Fuel filler hose question

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 6:57 am

I was filling up the truck yesterday and when the tank got full, instead of the pump shutting off like it was supposed to, it kept running a little too long and it seemed like gas was leaking from the filler hose down at the tank instead of out the top of the hose like it normally would when a pump doesn't shut off in time. I checked it when I got home and there didn't seem to be anything loose where the hose attaches to the tank. Also...wouldn't the SES light turn on if there was a hole in the hose or the tank? It monitors the vacuum in the fuel system right? It kind of worried me because it seemed like about a quart or more of fuel spilled out from the tank and I could still smell gas when standing by the truck this morning.

Any ideas?

Mike H. · Post by **Mike H.** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 7:54 am

This has been discussed before. Look back through the old posts. Lots of people have had that problem. I never have though. I can get another $2.00 bucks in after the pump first trips off.

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 9:24 am

Mine used to overflow once in a while, but only from the top of the hose...never right at the tank. Is the tank vented right where the filler hose attaches? I'm assuming it's that way since there's no secondary vent hose coming from the tank to the nozzle.

adrenalnjunky · Post by **adrenalnjunky** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 9:45 am

Since I don't know how the fuel filler attaches to the tank, but would your bodylift have anything to do with it, or did you not have to modify yours when you lifted?

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:36 am

you didnt modify your filler hose when you put your BL on.

that could of ripped the hose off the gas tank. its only on there with a clamp.....

but let me say that getting the hose off or putting it back on will the biggest PITA!!!!

you have to remove your bed all the way off your truck, Good luck!

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:12 pm

The filler hose isn't detached from the tank. It only started spilling fuel after I had already filled the tank. I looked at it last night and everything was still firmly attached. The only thing I can think is that there's some sort of pressure vent right where the filler hose attaches to the tank and that's where the fuel came out from. As far as I can tell there's no leaks, especially since the SES light hasn't come on indicating a loss of pressure in the fuel system.

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 9:35 pm

mabey its the relief pressure hose leaking....or a habbit tucked was up under your bed taking a piss

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 6:46 am

a2b wrote:mabey its the relief pressure hose leaking....or a habbit tucked was up under your bed taking a piss

What relief pressure hose? There isn't one as far as I can tell.

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 4:07 pm

AZS10Crew wrote:
a2b wrote:mabey its the relief pressure hose leaking....or a habbit tucked was up under your bed taking a piss

What relief pressure hose? There isn't one as far as I can tell.

i have one....not sure what i am talking about right now

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 6:21 pm

a2b wrote:
AZS10Crew wrote:
a2b wrote:mabey its the relief pressure hose leaking....
What relief pressure hose?
i have one....not sure what i am talking about right now

Might be refering to the filler hose vent line? That 5/8" hose that runs with the filler hose?

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 8:28 pm

HenryJ wrote:
a2b wrote:
AZS10Crew wrote:What relief pressure hose?
i have one....not sure what i am talking about right now
Might be refering to the filler hose vent line? That 5/8" hose that runs with the filler hose?

ya, thats the one.

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 6:35 am

OK...I don't have one of those on mine. I don't know that I ever did though. All I have is the filler hose that runs from the opening on the side of the bed to the tank.

Anybody else with an 03 only have the filler hose?

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 8:14 am

are you sure???

look on the inside of the tube...after you pull back that plastic peice on the insdie of the fender so you can see good

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 9:07 am

I'm sure...there's nothing attached to the tube anywhere. There's also no sign of a hole at the top for a vent where the cap and stuff is either. I've looked several times now. Maybe the 03's are different?

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 3:30 pm

Well...I checked again tonight and there's definitely no vent hose...and no sign that there ever was one. I filled it up again right before I got home and the same thing happened, so I put some silicone sealant around the spout where the filler hose attaches to the tank. Hopefully that will take care of whatever was causing it to leak.

Mike H. · Post by **Mike H.** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 3:43 pm

The 02's have the vent line. You can't see where it attaches at the top of the filler tube without disassembling the top assembly. You can pull out those 3 plastic pop-in anchors (carefully) and then pull up on the top assembly. The 5/8 hose attaches to a metal nipple soldered onto the top steel portion of the filler neck, above the 2" hose but behind the plastic top housing/cover. Maybe they missed yours, and the gas is coming out the lower connection point on the tank somewhere?

But wait a minute, I think you did the body lift, so you'd already have seen all that. Never mind.

Post by **HenryJ** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 3:57 pm

AZS10Crew wrote:Well...I checked again tonight and there's definitely no vent hose...and no sign that there ever was one. I filled it up again right before I got home and the same thing happened, so I put some silicone sealant around the spout where the filler hose attaches to the tank. Hopefully that will take care of whatever was causing it to leak.

Bad move

Silicone RTV + Gasoline = Jello Mess!

