Fuel Filler Neck Grommet Replacement

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1969VADart

1969VADart

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So today I discovered that I have a leak around the opening in the gas tank where the fuel filler neck enters the tank. These are all new parts from my build. The tank does not have the big rubber grommet because the dummy that final assembled my car (not me) tore the grommet and quick fixed the obvious leak with the gas tank epoxy sealer. I suppose I could add some epoxy sealer to the area of the leak to try to seal it up again, but I suspect I may just end up with the same problem all over again. It looks like the rocking and vibrating of the car loosened the epoxy around the neck right at the point it enters the tank. So the smart way to fix this would be to install a new grommet. Unfortunately that may have to wait until after Carlisle, so I guess I will be half-filling the whole trip.

My main question is can the tank be separated from the filler neck without loosening the filler neck from the side of the car? When we were assembling the car at the end of the build we scratched the hell out of the side of the car twice because of the difficulty of moving the filler neck. Would appreciate any recommendations or advice, including adding more epoxy. Thanks.

So no smoking around my car if you see me at Carlisle.
 
No you need to unscrew the filler neck in order to move it around

Why was it so hard to move, especially without the grommet, to the point where you scratched up the car?
 
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kiss said:
No you need to unscrew the filler neck in order to move it around

Why was it so hard to move, especially without the grommet, to the point where you scratched up the car?
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I think getting the neck to pop through the grommet was tough. And since it has a metal face plate on the outside that plate would smack back against the side of the car. Probably will just use the epoxy to get me through Carlisle then pull it down and fix it right. I'm a little concerned how hard it will be to break loose all that epoxy junk.
 
If you remove the screws that hold the rubber piece that attaches to the trunk floor and surrounds the fill pipe, when the gas tank is removed you can dis-assemble or re-assemble everything quite easily. The tube should slide right out, or in, when the tank is moved in a direction roughly parallel to the pipe. Lube up the I.D. of that new grommet with some kind of slippery grease and it'll go back together a lot easier.
 
IMO, you should drop the tank, clean the hole, and install a new grommet. I wouldn't fool around with more epoxy sealer. When you say you scratched the side of the car, do mean the inside of the trunk?

I've only done this once, but I removed the 3 screws attaching the filler neck to the body. Then remove the screws attaching the filler neck gasket at the trunk. Then partially drop the tank. Now you can wiggle the filler neck loose, and drop the tank. It was pretty easy.
 
1969VADart said:
I think getting the neck to pop through the grommet was tough. And since it has a metal face plate on the outside that plate would smack back against the side of the car. Probably will just use the epoxy to get me through Carlisle then pull it down and fix it right. I'm a little concerned how hard it will be to break loose all that epoxy junk.
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By grommet do you mean the rubber piece in the trunk? That is just a cover. Take the screws out and slide it up the filler neck so it's out of the way. You will then be able to remove and reinstall the filler neck much easier.

as @g413 said don't bother with additional sealer or anything like that, remove all of the old sealer.

Be careful when getting a new grommet, some of them aren't pliable enough almost like a soft plastic, and can be a pain to get the filler neck into. This is the one I found on ebay and it seems to work fine. I test fit my filler neck in it (I haven't installed the new tank and filler neck yet)
1967 - 1976 A Body MOPAR FUEL Grommet Gas Tank Seal CORRECT FIT New | eBay

After installing the grommet into the tank lube it as well as the bottom part of the filler neck with a lube, preferably silicone based
 
g413 said:
IMO, you should drop the tank, clean the hole, and install a new grommet. I wouldn't fool around with more epoxy sealer. When you say you scratched the side of the car, do mean the inside of the trunk?
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The side of the car (quarter panel) was getting scratched. The metal plate on the outside that screws to the side of the body would lash back when the neck would pop through the grommet and smack the side of the car. Now, that could have been because the dummy didn't lube the gasket.

kiss said:
By grommet do you mean the rubber piece in the trunk? That is just a cover. Take the screws out and slide it up the filler neck so it's out of the way. You will then be able to remove and reinstall the filler neck much easier.
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I mean the big circle grommet in the gas tank. I will probably go this route because it is the right way to fix it, but it may have to wait until post-Carlisle since I don't have the time right now.

Would appreciate any specific recommendations on how exactly people got the grommet in the gas tank hole and also what specifically was used to lube the grommet to get the neck through.
 
