A little bummed out... Can ya'll help a newb?

[Dadgummit]

Well, as psyched as I was yesterday about gettin' my first Bronco, I'm equally as bummed today. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I walked out of work today (with a smile, because I was gonna be drivin' my Bronco), and when I approached my new toy, I smelled a strong scent of gas. I looked under the truck and saw that the gas tank, which is quite rusty, looked like it was saturated at the bottom. The bottom of the tank is visibly darker and when I felt it, I felt gas on my fingertips. It is not leaking (yet), so should I be concerned right now? Should I get my tank replaced? And if so, will I be needing to replace other parts along with it(lines, filter, ect.)?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Justshootme84]

Sorry to hear about your problem, but I would replace the fuel tank if you find that it's leaking the fuel. You can look underneath at the filler hose and lines from the motor. A common problem with the fill tube/vent is the inner, plastic vent tube gets kinked, and it's hard to fill up. The vapors keep tripping the check valve on the gas pump nozzle. It's possible that you overfilled the tank or spilled some gas accidentally when filling up. I have seen several tanks that rust through on the bottom. Ther's a couple of rubber strips between the tank and skidplate, and it collect moisture. It's a PITA to remove the bolts on the skidplate and drop the tank, but a new tank is onlyt about $120. Your 94? Bronco will have a fuel pump-sending unit assembly inside the tank, and it's a good time to replace that with a new one. That assly runs about $250, but the in-tank pump is prone to failure without warning. Good luck, JSM84

A bit of advice, too. Add the specs on your Bronco to your signature, like year model, engine size, etc. It helps when folks answer your questions.

 

[Seabronc]

Get a new tank, it is probably worse than it looks. The skid plate insulators are probably holding the gas in.

Good luck,

>-

 

[noahsdad86]

Not something you want to risk, like a fire or worse.

 

[89Bronco58]

my skidplate was holding my gas in, when i dropped the tank gas started running out quite fast, i didnt replace the tank, i turned it over and sanded it like crazy. the more rust and dirt i removed, the more little pin holes i found, they are always right where the rubber strips are because they hold moisture so much. i bought a few gas tank repair kits and sanded the metal and surrounding areas totally clean. i mixed the expoxy, soaked the fiberglass patches, and patched it overly big of the holes, pushed that down nice and firm to work it into the holes. waited an hour and let it harden, then a took the second kit and did the same thing over the existing patch, also dumped some extra exposy over everything to create an even bigger thicker and stronger seal, that was years ago....hasnt leaked a drop since /

 

[PolarrrBearrr]

I hate to tell you man, but you're going to need to replace the tank. Here's the deal, and I can speak from experience. I had the same issue, with gas leaking out of the bottom of the truck. I took it to my mechanic, and he told me he had the same issue with his. Ford (in their infinite wisdom) gave the gas tank a skid plate that does not properly allow water to escape from between the tank and the plate. Hence, it rusts not only the tank, but also the plate. The plate isn't that big a deal (unless you are doing some ******** off-roading) but the tank is (obviously) more of an issue. That tank will need to be replaced, though you can probably salvage the skid plate.

It's one of the design flaws of the full size Broncos. It goes right along with the water behind the upper part of the rear wheel wells, the bottom of the tailgate, etc. etc. It makes me thing that they wanted to make them rot from rust...

Anyway, that's the issue. Good luck, if I remember it's about a $400 repair. Maybe more, I can't remember.