I really find it hard to believe that you do not have a filler hose vent line. Cars/trucks have had them since the beginning of time.

This picture shows the vent line that I cut to install the tee for my aux. fuel tank

Mike H. · Post by **Mike H.** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 4:08 pm

HenryJ always has the camera ready!

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 6:28 pm

HenryJ wrote:
Cars/trucks have had them since the beginning of time.

Genesis 1:1

and God said, "let there be light!.....and also, let there be vent hoses next to fuel filler hoses on all cars/trucks"

-Amen

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 6:40 am

Well...I am 1000% sure there is no vent hose and never was one. When I looked through the instructions for the body lift, the picture of the filler hose and vent hose is completely different than the one on my truck. Mine has the filler part that attaches to the bed which is a funnel shape right behind the body panel, then it's a plastic pipe that arches down about 3". The filler hose is attached to that and then arches toward the tank and then down to the spout on the tank. No vent hose anywhere. Trust me on this one.

Is there anything I can use to seal around the spout since RTV doesn't work?

I'm close to just biting the bullet and taking it to the dealership.

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 11:07 am

Well...I found a gas tank repair kit at AutoZone for $9. I think it will work well. It's an epoxy type resin that's impervious to gasoline, water, etc., etc. and it bonds with plastic, metal, wood, everything.

Oh...and I'll take a pic or two of the filler hose setup to prove to you guys that there's no vent hose also.

One more question...can I use PVC pipe to extend the filler hose or will I need to hunt around for some stainless steel tubing? I don't think my BL came iwth the right part for the fuel hose extension and I'm thinking now that I should probably do that to ward off any future problems.

NTXCrew · Post by **NTXCrew** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 11:36 am

so do we think this problem can be attributed to the body lift?

Mike H. · Post by **Mike H.** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 1:44 pm

Do NOT use PVC. Use steel. It does not have to be stainless. Mild steel is OK. I think the tank may be galvanized. You can get small pieces of pipe at Autozone (insert your parts store name here) in the exhaust section that will be fine. I think the gas tube is 2" ID, and if so, get 2" OD thin wall pipe. They have lots of coupling pieces for exhausts, and they come in 2" ID and 2" OD (among several other sizes). You will need the hose clamps from your body lift kit, or buy 2.

My kit did not have the right piece either. It had a piece of hose to extend a metal pipe (as found on the ZR2). I may go ahead and lengthen mine too.

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 3:07 pm

NTXCrew wrote:so do we think this problem can be attributed to the body lift?

Partly from the body lift, partly from shoddy GM engineering, and partly due to the fact that I didn't install the filler hose extension. Although...I doubt it would have worked anyway since my setup is so different. We'll see what I can get put together in the next couple days.

Mike H. wrote:I think the gas tube is 2" ID

Mine seems smaller than that. Probably more like 1" inside diameter. Like I said...it's a much different setup than on the other years. I'll have to measure it tonight when I'm repairing the leak.

Post by **HenryJ** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 4:53 pm

I did a little looking in my Helms manual, and what you are describing sounds like the filler hose used for the four door Blazer, It is very long and has no vent line that I could see.

Couple of things:

Did you loosen the upper and lower hose clamps when you did your body lift?

I loosened both ends and gained all the slack that I could, shifting the clamps as close to the ends as possible.

Make sure that the clamps are tight , on the hose and neck. Also make sure the hose is not damaged and leaking.

Is your fuel tank made of steel?

If so, it is possible that the solder joint at the filler hose attachment is the cause, Scratch it up with some emery cloth and clean it as best you can then use some of that epoxy to seal it.

You're right! If you do decide to take it in, for warranty, they will need to replace the fuel tank.

It well could have been stressed by the bodylift , but I find it hard to believe the plastic upper mount is stronger than the fuel tank , and that the tank would fail before the afore mentioned upper mount, if it was under too much stress.

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 6:31 am

I didn't loosen the clamps when I did the lift, but I did now. I gained a good inch + of slack it seems like. Hopefully that will help in the future.

As far as I can tell, the tank is plastic. At least it seems to be plastic on the outside where the epoxy would be bonding to. I made sure to get the repair kit that was for plastic tanks.

So far driving to work this morning it seems to have worked. We'll see how the next fill up goes.

If it doesn't work, how difficult would it be to drop the tank myself and replace it?

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 6:50 am

AZS10Crew wrote:I didn't loosen the clamps when I did the lift, but I did now. I gained a good inch + of slack it seems like. Hopefully that will help in the future.

As far as I can tell, the tank is plastic. At least it seems to be plastic on the outside where the epoxy would be bonding to. I made sure to get the repair kit that was for plastic tanks.

So far driving to work this morning it seems to have worked. We'll see how the next fill up goes.

If it doesn't work, how difficult would it be to drop the tank myself and replace it?

That slack has to help. I can't believe you got it together (post BL) with out loosening the hose.

