ThosL Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Hi--I have a problem with my 99 Legacy outback; when I fill the gas, the station pumps becomes the issue whether I leak significant gas or not. Apparently the gas fill area has rusted and I will leak with some pumps but not with the good ones. J and J said the part and installation is a $400 job or so. What are my option with this and what is the secret to going to gas stations with the right pumps? Also I noticed I was down two quarts of oil recently probably due to the excess heat effects. Should I use Restore, Lucas or other oil additive to correct the issue as I changed the oil at Walmart yesterday? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Does it leak while fueling up or afterward? Does it leak if you only fill 1/2?Notorious problem here if you search. There is a "protective" cover for the gas filler tube that ended up trapping road dirt and moisture resulting in rust through of the fill pipe. Located next to the right rear tire, you can remove the shield and see how bad the hole is. I tried to use a gasoline compatible epoxy with mixed results on my 1991 Loyale. It requires clean metal to really work well. Second try was better. I think the replacement part is about $100 and labor is whatever they want to charge. I sold the car as is. Edited July 25, 2013 by brus brother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 OK, thanks. It never leaks except with filling up with the older style pumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Could have something to do with the way newer pumps vent fuel vapors. Seems strange that the type of pump would affect that. Either way, the filler neck should be replaced because eventually the rust will cause it to deteriorate to the point it will leak no matter which pump you use. You also will be venting hydrocarbon vapors to the atmosphere, and any fuel or fuel vapor leak poses a fire hazard. Oil changed at Walmart? Do you check the level of the oil after they do the change? Excess oil consumption could be due to a clogged PCV valve, which is a popular topic recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted July 27, 2013 Author Share Posted July 27, 2013 I changed it yesterday, $3 at Advance auto and a fifteen minute installation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 On the leaking gas fill issue, a couple of points: The problem seems to be the same, not getting worse; Some gas pumps cause a bad leak, others a minor one, others yet not at all. I recently had to replace one tire, you guessed it, it was the one just under the gas fill spout. Gas leaking on to a tire will damage the tire in time. That tire had developed a nasty bubble and was giving me a really bad ride. I do not want to spend $300-$500 on this issue as one mechanic estimated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 have changed at least 12 filler spouts in last 6 months customers found cheaper ones on ebay / rock auto the 99 is different and must order the vent valve with it as they are rusted to I pay 260 $ for filler from dealer + 125 for valve. Not to cheap the rock auto one was about 175 including the valve. Takes me about 35 min to change and I just drill the screws out don't even try to turn them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 will set a 440 code Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 OK, thanks, that may be one reason my check engine light is always on. I will try to get a second and third estimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 The mechanic is probably quoting you for dropping the tank. What he may not have thought of is dropping the rear frame to get at it. Likely, the leak is probably the fill tube, and its associated vent line. Suggest to your mechanic to inspect this part and remove the guard to look for rust or fuel seepage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmdew Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Good rust free fill tubes from Colorado available. $40 + shipping. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Do you have a link? Also another possibly economical option on my driver's side steering knuckle, the ball joint and tie rod are going bad, and possibly the cv joint. Would it be economical to get that used knuckle on order with the cv joint inside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Depending on salvage yar options it is possible o get the whole knuckle with axle. It is less labor to pull the part as a unit vs as individual parts. This depends on the donor vehicle. One time i found a junkyard car that had new axles and brakes already; bad engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rman Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I know that the proper thing to do is replace a rusted out metal hose or tank but I have had good luck once with a cheap fix that a mechanic friend told me about when I was very hard up for money. I was driving a Chevy truck and it developed a gas leak in the very bottom of the tank. His advice , and it worked for years afterwards, was to drain all the gas, use a screwdriver CAREFULLY to make sure the metal around the hole is solid clean up the area with some coarse sandpaper and mix up a palmfull of coarse body fill. Take the body fill and scrunch it into the hole. Don't play with it, smooth it or anything else. 24 hrs later I put gas in and drove the truck for years without a problem. Used to occasionally look at the patch but finally stopped because it always looked the same, ugly and dry. Just a thought depending on how tight money is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Thanks for the advice. I haven't done anything yet, and only have the problem when the wrong type of gas hose goes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 have changed at least 12 filler spouts in last 6 months customers found cheaper ones on ebay / rock auto the 99 is different and must order the vent valve with it as they are rusted to I pay 260 $ for filler from dealer + 125 for valve. Not to cheap the rock auto one was about 175 including the valve. Takes me about 35 min to change and I just drill the screws out don't even try to turn them Hey Ivan, Is there any chance you can give us a quick rundown of the filler neck replacement procedure? I've got one I need to replace and I know a shop would want to charge me for many hours of work where you say you're doing them in 35 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Hey Ivan, Is there any chance you can give us a quick rundown of the filler neck replacement procedure? I've got one I need to replace and I know a shop would want to charge me for many hours of work where you say you're doing them in 35 minutes. It won't take YOU 35 minutes, probably more like an hour and a half to two hours if you've never done it, but its not a very difficult job, and only requires basic hand tools. Get the back end of the car up on jack stands. Remove the right rear wheel so you have some space to work. Open the filler door and remove the 3 screws around the filler cap. These are the ones Ivan is talking about drilling out. Sometimes they're rusted pretty bad. Remove the 3 or 4 10mm bolts from the plastic cover on the filler tube (they will probably just snap off), then rip the cover off and throw it away. Remove the 10mm bolts that secure the filler to the body. One is near the top, and I want to say there is another near the bottom but I don't remember exactly. Loosen the hose clamps on the bottom of the filler and the small hose that's next to it. Use a pick or small screwdriver to break the hoses loose by sticking the tool between the hose and pipe and working it around the pipe. There is a plastic clip thing on the small hose that takes some fiddling to get it popped loose, then the small hose slides out of the frame. Then work the filler tube around a bit and it pops out of the hose. Once its out swap the small tube onto your replacement if it didnt come with a new one. If you have the style with the valve at the top there are two small hoses to deal with but they're usually pretty easy. Install in reverse of removal. Use petroleum jelly on the ends of the new pipe to make it easier to slide into the hoses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 It won't take YOU 35 minutes, probably more like an hour and a half to two hours if you've never done it, but its not a very difficult job, and only requires basic hand tools. Get the back end of the car up on jack stands. Remove the right rear wheel so you have some space to work. Open the filler door and remove the 3 screws around the filler cap. These are the ones Ivan is talking about drilling out. Sometimes they're rusted pretty bad. Remove the 3 or 4 10mm bolts from the plastic cover on the filler tube (they will probably just snap off), then rip the cover off and throw it away. Remove the 10mm bolts that secure the filler to the body. One is near the top, and I want to say there is another near the bottom but I don't remember exactly. Loosen the hose clamps on the bottom of the filler and the small hose that's next to it. Use a pick or small screwdriver to break the hoses loose by sticking the tool between the hose and pipe and working it around the pipe. There is a plastic clip thing on the small hose that takes some fiddling to get it popped loose, then the small hose slides out of the frame. Then work the filler tube around a bit and it pops out of the hose. Once its out swap the small tube onto your replacement if it didnt come with a new one. If you have the style with the valve at the top there are two small hoses to deal with but they're usually pretty easy. Install in reverse of removal. Use petroleum jelly on the ends of the new pipe to make it easier to slide into the hoses. Thanks, that's very helpful! I was certainly assuming that the job would take me two or three times longer than Ivan because I have no experience at it. Having an idea of how the job goes might give me the confidence to make the attempt though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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