Sometimes, smelling gas fumes can be quite enjoyable. But not inside your car. The car has smelled of gas to some extent for quite some time, and it got worse when the tank was full. It wasn't until a few races ago that we saw gas on our mudflap after runs, and we knew we had to do something. I had a feeling we were going to find rust when we dropped the tank, so I bought a bunch of awesome supplies. Restoration appeared to be the only option, as new tanks were all $600-$800.
Let's see what we've got going on...
The tank would have been much harder to remove due to a rounded/rusted off bolt had it not been for these awesome tools
It took a while to get all of the baked on dirt off, but here's what it looks like bare.
WTF? This isn't rust!?!
This is what really scared me, since this is the side that faces the exhaust.
I envisioned spending a few days restoring the tank, as products would need time to cure, and not really looking forward to it. I decided I should check again for a new one. The first link I click on was ECS Tuning, and lo and behold, they were having a blowout sale for $275. Sold.
Time was running out before the next event, and the only day Bobby and I could get together was the day before the race. Naturally, disaster ensued. It freaking rained so hard that the tent wanted to collapse and I had to keep pushing the water out. My cardboard work mat was destroyed. We were lying in a muddy stream of water under a dirty car working with fuel lines. Doesn't get much better than this.
While working under the car I noticed a fuel line that felt damaged. Sure enough:
So we fixed that. Then we had to improvise for the heat shield as the holes on the new tank didn't line up with one heat shield hole.
We got everything buttoned up, and the car started right up! We checked for leaks all over and didn't see a drop. Hooray! A few hours later I decided to go fill up the gas tank, as I had only put about 2 gallons in from its old supply. I filled up the car and decided on a whim to check the access hole in the trunk to the top of the in tank pump for any leaks. Oh crap. It's a pool of fuel. No amount of massive wads of paper towels from the dispenser would absorb it or stop it. I stepped back in terror to assess the situation, from a distance, where I noticed a steady drip of fuel from the tank to the ground. This is going to get worse before it gets better.
I had my wife bring me my hand pump thingy and an empty fuel tank to drain off some of the tank. After taking some out I could see that the leak was from all around the in tank pump as well as the level sensor unit. When I disassembled my old tank and the pump, there was no gasket, which surprised me a little, but I figured BMW knew something I didn't. I also didn't see one for the level sensor. Upon further inspection of RealOEM we figured out that yes, there are definitely gaskets in there. Double crap. It's 5 pm on a Saturday afternoon, and no dealerships are open. I start calling around for parts stores with rolls of cork gasket material, but everyone says no. Upon my next trip to the local store, I quickly find the stuff and shake my head. Back at the gas station, I walk across the street to the hardware store and find some gooey fuel-safe gasket maker stuff that I can't remember the name of, but people said it works. My wife then brings me my hand tools and Bobby arrives to lend a hand. We get the goo installed, which had rather vague instructions for cure time, but they seemed short. We felt like 45 minutes was more than enough and I drove it home with Bobby following in his car. Turns out I was spewing fuel the whole way, but hey, I can't leave the car in the gas station parking lot overnight. Thankfully, I made it home safely around 9. I had been at that gas station for about 4 hours! It was then that I called it quits for the night, and started looking for another car to drive the next day. Cue Rally-x #6 review post, one post above this one!
So it turns out we did have the gasket for the level sensor, it was just totally smushed and hidden. But no gasket for the pump.
I felt much better about everything when the new gasket for the pump arrived!
And while we were at it, we replaced the gasket for the fuel cap. It fit tighter after replacement!
FINALLY, everything goes back together, and actually stays sealed after being filled up and beat on! And for the first time in a long time, there are zero fuel smells around and in the car! I was also very happy to have my 1/4" torque wrench, as the nuts and bolts have very specific, and very low, torque settings for the pump and level sensor.
Let's see what we've got going on...
The tank would have been much harder to remove due to a rounded/rusted off bolt had it not been for these awesome tools
It took a while to get all of the baked on dirt off, but here's what it looks like bare.
WTF? This isn't rust!?!
This is what really scared me, since this is the side that faces the exhaust.
I envisioned spending a few days restoring the tank, as products would need time to cure, and not really looking forward to it. I decided I should check again for a new one. The first link I click on was ECS Tuning, and lo and behold, they were having a blowout sale for $275. Sold.
Time was running out before the next event, and the only day Bobby and I could get together was the day before the race. Naturally, disaster ensued. It freaking rained so hard that the tent wanted to collapse and I had to keep pushing the water out. My cardboard work mat was destroyed. We were lying in a muddy stream of water under a dirty car working with fuel lines. Doesn't get much better than this.
While working under the car I noticed a fuel line that felt damaged. Sure enough:
So we fixed that. Then we had to improvise for the heat shield as the holes on the new tank didn't line up with one heat shield hole.
We got everything buttoned up, and the car started right up! We checked for leaks all over and didn't see a drop. Hooray! A few hours later I decided to go fill up the gas tank, as I had only put about 2 gallons in from its old supply. I filled up the car and decided on a whim to check the access hole in the trunk to the top of the in tank pump for any leaks. Oh crap. It's a pool of fuel. No amount of massive wads of paper towels from the dispenser would absorb it or stop it. I stepped back in terror to assess the situation, from a distance, where I noticed a steady drip of fuel from the tank to the ground. This is going to get worse before it gets better.
I had my wife bring me my hand pump thingy and an empty fuel tank to drain off some of the tank. After taking some out I could see that the leak was from all around the in tank pump as well as the level sensor unit. When I disassembled my old tank and the pump, there was no gasket, which surprised me a little, but I figured BMW knew something I didn't. I also didn't see one for the level sensor. Upon further inspection of RealOEM we figured out that yes, there are definitely gaskets in there. Double crap. It's 5 pm on a Saturday afternoon, and no dealerships are open. I start calling around for parts stores with rolls of cork gasket material, but everyone says no. Upon my next trip to the local store, I quickly find the stuff and shake my head. Back at the gas station, I walk across the street to the hardware store and find some gooey fuel-safe gasket maker stuff that I can't remember the name of, but people said it works. My wife then brings me my hand tools and Bobby arrives to lend a hand. We get the goo installed, which had rather vague instructions for cure time, but they seemed short. We felt like 45 minutes was more than enough and I drove it home with Bobby following in his car. Turns out I was spewing fuel the whole way, but hey, I can't leave the car in the gas station parking lot overnight. Thankfully, I made it home safely around 9. I had been at that gas station for about 4 hours! It was then that I called it quits for the night, and started looking for another car to drive the next day. Cue Rally-x #6 review post, one post above this one!
So it turns out we did have the gasket for the level sensor, it was just totally smushed and hidden. But no gasket for the pump.
I felt much better about everything when the new gasket for the pump arrived!
And while we were at it, we replaced the gasket for the fuel cap. It fit tighter after replacement!
FINALLY, everything goes back together, and actually stays sealed after being filled up and beat on! And for the first time in a long time, there are zero fuel smells around and in the car! I was also very happy to have my 1/4" torque wrench, as the nuts and bolts have very specific, and very low, torque settings for the pump and level sensor.
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