gas leak from around left side sending unit Topic is solved

[cn90]

- You can use your tool to loosen the lock ring a bit.
- Now rotate the plastic part a tiny a few degrees R and L just to "seat the O-ring (did you put some grease on the O-ring?).
- Then tighten the lock ring just finger tight. Don't overdo it bc you can crack it.

Anyway, the art is cleanliness:
- The O-ring needs to be clean.
- The groove where the O-ring sits needs to be clean.
- The underside of the plastic top needs to be clean.
- The lock ring threads need to be clean.

[gnalan]

It's spotless this time around. I used Vaseline on qtips to pick up all the dirt in the groove for the seal, and soapy water to clean the threads, plastic ring, and the top of the tank with a nylon brush. The top of the sending unit I used a rag with Vaseline on it to get all of the dirt to stick and come off. The bottom of the sending unit was clean all the way around the edges.

I put Vaseline in the groove, coated the o-ring, bottom and top edges of the sending unit, and the bottom of the plastic ring as well as the area where the plastic ring seats with Vaseline. Then tightened it as much as I could. I didn't have any transmission assembly lube to use, and I figured since Vaseline is a petroleum product that it would work just as well and not cause any problems.

[cn90]

Is it OK now, no leak?

[gnalan]

I put half of a tank of gas in it, Sonoco 93 at $2.899/gal, and drove it around a little bit. I checked around the sending unit, but couldn't tell if it was the Vaseline in a couple of spots, or if it was gas. I wiped it all clean, and once I get it running right I'll check it again.

Not sure if my car doesn't like the gas I put in it or if something else is going on, but after it warmed up it started misfiring like crazy. I could hear the miss from under the hood, and feel it with my hand on the air box. I even went back to the tailpipe and could hear it misfiring, plus holding my hand near it I could feel the temp difference between when it was firing and when it wasn't.

[cn90]

Is this gas station trust-worthy?
Is the gas contaminated with water?

[gnalan]

I've only used their gas twice, this being the second time. I don't know if the gas station is trustworthy or not. How would I find that out? I hardly ever drive by there, but I saw something about Sunoco having better quality gas which is why I went there. I was the only one there getting gas though, and all of the other gas stations had people at almost every pump. I just thought that their price being about $0.20/gal more was why they didn't have much business.

How can I tell if there's water in the gas, and how can I get rid of the water if there is any?

[gnalan]

Is it OK now, no leak?

I hope so. I checked it after letting it idle for a little while and then driving it around. I didn't see anything leaking under the car, and I pulled the metal cover off and checked around and didn't see anything. I can still smell gas fumes a little bit smelling around the sending unit, but nothing at all like it was. Before I could smell fumes from at least 12 feet away just walking up to the car, and sitting inside the car with everything put together, including the seat bottom put back in place, all I could smell was gas.

I do have a question, though. Is half a tank of gas enough to fully submerge the sending unit on the left side to get an accurate reading to see if it's leaking?

[gnalan]

Is half a tank of gas enough to check for leaks, or should I go ahead and put more gas in it?

It doesn't look like it's leaking anymore, but I don't know how much gas is enough to submerge the sending unit and I don't want to fill it all the way up and end up wasting money from the gas leaking out again.

I want to make sure it's fine now before marking it as solved, and checking it of the list of problems I'm having with the car.

[abscate]

Save the full tank for when you know you have a trip to,make

[gnalan]

Save the full tank for when you know you have a trip to,make

That would be amost everyday. I don't see any leaks at half of a tank, but if it is still leaking I don't want to waste anymore gas than I already have. 135 miles out of 7/8ths of a tank isn't very easy on the wallet when driving over 200 miles a week. Especially with the high test at $2.899/gal the last time I got gas.