fuel fill issue

[rapidoxidationman]

Picked up my "new" '05 DMax silverado Saturday from a dealer and went straight to the diesel station to dump in some power service and a fresh load of fuel. As per my normal fillup I tried to bring the fuel level to the top of the pipe (since you can on a diesel as opposed to a gasser) but ended up with a quart or two dumping onto the ground from under the fuel tank! That's a first for me. Is this thing plumbed with a vent going right to open air or did some bozo punch a drill bit through something he ought not have when the 5th wheel hardware was installed prior to my owning it?

The diesel was pouring from the bottom of the shield covering the tank.

[Kennedy]

The tank vent loops up to the fill neck at a point outward from where the fuel nozzle ends. Sounds like someone chopped it up. Be sure to examine thoroughly as this is an easy point of entry for water, dirt, etc. The system should be closed with only the fill cap breathing. I'd also recommend filling until the pump clicks off then maybe round up a couple tenths of a gallon. No need to cram it up into the neck.

I'd suggest sourcing a better fuel additive than Power Service which in my opinion is the bottom of the barrel "rotgut" of diesel additives.

[rapidoxidationman]

I'll be putting the truck up on a lift in a day or two to check the fuel lines and replace the (BLACK) oil which the dealer says was recently changed. Not sure I believe him because on my LB7 the oil never got dirtier than grey...

Having never had any gelling or injector or injector pump issues (this is my 4th diesel engine) and always using a cup or two of grey bottle power service per fillup, I can't say my experience with this additive has been bad. That said, I'm interested in your take on it and open to suggestions for what is, in your opinion, the better way to go. What additive do you recommend to keep today's ULSD slippery and flowing?

[Kennedy]

I prefer FPPF Total Power.

As for your engine oil it may well have just been changed. The EGR system tends to darken it quickly.

[rapidoxidationman]

Sure enough, some bozo put a drill bit through something he ought not have: The fuel tank. Nice little 1/4" hole in the top that I can see with an inspection mirror, immediately under one of the 5wheel rail bolts.

Soooo: What will seal/fill this hole? The tank will need to be dropped to gain easy access to it, but what sticks to the plastic this tank is made of?

Mods, this post is in the wrong spot; might one of you humour this enthusiastic n00b and drop it in 2500HD/3500 HD Trucks & Drivetrain where it belongs? Thanks...

[EdHale]

Instead of repairing the hole in the original tank, you might look into a replacement tank from Titan. I love mine and more capacity.

[Mark Rinker]

http://www.titanfueltanks.com/default.htm


Also, why are you repairing this, and not the selling dealer???

[rapidoxidationman]

The signs of age on the 5 wheel hardware tell me that it's been installed for a long time; I doubt the local dealer had any idea there was a hole in the tank. The truck came from California if I'm not mistaken. The only reason I found out about the hole is because of my habit of filling the tank to the limit (right up to the filler neck). I'm thinking finding the dealer that installed the hardware would be difficult at best.

The Titan tank is a nice thought, but dropping another $1k on the truck is kinda not really in the cards. Which puts me back to repairing it, which shouldn't be tough as long as I can find an appropriate repair product. Any suggestions?

[Kennedy]

Sure enough, some bozo put a drill bit through something he ought not have: The fuel tank. Nice little 1/4" hole in the top that I can see with an inspection mirror, immediately under one of the 5wheel rail bolts.

Soooo: What will seal/fill this hole? The tank will need to be dropped to gain easy access to it, but what sticks to the plastic this tank is made of?

Mods, this post is in the wrong spot; might one of you humour this enthusiastic n00b and drop it in 2500HD/3500 HD Trucks & Drivetrain where it belongs? Thanks...

I would clean the area around the hole super thoroughly with brakleen, scuff it up good, redrill the hole (step drill) and tap with 1/8" NPT or some other fine thread bolt. I would run a super silicone like Goop on the threads, around and over the plug for good measures to double seal it.

That or do a small bulkhead type fitting reach around inside to secure and plug this.

If it has been like this for long (likely) I would suggest that you remove, empty, and thoroughly clean the tank. This was probably one of those frequent injector failure trucks...

[DmaxMaverick]

Fix the hole, and maybe without removing tank or the bed. Use as large a sheet metal screw as you can start in the hole, with a rubber washer. If you can see the hole, you may be able to get a wrench on the screw, and turn a nightmare into an easy job. The tank material is pretty stout, and will hold the screw for a long time. I've done this on early plastic gasser truck tanks, and have yet to hear of one leaking again after many years.

[rapidoxidationman]

Fix the hole, and maybe without removing tank or the bed. Use as large a sheet metal screw as you can start in the hole, with a rubber washer. If you can see the hole, you may be able to get a wrench on the screw, and turn a nightmare into an easy job. The tank material is pretty stout, and will hold the screw for a long time. I've done this on early plastic gasser truck tanks, and have yet to hear of one leaking again after many years.

I like this idea. I should be able to remove the carriage bolt that is part of the 5wheel hardware which will give me direct access to the hole from above.

[rapidoxidationman]

Here's what I'll be using as a plug, slathered with a generous dose of appropriate sealant and stuffed into a properly bored hole that has been well cleaned. I'm going to access it by taking out the bolt the hole was drilled for.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l45/rapidoxidationman/fueltankholeplug.jpg

[DmaxMaverick]

I would skip the sealer with the expanding plugs (good idea, BTW). Likely, it will just be messy and get in the way, with little or no advantage.

You may also want to replace the screw with a SS hex-head. Easier to tighten in that little space, and no worry about corrosion.

[rapidoxidationman]

The pic doesn't show it too well but the screw is brass and so is the threaded insert in the plug. Here's hoping it works! I'll find out this weekend and post up the results.

Thanks for getting my brain turning; standing in the fastener section of the local hardware store showed me those plugs and they made sense.

[leolkfrm]

JB weld works well on plastic tanks, just select the right one

[Spoolmak]

I'd suggest sourcing a better fuel additive than Power Service which in my opinion is the bottom of the barrel "rotgut" of diesel additives.

I found a very good analysis of the LUBRICITY enhancement of various diesel additives on the other site.

Tor


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178848