1G Slight gas leak on most recent refill

[XC92]

I tried to refill my '92 Talon TSi AWD's tank a few days ago and several odd and worrying things happened.

First, the pump clicked off at what seemed like too low a gallon count. The tank holds just under 16 gallons and the fuel low light had been on for at least 5-10 miles by then, and it stopped after just over 10 gallons. Should have been at least 13-14.

Then, I saw that a small amount of gas had leaked onto the back of the tire and on the ground, maybe a couple of ounces, but had stopped leaking after the pump shut off, so I didn't see the actual leaking, just the aftermath.

Is this potentially dangerous, especially while driving, and is the most likely cause a bad fill tube, or perhaps the mechanism that prevents siphoning jamming? This has never happened before, to the best of my recollection.

There don't appear to be any leaks in any of the gas lines or hoses, but I haven't done a thorough check yet. Too damn cold here. But I was going to drop the tank to clean and coat the interior and derust and paint the exterior this spring, and replace some of the hoses and fittings and strainer. Better do that sooner than later?

 

[Mech Addict]

After you remove as much free liquid gas as possible, spray some starting fluid, and that should evaporate more quickly.
It will make it even more flammable, so use caution.
5/16 is like 8mm, so I’m not clear on how that will work.

 

[XC92]

Oh, sorry, I meant 8mm, not 14mm. But now I'm confused as to whether that vapor hose going into the filler tube is 8mm or 14mm ID. Are these ID numbers listed anywhere handy?

 

[XC92]

So, I think I've finally tracked down all the parts I'll need to replace when I drop the tank and clean everything up, but one.

Will I need to replace that "sock" filter that goes on the bottom of the pump, or are they generally lifetime parts? And if I do need to or should replace it, the OEM is around $50 which seems pricey and there are aftermarket ones in the $10-$15 range. Any recommendations there?

 

[Mech Addict]

Oh, sorry, I meant 8mm, not 14mm. But now I'm confused as to whether that vapor hose going into the filler tube is 8mm or 14mm ID. Are these ID numbers listed anywhere handy?

The hoses (two places) going from the tank to filler neck is 14mm ID. If you can find 9/16ID, that works. 1/2” is a struggle, and might be prone to split over time. 5/8” is kind of loose. I found some 9/16” fuel hose on amazon, but in NYC you might find it locally.
There is the very narrow vent that comes from the very top of the tank and routes to the charcoal canister. And there is the fuel return line, which is the second-smallest diameter. You might also consider new clamps if yours don’t look so good. Many options there, between spring and worm types.
My sock filter was very full of rust, but I replaced my pump with a new Denso that came with a new sock. If yours isn’t full of crud you might try to clean and re-use. If you were going to spend 50 bucks on a new sock, you can get a whole new pump for ~120 (Denso is OEM mfr).

 

[XC92]

The hoses (two places) going from the tank to filler neck is 14mm ID. If you can find 9/16ID, that works. 1/2” is a struggle, and might be prone to split over time. 5/8” is kind of loose. I found some 9/16” fuel hose on amazon, but in NYC you might find it locally.
There is the very narrow vent that comes from the very top of the tank and routes to the charcoal canister. And there is the fuel return line, which is the second-smallest diameter. You might also consider new clamps if yours don’t look so good. Many options there, between spring and worm types.
My sock filter was very full of rust, but I replaced my pump with a new Denso that came with a new sock. If yours isn’t full of crud you might try to clean and re-use. If you were going to spend 50 bucks on a new sock, you can get a whole new pump for ~120 (Denso is OEM mfr).

I found a 1 foot lengh of 14mm fuel hose on eBay for $12.50:

Pardon Our Interruption...

And RockAuto sells 2 foot lengths of Gates 1/4" & 5/16" fuel hose for around $4 a foot. Those are very close to 6mm & 8mm. I'll try to find the 14mm in either a longer or cheaper form at that's kind of pricey, but it should be enough for the 2 filler tube vapor hose sections.

And I'll see if I need a new pump when I remove the old one. Can't say that I'm looking forward to dropping and cleaning the tank, seems kind of scary, but I'll follow all the proper procedures and be careful.

