fuel leak

[Cletonius]

So yesterday I filled up my car for the first time (first full tank, not first fueling) and now I have a nice puddle under the car near the right rear wheel. It's never done this before so I'm guessing there's damage somewhere high up on the tank. I also noticed that the car experiences a slight misfire after filling the tank full. I would guess there's some flotsam in the tank that I washed off with the fillup so likely the tank needs replacing. How difficult of a job is this? The car is a 90, no clue on build date. Is it easy to find good fuel tanks in the junk yard or would it be better to just get a new one?

[blunttech]

So yesterday I filled up my car for the first time (first full tank, not first fueling) and now I have a nice puddle under the car near the right rear wheel. It's never done this before so I'm guessing there's damage somewhere high up on the tank. I also noticed that the car experiences a slight misfire after filling the tank full. I would guess there's some flotsam in the tank that I washed off with the fillup so likely the tank needs replacing. How difficult of a job is this? The car is a 90, no clue on build date. Is it easy to find good fuel tanks in the junk yard or would it be better to just get a new one?

likely rusty at the fill tube. I have this on my e28. I just have learned the sweet spot and know when and how much to put in to avoid leaking. Note my car is a pile of shit so Im not interested in fixing it. If your car is nice I would get a good used tank from a southern state or splurge and buy new.

[Cletonius]

Ok. Thanks blunt. how hard is tank removal?

[jlevie]

The first thing I'd suggest if for you to do is to remove the rear seat and both oblong access plates over the pump and level sensor. The leak could be a bad seal on either the pump or level sensor or it could be a leak from a vent hose. If that area remains dry when the tank is topped up check under the car for a leak at the filler pipe and hose and look for a leak in the fender well behind the right rear wheel. You need to have a helper when checking under the access covers. There could be a rust out anywhere on the top of the tank. in which case you'll see the gas flood towards the openings under the seat.

If the problem turns out not to be a hose, seal, or filler tube you'll need to replace the tank. It usually isn't too difficult to find a decent tank at a salvage yard. You'll need one from an 88 or later 325. When I look for a used replacement tank I'm most interested in one that isn't beat up or dented. Frequently a used tank will have rust inside, but that is easy to deal with by acid cleaning sand sealing the tank. That job takes about a day, plus a day for the sealer to dry and only costs about $40-50 in materials.

The other option would be a new replacement tank. They can be had for a bit under $200.

To remove the tank you have to drop the exhaust and drive shaft. The car needs to be well up in the air (I use six ton jackstands about half way extended) to have enough room to work comfortably.

It is best to have

[Grizzly]

where do you find these new replacement tanks for $200? I havent had much time to search but bavauto wants $600!