2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Diesel Drips??

[Bartman#1]

Hello Everyone,



I noticed today that my truck was leaking a little diesel...



the bottom and sides of my fuel tank seems wet and i see a droplet of diesel at the bottom, do the sending units on top of the tank rust out?? i assume that is where the diesel is coming from???



if so, should i replace the whole unit??? where is the best place to get one??



i don't want to take my bed off without a plan...



Please advise...



Thanks!!!!

 

[Joe G.]

The most likely leaker is the white plastic collar around the tank module. It's a big nut that holds the module in place. Try tightening it with a long screw driver as a punch to for the notches on it. If that doesn't work the leak may be where the hoses connect to the fuel module. In order to fix that you have to either drop the tank or raise the bed.

 

[Bartman#1]

Do the metal barbs on the fuel sending unit rust out?? pin-holish??



how much is a whole sending unit?? i just want to be prepared when i take off the bed.



i live in Maine, so she has seen some weather... .



Thanks everyone!!

 

[jeepit]

Have you checked that the fuel module is in fact leaking. I had fuel that ran all the way from the fuel filter, ran along frame and ended up all the way back to top of tank... Get a hand up on top and feel if it is wet around that collar.

Fuel modules run $400 for new ones. I found a used unit for $0 from a friend at the dealership.

 

[JKinney]

Do the metal barbs on the fuel sending unit rust out?? pin-holish??



how much is a whole sending unit?? i just want to be prepared when i take off the bed.



i live in Maine, so she has seen some weather... .



Thanks everyone!!

That fuel sending unit barbs etc are all plastic, At least they were in regards to an 02. I Dropped my tank a couple times this spring. Once to fix the module, and the second time to install a vulcan draw straw. If you did buy a draw straw you could cut the oem hoses to drop the tank, but im sure they make a tool that you can use to squeeze the clips to pull the fittings apart.

 

[DPapworth]

I had the problem Joe G describes, on my 1995 reg cab. I'd find the sides and bottom of tank were damp with fuel. Droplets would appear when the tank was full or nearly full, and the truck driven (and thus the fuel sloshed around).



I expected I had a leak in the fuel lines. To access them, I followed the recipe suggested by others on this forum. Remove the 3 screws that hold the filler neck to the bedside. Crawl under the bed. Loosen the 4 bolts holding the bed to the frame on the passenger side. Remove the 4 bolts on the driver side. Use a floor jack or a cherry picker or a couple friends to tilt the driver's side of the bed up about one foot, then block it in place securely so it won't fall on you. You can now inspect the top of the tank.



In my case, the all plastic fuel lines were fine. There is nothing there to rust. The problem was the threaded white plastic lid that holds the fuel module in place. It was so loose on the screw threads that it wasn't even finger tight. I took a short length of wooden 1x2 as a driver, wedged it into a notch in the lid, and whacked the end of the 1x2 with a hammer to turn the lid clockwise about 1/2 turn. This cured the problem for me.



If the center part of the tank is damp, and the dampness runs all the way down the side, and the problem only happens (or is worst) when the tank is full, then you probably have the same issue.



If you already know what the top of the tank looks like, you can probably tighten up the module cap in just a few minutes without raising the bed. But you have to work "blind".



Raising the bed is actually fairly easy, and you'll then understand how everything is put together, and can inspect for any other potential problems.

 

[Bartman#1]

Thanks!! That seems to be the same issue i'm having. i'm blocking it up this weekend... i really want to thank all of you out there in TDR land!!!!!

 

[Jeff Knight]

I think the 98. 5 might have the metal lines going into the module. I got my module off of e-bay for $75. It was a later model with plastic lines. Dropping the tank isn't that bad as long as you have it almost empty. Good luck. Jeff

 

[Jeff Knight]

Item number: 300129022506 This is on e-bay. It's from the guy I got mine from. Good guy to deal with. Jeff

 

[Ken Bultman]

Dropping the tank is not that bad of a job if you got to floor jacks, better then raising the bed. One jack in front,one in the back,remove strapes and lower at the same time. Ondo lines,wires and roll it out from under the truck.

 

[kenny61]

metal fittings on mine rusted out metal lines between tank and frame rusted out too

 

[DCreed]

also could be rusted filler neck or connections. the 98. 5 had metal draw tube and they do rot out draw straw would fix as an upgrade.