New gas tank leaking twice !!!

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PhillH

PhillH

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I bought and installed a new gas tank from from Tom's Classics. New sender and seals. After about a week installed it started leaking all over my garage floor before the smell let me to it. I wasn't very happy let me tell you, the smell was coming in the house and it soaked into the concrete floor, took about three days running fans to get the smell out.
I called them and they sent me a new sender gasket and ring to replace the leaker. After I install I let it sit for a couple days with half a tank of gas. No leaks, yesterday I go to the station and fill up and still no leaks, then late last night the wife starts complaining of the gas smell again, dam it, the thing is leaking worse than the first one!!! Now I need to call Toms and solve this, I want my money back for all this trouble. What would you guys do?
 
A member here has OEM lock rings for senders. Majority of aftermarket replacements are too thin and don't seal well. I would also get a new seal from NAPA. My local store didn't have it in stock but did order for me.
 
everything above and make sure the mounting flange on the tank isn't F-ed up.. do what you can to fix it yourself before going through the BS of taking it back out and returning it.. just to get another one that doesn't work...
 
I have the oem rings if needed, the aftermarket ones just are to loose
 
Gently fold the gasket and stretch it, while inspecting for cracking or dry rot.
 
I did put it together dry the first one, second one I rubbed VERY THIN layer of black RTV around both sides of the seal. I do have the original OEM lock ring but pretty crusty looking. Halifax do you have new OEM rings? If so I'd like to buy one, let me know how to do that. I'll pick up a gasket at Napa. I shifted the ring a bit and it's not leaking for now, I'm gonna try to get through this tank so I don't have to drain it. On the other side of this, do you think I would be fair in asking for my money back for all the trouble I'm having to go through, the time and money and hassle of having my garage filled with fumes for days???
 
PhillH said:
do you think I would be fair in asking for my money back for all the trouble I'm having to go through, the time and money and hassle of having my garage filled with fumes for days???
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You can try, but they will probably just tell you that they are not responsible for correct assembly.
(I know, the lock rings suck but still)
 
whew - good luck. they might take the shitty parts back and refund you.. but you've installed them so... I highly doubt they will compensate you because your garage smells like gas though. Best move - call them and inquire..
PhillH said:
I did put it together dry the first one, second one I rubbed VERY THIN layer of black RTV around both sides of the seal. I do have the original OEM lock ring but pretty crusty looking. Halifax do you have new OEM rings? If so I'd like to buy one, let me know how to do that. I'll pick up a gasket at Napa. I shifted the ring a bit and it's not leaking for now, I'm gonna try to get through this tank so I don't have to drain it. On the other side of this, do you think I would be fair in asking for my money back for all the trouble I'm having to go through, the time and money and hassle of having my garage filled with fumes for days???
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Those aftermarket rings are really a problem, it is amazing how many guys have had trouble with them just on FABO! Phil I sent you a PM
 
I have read some and that's why I kept the original, but come on I expected a few guys had some weeping around it, I tried two different, one made in wherever and the second made in Canada, they are junk, my tank probably would have been empty by morning!!! How can they sell that crap? I'm surprised nothing really bad has happened to anyone from them. Say I forgot to unplug my compressor, which does happen, and it would have come on in the middle of the night possibly igniting fumes, crazy....
 
I even bought a great sending unit for over 100 and the ring was junk, I was looking for a oem one and found a guy that used to have a dealership and grabbed all I could from hi. Pretty much passing them on.
 
If you have an old ring, use that. If that does not fix things, then I would consider holding the tank sealing surface outward and tapping in the tabs under which the ring locks, to tighten the seal. And, the tanks flange surface needs to be flat; it might need to be returned.

The seal and sender flange need to be very well centered in the flange area; if either gets offset, it has a higher chance of leaking. Sometimes hard to do under the car...so drop the tank and rework it, IMO.

Also, RTV dissolves in gas.. .so no surprise that it started leaking again.

BTW, I recently put an overseas made tank in my '62 Dart and it sealed up fine. I used the old ring.

Money for your trouble? How can you prove to them that you installed it 100% right? I doubt the offer any warranty for this....
 
I went through the same crap,
I have a roll of cork gasket material, about 1/8" IIRC, made my own, and smeared any pours full of the blue rtv even the outer edges. I think it`s the only one that lists fuel resistant quality over others.
I let it skim over pretty good before installing and been holding good for over a decade.
 
Ordered a ring from Halifaxhops, with these suggestions and that ring it should, I hope, be fixed. Thanks for the input.
 
Permatex number 2 Black, that's what I used and I let it get pretty tacky before install.
 
I have never had Permatex Form-A-Gasket #2 hold up well to gasoline...Try this:
http://www.permatex.com/products-2/...sistant-gasket-dressing-flange-sealant-detail

And from Permatex: "Can I use the Permatex® Ultra Blue® RTV to seal a gas gauge-sending unit to a gas tank?
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No, Ultra Blue® is a silicone-based product, that will offer a good seal, and has good resistance to oil and coolant, however, silicones are not recommended for use in a gasoline environment. The gasoline will attack the product. Permatex® offers the solvent based Form-A-Gasket® products or MotoSeal® #29132 [hyperlink to 29132 product page] that are designed for applications in a gasoline environment. "
 
I've never seen that, non-setting and resealable, thanks I will be picking up some of this for when I put the new lock ring on.
 
Also, at this time, after shifting the locking ring around it does appear to be staying dry, but still I couldn't trust it, what if a pothole was to shift it six months later.
 
nm9stheham said:
I have never had Permatex Form-A-Gasket #2 hold up well to gasoline...Try this:
http://www.permatex.com/products-2/...sistant-gasket-dressing-flange-sealant-detail

And from Permatex: "Can I use the Permatex® Ultra Blue® RTV to seal a gas gauge-sending unit to a gas tank?
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No, Ultra Blue® is a silicone-based product, that will offer a good seal, and has good resistance to oil and coolant, however, silicones are not recommended for use in a gasoline environment. The gasoline will attack the product. Permatex® offers the solvent based Form-A-Gasket® products or MotoSeal® #29132 [hyperlink to 29132 product page] that are designed for applications in a gasoline environment. "
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Oh crap! THAT is the sealant I used onthe gas tank! Sorry for the bad info I gave above (I have corrected it). I was actually trying to find the "MotoSeal" stuff, and I thought I had. It's been a long time. Actually, I think they changed the name of it, but this is the same material.
 
PhillH said:
Also, at this time, after shifting the locking ring around it does appear to be staying dry, but still I couldn't trust it, what if a pothole was to shift it six months later.
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The locking ring I got from Halifax solved mine. Suspect it will yours as well.
 
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