The short story is - the shop says it's NOT my gas tank that's leaking, first of all because it only leaks when the car is running. So they pulled the tank and said it's the gauge, and it even looks like someone has tried to stop the leak before. I guess I'll go by and have them show it to me, but meanwhile...

1 - Does anybody have any pics of where the gauge goes into the tank?

2 - Does anybody have a spare gauge unit they can sell me and send to me? I don't even know if they can be shipped or not.

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Can't be the actual gauge. No fuel goes into the cockpit as the gauge sender is in the tank (and is electrical).

Perhaps you have a leaking return line ?? If it only leaks when running, it should be "not too bad" to track down. Can you smell any gas in the engine bay.??

Have them show you what was "repaired in the past". That will narrow it down. Possibly in the area of the throttle body, fuel rail etc. I've seen people do some pretty weird things to the valve on the fuel rail. (looks like a schraeder valve on a tire). If that's the leak, it can be taken care of. But I wouldn't drive the car that way.

[This message has been edited by 3084me (edited 07-08-2008).]

I would get your car out of there as fast as you can and dont look back...

Unless they mean the schrader valve. That is the threaded coupling on the fuel rail, on the passenger side, under a black cap. You could try tightening or replacing the valve, but this is on the engine, nowhere near the tank.

The gauge is purely electric. The guage sending unit is mounted on the fuel pump assembly. The one wire for the sending unit runs out the top of the fuel sending assembly allong with the pump power wires. There are also 3 small hoses coming off the tank, fuel feed, return, vent, and 2 larger hoses, one for filler and the other for filler vent.

The Sending Unit/Fuel Pump Modular assembly is what probably they're actually referring to. You can get a new one from FieroStore.com, I believe Delphi makes it.

Probably a line is rusted on the sending unit.

Those sending units can go bad if they sit long enough...this is the one off my 84...



The are fairly expensive from the Fierostore...try and find a used one first.

There is a rubber seal where the sender/fuel pump assembly installs in the tank. Replacement fuel pumps come with the gasket, or you can buy it separately:

http://www.rockauto.com/cat...249174,parttype,6262

It's the bottom item.

JazzMan

^ There are two places that have a black sealant, and the sealant has gotten old and is cracking. Both of those are leaking - the one he's pointing to and the one to the right of that. He says these should be welded, not sealed with a sealant. That's why he suspects someone tried to fix it previously. And no, they are not necessarily familiar with Fieros, they just happened to be in a convenient location, and someone at work takes their cars there.



^ Another pic. He was trying to pry up the sealant to show it, but it kept cracking off a little more each time.

I could not find this assembly on the TFS website. Can you give me a part number? Meanwhile, a PFF member in Pensacola (3-1/2 hours away) has a tank for me, but I don't know if it comes with this assembly. I am waiting for an email reply.

Hmmm, that's the entire fuel sender assembly, nearly $300 new special order: http://198.208.187.182/inte...3&acpartnbr=25091515

I think that those tubes are just soldered in place, not brazed or welded. With nothing to lose and possibly $300+ to save I'd hit it with a heavy duty soldering iron after cleaning and fluxing the area. I don't remember if I've got a sender assembly out of the tank, I'll look when I get home tonight, but I bet if you post in the Mall you'll find one right quick-like.

JazzMan

They are just soldered -I resoldered mine once

Yeah there is no sealant on the top of the sending unit assembly. Where the return, vent and supply line goes throught into the tank is soldered as said before. There was no sealant of any kind used from the factory. Someone could have tried to use sealant there before but that is not right. Just pick up some Silver Solder, NOT rosin core solder, and just resolder the top plate to the lines. Soldering is very easy to do.

Are me and Daniel going to have to make a trip to FL for Fiero repairs?

Well, I'll tell the shop about the soldering, but I don't know if they will want to do it because of the gas fumes. I could take the tank home and do it myself, then take it back so they can put it back in the car for me. I think I have a soldering gun around here somewhere.

On second thought, yeah, Steven and Daniel need to make a trip out here to Cheeverdom.
lol

Just take the sender off the tank, it's easy to do, and solder it somewhere else. This is just too easy to do...

JazzMan

Definately take it out of the tank and clean it off before soldering it, just to avoid vapour or fumes. Also, while it's out, take a moment and replace the couple of inches of rubber line that connects the pump to the rail. They go soft after so many years in gas, and will rot. I've had to replace 3 of them because they split from sitting in old gas.

You can sometimes find decent sender units at the wreckers cheap. They sometimes cut the fuel lines and pull the fuel tank send and all (at least the few I have seen).

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Jay Brintnell
Southern Ontario Fiero Association
Yellow 85 Notchback(A.K.A. GodFearN)

The guy at the shop says the wires would cook from heating up the area for soldering. But you guys say you have done it. So it doesn't heat the wires too badly?

Hmm... do you really want to do a Rube Goldberg job in that area? Looking to add to the myth about Fieros being fire traps perhaps. You can cheep-out in many areas, but anything to do with fuel and or brakes.........