Gas leaks suck

[F14CRAZY]

Just wanted to let you guys know what I've been up to the past few days...

Wednesday: My '93 Limited developed a small exhaust leak where the pipes connect to the header on the passenger side (visible through wheel well). Exhaust smells bad, isn't good for you, and it's noisy so I dropped by a local exhaust shop. They put it on the lift and the dude quickly pointed out that I had a fuel leak from above the tank . It must have happened that day or recently since I didn't notice it at all. I let them know that I'd get right on it and be back soon. He was like "yeah I'm too old for that. Back in the day I'd play the boom brothers ).

I kind of knew what this was. Way way back when I had that dumb '92 Eddie (that was really rusty) like 4 years ago it was leaking from the same spot. The fuel pump assembly sits in a hole on top of the tank, with a snapping retainer to keep it in place. It's kind of in a cavity and water/salt get up there and eat through it. The exact spot is where the gas and return lines come up and bend over. I had this fixed on the Eddie and never saw it but the neighbor mechanic that did it explained it pretty well.

My Limited isn't nearly as rusty as the Eddie was, though I had new dog legs welded in. I decided to tackle the fuel leak myself. The bad lines are part of the whole fuel pump/gauge assembly, which equals about $120 total from Advance Auto Parts. I picked one up on the way home and got working on it.

Got the skid plate and tank loose, but the "to the motor" line refused to disconnect. I was using one of those chrome scissor-like tools to disconnect the lines. To make it worse, of course, the bad lines broke off of the fuel pump. With the disconnect tool and needle-nose pliers I tried all I could to get the old line out but to no avail. I spent a couple hours on it and gave up. I was able to get the broken line inside the coupler spin around, and I spun the tool around in it, and tapped the tool in it. So I sprayed oil on it for overnight.

My mom had to drive me to school (Thursday). I searched the board and found that someone said that the plastic disconnect tools work better, so I went and got a set of those.

Went home and messed with it some more and said F it. It wasn't gonna move. Being that we're a family of plumbers, we all looked at it, and decided to F the disconnects, and go over them with rubber hose and Fernco clamps. I took my dad's van to the local NAPA and got what I needed. Because the lines on the pump are smaller than the outside of the disconnect "hubs" I got some small hose to fit over the fuel pump lines, then some bigger hose to go over that and bridge to the couplers.

I pulled the tank out from under the truck and proceeded to replace the fuel pump assembly. I found it to be pretty crusty . The snap retainer was too rusty to punch-out so I had to pry it out. Being too weak, I called autozone for a replacement but they said it was a dealer only part. I then called Grand Ledge Ford (where I usually go for parts that I have to get from a dealer) and they had them in stock. I got there about 10 minutes from their closing time but was able to get the retainer. Around $8 and thankfully they had it in stock.

So I went back home (around 6 PM) and ate dinner. Then went back out to get this awful job over with. I got the new fuel pump in without problems and put the tank back under the truck. With the tank still on the floor I connected the fuel lines with our grand cobble job (now about 6 inches more slack than before) and started it up. I ran it for a few minutes and the lines didn't leak at all. Yay! Time to re-install the tank...

Got that done (I skipped the skid plate, in case I had to pull it all out again) and went for a spin. I was pretty much running on fumes so I got $15 worth of gas at the truck stop. Then ! Now the gauge wasnt working! :fire:

Went home, kinda feeling good and bad. Was about 9 PM anyway and called it a day.

Next morning (today) we had a snow day! Woo hoo. So I went back out and got the rear back on the jackstands. Pulled the tank out (one bolt holding it up there) and pulled the pump back out again. Sure enough, the brass floater on the gauge was freely floating about. I also found the strainer to be off of the pump. So I bent the floater arm a bit to squeeze the float harder and zip-tied the strainer onto the pump.

So I shoved it back under the truck and re-connected the lines and started it and checked for leaks and to see that the gauge was working and it was fine and hung it back up! Yay. Back to normal. I still have the skid plate to put back but I'm leaving it out for a few days to make sure it won't start leaking, but hopefully it'll be fine.

Did the above make any sense? At any rate, it was my wonderful 3 day adventure

 

[410Fortune]

WOW.

Think of those coupler fittings as a chinese finger puzzle and use the plastic tools on them.

Dont try to pull the lines apart as you put the tool in there, instead push the tool all the way in (sometimes I use robogrips to help) then and ONLY then pull the lines apart.

I have never had an issues since with these fittings.
I would check for leaks at your couplers every so often, there is ALOT of pressure in the high pressure line.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Thanks 410. I did as you said with the fingercuff thing, but it didn't budge

 

[410Fortune]

I have seen them cause fits They sell the little spring that goes inside the fitting at the auto parts places, so if you rip the cra* out of it getting it apart all is not lost.

A chapstick cap will fit some of the fitting BETTER then the plastic tools. I have also seen bic pens used. Slice it down the middle and BLAMO insta-tool

 

[Darrman]

I ran into the same problem the SECOND time I replace my pump, first one lasted about 3 months. Anyways, I managed to get it off, by using a icepick, the spring inside managed to fold back on itself, I couldnt get the disconnect tool on it, so by using the icepick to force the folded part down, it came off.
Right now I am getting ready to replace all the fuel lines from the filter forward, the pressure side is leaking on the motor side of the filter, unfortunatly, you have to replace all three, as they are banded together.