1969VADart said:
Would appreciate any specific recommendations on how exactly people got the grommet in the gas tank hole and also what specifically was used to lube the grommet to get the neck through.
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I was able to push the grommet I linked you above into my new tank with my hands. I think I had to use a screwdriver to get the last little bit in. If you're trying to do this without dropping the tank you will need to remove the filler neck in order to scrape out the old sealant and install the grommet. I recommend dropping the tank to do this.

Lube the inside of the grommet after it's installed and the bottom part of the filler neck with dielectric grease (which is silicone).
 
kiss said:
I was able to push the grommet I linked you above into my new tank with my hands. I think I had to use a screwdriver to get the last little bit in. If you're trying to do this without dropping the tank you will need to remove the filler neck in order to scrape out the old sealant and install the grommet. I recommend dropping the tank to do this.

Lube the inside of the grommet after it's installed and the bottom part of the filler neck with dielectric grease (which is silicone).
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Thanks. I am planning on dropping the tank. I was more curious if I could leave the filler neck screwed into the side of the body because I saw how they scratched the side of the car before and I didn't want to risk screwing up my paint if I have to do this myself. Hadn't thought about dielectric grease, but I have a good bit of that around.
 
1969VADart said:
Thanks. I am planning on dropping the tank. I was more curious if I could leave the filler neck screwed into the side of the body because I saw how they scratched the side of the car before and I didn't want to risk screwing up my paint if I have to do this myself. Hadn't thought about dielectric grease, but I have a good bit of that around.
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As long as you unscrew the rubber cover piece in the trunk and slide it up the filler neck you should have plenty of room to install the filler neck without scratching the car. You might need to rotate the filler neck to get it started and inserted, and then you can rotate it back the correct way and mount it to the car.
 
kiss said:
Be careful when getting a new grommet, some of them aren't pliable enough almost like a soft plastic, and can be a pain to get the filler neck into. This is the one I found on ebay and it seems to work fine. I test fit my filler neck in it (I haven't installed the new tank and filler neck yet)
1967 - 1976 A Body MOPAR FUEL Grommet Gas Tank Seal CORRECT FIT New | eBay

After installing the grommet into the tank lube it as well as the bottom part of the filler neck with a lube, preferably silicone based
Click to expand...

Hey I purchased this grommet you recommended and received it in the mail today. The picture on the eBay listing shows a grommet with a rounded lip side and a square lip side. The grommet I received is square-lipped on both sides. It looks like it is something universal so you could install it either way. The inside of the grommet is ramped/beveled/sloped on both sides presumably to make it easier to push the filler neck through. To be honest, it looks like what most of the filler neck grommets look like that you buy on the internet. Did they send me the wrong thing? I could understand where the rounded side might make it easier to insert into the tank, but that is not what I have. Would appreciate your thoughts.
 
1969VADart said:
Hey I purchased this grommet you recommended and received it in the mail today. The picture on the eBay listing shows a grommet with a rounded lip side and a square lip side. The grommet I received is square-lipped on both sides. It looks like it is something universal so you could install it either way. The inside of the grommet is ramped/beveled/sloped on both sides presumably to make it easier to push the filler neck through. To be honest, it looks like what most of the filler neck grommets look like that you buy on the internet. Did they send me the wrong thing? I could understand where the rounded side might make it easier to insert into the tank, but that is not what I have. Would appreciate your thoughts.
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I just replaced mine on my 1968 Dart and the one that came off was square on both sides, pretty sure it was the original one. Maybe thats what the ebay ad means by "correct fit"
Either way you should be good. I left my filler neck in place, took off the rubber boot in the trunk and was able to side the tank on with some vasoline on the gromment
 
1969VADart said:
Hey I purchased this grommet you recommended and received it in the mail today. The picture on the eBay listing shows a grommet with a rounded lip side and a square lip side. The grommet I received is square-lipped on both sides. It looks like it is something universal so you could install it either way. The inside of the grommet is ramped/beveled/sloped on both sides presumably to make it easier to push the filler neck through. To be honest, it looks like what most of the filler neck grommets look like that you buy on the internet. Did they send me the wrong thing? I could understand where the rounded side might make it easier to insert into the tank, but that is not what I have. Would appreciate your thoughts.
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You got the wrong one. They didn't send you what was in the pic. I'd contact them and get the right one.
 
dgibby said:
I just replaced mine on my 1968 Dart and the one that came off was square on both sides, pretty sure it was the original one. Maybe thats what the ebay ad means by "correct fit"
Either way you should be good. I left my filler neck in place, took off the rubber boot in the trunk and was able to side the tank on with some vasoline on the gromment
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Do I understand that you did not unscrew the filler neck from the outside of the fender? And did you replace your grommet with one like I described that was square lipped on both sides.

kiss said:
You got the wrong one. They didn't send you what was in the pic. I'd contact them and get the right one.
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Any idea if the one they sent me is meant to work? It looks like some of the grommets that I see advertised for my car on the internet. Some are rounded like the original listing and some appear to be universal with the square edge on both sides. I sent them a message but they are yet to respond. Not sure what I am going to do yet. If I don't get the grommet swapped tomorrow then I guess it will have to wait until after Carlisle.
 
