leaking fuel need fix

[JSzewczyk]

About a month ago I lost my drive shaft on my 2006 2500 Mega cab. It failed at the slip yoke junction and the carrier or center bearing. I lost the entire slip yoke. I was towed to a decent garage who completed the repairs after getting the yoke shipped from michigan. I just filled by tank for the first time since the repair and I had a huge puddle of diesel fuel under the truck. I figured that i had just overfilled it. It is dripping from a 1/4 or 3/8 inch rubber hose that runs to the top of the tank about a foot in front of where the bed meets the cab. The is a second rubber hose near the back of the fuel tank and I'm not seeing any leak from that one. Now that the tank is less full a can push up on the bottom of the tank and hear air escaping from that hose. I put a bolt into the hose and that stops the air from coming out. That is the problem. I see no where that this hose can be connected to. It hanks down between the fuel tank and the drive shaft just about where the slip yoke is at. There is dents to the exhaust and you can see where the drive shaft hit the tank and the thin medal that runs along the fuel tank that i think is just a heat shield. From the marks on the heat shield and where the rubber hose ends, it is very likely that the end of the hose took a direct hit from the shrapnel that was flying around.



I have followed this hose as far as i can reach and it goes to a fitting that bent towards the center of the truck. Is there supposed to be some kind of a float device on the end of this hose or what? that idea does not make since to me but a can not see how an internal float device failed from the outside of the fuel tank taking a hit.



Would be safe for me to insert a bolt and hose clamp until I run enough diesel out to lower the tank? would plugging that that hose up do any damage? I would appreciate any help on this issue.

 

[jhenderson]

We need truck info. Is the fuel system stock? Did someone extend the vent hose, or is it a fuel return line?

 

[JSzewczyk]

2006 2500 mega cab completely stock system. I bought new and never had any work done to the fuel system or in that area before the drive shaft failure.

 

[jhenderson]

You're going to have to look to see if the line is a broken return line. I have never seen an extended vent line on a stock truck, although I'm sure it's possible. If it is a return line you can splice it with a piece of steel brake line.

 

[jhenderson]

Look along the frame rail where the fuel supply line runs. This is where the return line is. If it's not a return, plug it .

 

[JSzewczyk]

if it is a return line would I not see the fuel leaking from the other (unseen) end of the broken line when the truck is idling? this is not the case?

 

[Prairie Dog]

if it is a return line would I not see the fuel leaking from the other (unseen) end of the broken line when the truck is idling? this is not the case?

I think it would be a steady stream coming out the whole time the truck was running.

 

[JSzewczyk]

that is exactly what I was thinking. I've heard that a majority (almost 70%) of the fuel sent to the high pressure side is returned through the return line. I just do not understand what may have happened to cause this problem. i am stumped.

 

[B.G. Smith]

I think the hoses are vents to allow air into tank when fuel is taken out. They are not supposed to leak? tThere has to be a check valve in the line and I thought it was at the fitting where it comes out of the tank. My truck has the hoses on each end/top of tank and they lay in line with the tank and reach almost to the front and rear edge of tank. On some earlier trucks the hoses were not long enough and lay in the indentation on top of tank and as fuel was removed from tank they drew water/whatever was standing in the low place into the tank and caused big problems. If they are in fact vents, plugging the front one should not be a big problem although I wouldn't plug it permanently. Check with dealer for availibility of the check valve? bg

 

[jhenderson]

None of the trucks I have seen have had hose attached to the vent fittings on top of the tank. That is why I questioned whether it might be a return line. If you search old threads, there are quite a few on adding hose to those fittings.

 

[rashwor]

They started putting short hoses on the front and rear barbs around 2006. My '05 did not have any hoses on the barbs from the factory. Some people have extened the short hoses to avoid the possibility of water getting sucked into the tank out of the indention on top of the tank (covered here in old threads).

 

[BGlidewell]

possible resolution:
fixate the hose-end in question as far away from the tank as possible to see if the tank gets wet. If so, your tank may be leaking.

 

[JSzewczyk]

i temporarily plugged up the hose and I have not seen or smelt any diesel, nor have I seen any bad side effects. Now the tank is a little less than 3/4. I plan on running it as low as I can and then dropping down enough for me to see the front fixture to see what I see. Thanks for the replies.