 

[Mech Addict]

One foot of 14mm might almost do it, but you’d hate to run short, or barely have enough under the clamps. I’m not sure how one would inspect the fuel pump, other than checking running pressure and flow, which requires some specialty gauge and bucket/stopwatch with gas.
I wouldn’t get too nervous about the gas in the tank, I’m sure you’ e filled a hot lawnmower or something like that more than once and haven’t thought too much about it. Just use hand tools and take your time. Doing this out in the street where you have public walking by is a concern, as a flicked cigarette could be bad. The technical term is a BLEVE (no joke) which stand for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. If you can move the tank to someplace safe once it’s out that should help.

 

[XC92]

Unfortunately there's nowhere I can move the tank once it's off and empty. Living in an apartment building limits one's options. I'm going to have to render it harmless as quickly as I can once it's off, and if I can't clean, derust, coat, paint and reinstall it all on the same day, I'll have to store it inside the car, probably in a large garbage bag so it doesn't look conspicuous.

I figure that if I start really early in the day and it's not too hot and is preferably overcast so the sun doesn't overheat it, I can get it all done that day, assuming there aren't complications like a bad pump or broken studs.

Another alternative is to fill it with water after it's dried out, and temporarily reinstall it, and plug up the various holes with tape or rags. But would that potentially turn it into a bomb? I guess I should research this further.

Thankfully it's not a very busy street and almost no one smokes here so I probably won't have to worry about cigarettes. But there are young people here who like to smoke weed sometimes, and some of them are kind of, well, stupid, the kind that play video games all day and do basically nothing else with their lives. Gotta watch out for them.

 

[XC92]

Does anyone know where I can source high quality 14mm or 9/16" fuel hose? I want to replace the 2 short hose sections that connect the fuel tank vapor line from the tank to the top of the gas filler tube on my '92 Talon TSi AWD. They're out of production so I'll have to cut them to size. But I'm finding it hard to find it locally in auto stores. I can find a 5' length on Amazon but that's way more than I need, and eBay sells a 1' length which might be a tad too short. Are there places that specialize in fuel hoses, ideally local?

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

This is the only place I could find 14mm - https://www.mcmaster.com/hose/id~14millimeters/

 

[XC92]

This is the only place I could find 14mm - https://www.mcmaster.com/hose/id~14millimeters/

They only seem to have 2 types of hose for fuel, one that isn't rated for ethanol-based gas, the other for high temp use and very expensive. I'll probably end up getting the 5' length on Amazon. It's $18 which isn't horrible but seems a bit more for the foot or so I'll probably need. I'll first check with some local places other than the chain auto stores.

 

[Mech Addict]

I think that’s probably the same one I ordered. I still have most of it somewhere. At least it’s not nearly as expensive as the high-pressure hose.

 

[XC92]

I think that’s probably the same one I ordered. I still have most of it somewhere. At least it’s not nearly as expensive as the high-pressure hose.

You mean the one from the pump or the one in the engine bay to the injector rail? I'm hoping that the former is still serviceable.

And can fuel hose be used for other things like coolant or power steering?

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

And can fuel hose be used for other things like coolant or power steering?

Sure it can. Gets EXPENSIVE for the couplers and hose but anything is possible with it. Its Army Navy material.

 

[XC92]

Sure it can. Gets EXPENSIVE for the couplers and hose but anything is possible with it. Its Army Navy material.

Well with those extra 4' lying around, might as well put it to good use.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Yep. If you go to the radiator hose size is when it really gets pricey. I have 6, 8 and 10 nylon laying around here and mutiple connectors .

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[XC92]

Yep. If you go to the radiator hose size is when it really gets pricey. I have 6, 8 and 10 nylon laying around here and mutiple connectors .

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Better to have it on hand when you need it than not. I've also found alternate uses for extra supplies, like short pieces of heater hose I used last year for something I can't even remember what it was but it came in very handy. I've used an extra length of silicone tubing I had left over from fixing a coffeemaker to refill my trans and t-case from above. Old bicycle inner tubes are great temporary fixes for all sorts of things. I probably have more LED bulbs than I'll ever be able to use, but I'm glad I have them when for when I need them.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

I have BAGS FULL of LEDs All different colors.

 

[XC92]

I have BAGS FULL of LEDs All different colors.

And don't get me started on all the spare electronics parts I have lying around that I haven't touched in years, resistors, caps, transistors, ICs, displays, connectors, wires, circuit boards, switches, and, of course, LEDs.

I seem to only be able to maintain one or two hobbies at a time. Right now it's car repair and restoration and gardening. But I'd like to eventually get back to the electronics, and maybe programming. Once I'm done restoring my Talon, doing some work on another car and selling it, and fixing my mom's car.

So he says...