evaporative emissions system?

 

[thedarkwolf]

If you don't want to actually do anything then keep it below 1/2 and you will be fine. Could just be the fuel pickup/gas gauge sender seal is leaking but without dropping the tank you aren't really going to be able to tell much. My 67 galaxie's tank had a pin hole leak in one of the bottom corners from rust. I just pulled it and sanded it down and used JB Weld to seal the hole and painted the whole thing.

 

[LTC8K6]

Maybe it's just the filler tube joint at the tank and when you filled it way up some was in the filler tube?

 

[natto fire]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Maybe it's just the filler tube joint at the tank and when you filled it way up some was in the filler tube?

I would check this first, as you should be able to see the condition of the rubber pretty easily, the EVAP system, not so much. If it is a leak in the tank itself, you might be able to spot it if there is enough crud that washed away from where it's leaking.

 

[SearchMaster]

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Maybe it's just the filler tube joint at the tank and when you filled it way up some was in the filler tube?

I would check this first, as you should be able to see the condition of the rubber pretty easily, the EVAP system, not so much. If it is a leak in the tank itself, you might be able to spot it if there is enough crud that washed away from where it's leaking.

Yep, my thought too. I had that happen on an old van and the symptoms were as you described.

 

[radioouman]

So many things can cause a fuel leak. The filler hose could be bad. (It is a big rubber hose that goes from the body to the tank. You can see it from underneath.) There is a vent hose right next to it that could be bad. Also, there is a big rubber gasket where the filler tube enters the tank. These split on older vehicles and allow gas to leak.

There are likely two or maybe three lines that go from the tank to the engine. (Fuel line, return line, and possible vapor return line.) These are all steel lines but they have rubber hoses attached to them at the tank.

The pump is fastened to the tank by a huge plastic ring with a rubber gasket. It is very likely that the rubber gasket is dried up and split.

Then there is a chance that your tank has a rust hole near the top.

There are lots of variables here!

 

[exdeath]

Sure you didn't just overfill it? It wasn't leaking until you filled it up right? There is an overflow mechanism that just dumps the fuel to the ground from the filler neck so it doesn't splash out in your face when you over fill it. You could sit there pumping all day and watch fuel just pour out the bottom.

I'd let it pass for a few days. As long as you don't see fresh fluid gasoline dripping anywhere anymore you're ok.

You'll smell the gas for quite a while until it evaporates completely from any chassis and body components the fuel ran down when draining out (even if it appears dry). It may have pooled somewhere like the bottom edge of fender as well. Not to mention there is still excess fuel in the filler neck until the tank volume goes down, and normal driving would cause the fuel in the filler neck to slosh around and spill out the overflow vent for a few miles also.