1969VADart said:
Do I understand that you did not unscrew the filler neck from the outside of the fender? And did you replace your grommet with one like I described that was square lipped on both sides.



Any idea if the one they sent me is meant to work? It looks like some of the grommets that I see advertised for my car on the internet. Some are rounded like the original listing and some appear to be universal with the square edge on both sides. I sent them a message but they are yet to respond. Not sure what I am going to do yet. If I don't get the grommet swapped tomorrow then I guess it will have to wait until after Carlisle.
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Might work fine but it's an inferior design. The kind shown in the ebay pics have double seal if you will. The main lip as well as the rounded one. That's the factory design which is superior to this other design.
 
Aren't there two sizes of those grommets? When I got my Valiant tank had a hole in it. Replaced it with another abody tank. Then realized the grommet was too big. Had to go to several places to find one. Can't remember the sizes.
 
1969VADart said:
Do I understand that you did not unscrew the filler neck from the outside of the fender? And did you replace your grommet with one like I described that was square lipped on both sides.



Any idea if the one they sent me is meant to work? It looks like some of the grommets that I see advertised for my car on the internet. Some are rounded like the original listing and some appear to be universal with the square edge on both sides. I sent them a message but they are yet to respond. Not sure what I am going to do yet. If I don't get the grommet swapped tomorrow then I guess it will have to wait until after Carlisle.
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Correct. I did not unscrew it from the fender/quarter panel. Tilt the passenger side of the tank down to get the best angle at the filler neck, slide it on and you're done.
I used the one and it has a flat and round side but I think the one you have will work since thats what I had before and it was fine.

Mopar 66 67 68 69 70 E-Body B-Body Grommet Gas Fuel Tank Filler Neck Seal NEW | eBay
 
Swapped out the grommet and that fixed my problem. Filled up this evening and no leak. Actually, I didn't even drop the tank all the way. I unscrewed the filler neck and pulled it up and out and left the tank where it was. Boiled the grommet per recommendation above and the grommet went right into the tank. Used dielectric grease on the tube and the inside of the grommet and the filler neck slid right in. I couldn't believe it. It was actually harder to get the rubber tank seal back down.
 
1969VADart said:
Swapped out the grommet and that fixed my problem. Filled up this evening and no leak. Actually, I didn't even drop the tank all the way. I unscrewed the filler neck and pulled it up and out and left the tank where it was. Boiled the grommet per recommendation above and the grommet went right into the tank. Used dielectric grease on the tube and the inside of the grommet and the filler neck slid right in. I couldn't believe it. It was actually harder to get the rubber tank seal back down.
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I had an issue with my new grommet fitting loosely in my tank. Did boiling the grommet swell it up for a tighter fit? Also, did you apply the dielectric grease where the tank fits through the grommet’s channel or groove? Thanks!
 
I dont understand how you scratched the paint on your car while installing the filler neck... I have removed the neck on my dart several times. The only work that could scratch paint is removing the fuel cap and the 4 screws the hold the filler neck to the quarter panel. After that, the work is all done inside the trunk.
 
65TargaGT said:
I had an issue with my new grommet fitting loosely in my tank. Did boiling the grommet swell it up for a tighter fit? Also, did you apply the dielectric grease where the tank fits through the grommet’s channel or groove? Thanks!
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Boiling the grommet only makes it more pliable (softer) so that it will slip in easier. It does not swell the grommet. If it is loose, you might want to get another grommet. The dielectric grease was applied to the grommet where the filler neck passes through. It allows the neck to slide through easier.
 
barbee6043 said:
Duh!!!!!!! Come on guys!! We must be running out of topics!! lol
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Just trying to help a guy out. He asked the question, so I figured I would respond, even if I did post this in 2017. Maybe people haven't had filler neck issues in three years and this was just the first thread that popped up in a search.
 
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