There seems to be a change in tanks , as mine (2001) has a steel tank. I'm not sure how the filler hose is attached to the plastic tank, but on Mopars they have trouble with leakage at the rubber grommet that the steel filler tube is inserted. If there is any misalignment or tension, they will leak, or worse allow dirt/mud in.

If the attachment for your filler hose is indeed moulded into the tank, then you must have a crack. The epoxy may work , but due to the differing expansion rates it will probably be temporary at best.

Changing the tank is not a big deal, remove filler hoses, drain the tank, take the straps loose, let it down far enough to disconnect wiring and hoses, then drop it.

We will all have to do it sooner or later, to replace the fuel pump at 70k-140k miles

not my idea of fun, but done a dozen of them.

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 8:51 am

no vent hose....plastic tank....where was your built? mexico??? are sure its a real s-10 crew, and you didnt buy a knock off

NTXCrew · Post by **NTXCrew** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 9:12 am

a2b wrote:no vent hose....plastic tank....where was your built? mexico??? are sure its a real s-10 crew, and you didnt buy a knock off

HEY!!! On my adventure under my truck (see other topic

), I, too, have noticed that '03 Crews have a black "plasticy" gas tank. I tapped on it and thought to myself, "huh...". So, I'm backin' you up on this one, Mark.

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 9:33 am

NTXCrew wrote: I, too, have noticed that '03 Crews have a black "plasticy" gas tank. I tapped on it and thought to myself, "huh...". So, I'm backin' you up on this one, Mark.

The plastic tank is not a bad thing. At least the dents tend to pop themselves out.

It is lighter than the steel tank.

I still find it hard to believe that there is no filler vent. Sure seems like it would puke gas all over ya, when you are trying to gas-up.

Conman · Post by **Conman** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 9:40 am

I have to look at my 02 Crew. Mine was built in May 02 I think. I know I have a plastic gas tank but I have to look at my fill tube to see if it looks like Henry's or other. I'll let you know.

Con

NTXCrew · Post by **NTXCrew** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 10:00 am

and the plot thickens...

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 10:45 am

I think the lack of a vent hose is part of the reason why the 03's have had overflow problems when filling. There have been a few posts here from 03 owners about how the fuel spills out the top and down the side when filling up.

I don't think the spout that the filler hose attaches to is a molded part of the tank. It appears to be a piece that was attached to the tank separately and the joint failed.

I also got to thinking that replacing my rear shocks might help a little too. The bed seems to bounce around an awful lot when driving down the road, and I think some better shocks might help to reduce that.

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 10:56 am

AZS10Crew wrote:I think the lack of a vent hose is part of the reason why the 03's have had overflow problems when filling.

Heck, the 2001's still have that problem even with a vent line

The 4 door Blazers must really have it bad though. Their filler hose is twice as long as the crew cabs.

So you're saying that the hose connection is "vulcanized" or glued to the tank?

I'd be for checking into getting that tank replaced under warranty. Seeing as how it is part of the emissions system you should have 80k to lifetime warranty on some emissions system parts.

Leaking gas will be taken seriously by the dealers, and there is no way that the filler hose attachment should come loose even with a little pressure on the hose. Sounds to me like a manufacturers defect.

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 11:38 am

HenryJ wrote:So you're saying that the hose connection is "vulcanized" or glued to the tank?

It seems to be yes. It looks like they vulcanized a mounting piece to the tank, then mounted the spout (which the filler hose attaches to) onto that.

I'll see how things go over the next few days. If it begins to leak again, I'll take it in and see what they have to say.

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 11:35 pm

i think mark made this all up just to get attention

AZS10Crew · Post by **AZS10Crew** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 12:43 pm

a2b wrote:i think mark made this all up just to get attention

Bite me.

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 9:04 pm

AZS10Crew wrote:
a2b wrote:i think mark made this all up just to get attention

Bite me.

no thank you

NTXCrew · Post by **NTXCrew** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 6:29 am

AZS10Crew wrote:
a2b wrote:i think mark made this all up just to get attention

Bite me.

No pics, please.

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 2:22 pm

AZS10Crew wrote:
HenryJ wrote:So you're saying that the hose connection is "vulcanized" or glued to the tank?

It seems to be yes. It looks like they vulcanized a mounting piece to the tank, then mounted the spout (which the filler hose attaches to) onto that.

I definately believe you now, the vent runs to the EVAP canister, not the filler tube!

The filler pipe is steel at the top, and I'd swear that the hose was welded to it

, the outlet end of it is approx 1" dia. then it "tapers" up to approx. 1.25"-1.5" where it attaches to the tank.

Kind of a "cheesy" set-up at the tank. I can visualize where yours seems to be leaking , now

.

a2b · Post by **a2b** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 6:02 pm

oh know, now you have brule in on this scheme.....i wish this thread would die