Dropping the Fuel Tank

Sparky-Watts · #1 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 06:42 PM

Well, I thought I had already posted this a couple of days ago, but for some reason, it doesn't show up anywhere. I had a nice, long post, full of details still fresh in my mind for doing it, but now they're gone with the post.

Anyway, here's the scoop: As I mentioned in my other thread about losing power in the YJ, I've got a fuel leak in one of the fuel lines that runs up on top of the tank. The only way to get to the other end is to drop the tank, so Monday evening after work, I got started. I removed 3 bolts and nuts from the front of the tank, four nuts from short studs and two nuts from long studs on the back of the tank. I removed both the filler hose and vent hose. When I tried to let the tank down with the jack, it would only come down 1-2". The fuel filler neck and vent hose neck are kind of hitting the frame, but I can move the tank over far enough to keep that from happening, but it still won't come down any further. Am I missing something? How much play should I have in the lines and wires on the top of the tank? Certainly I'd think there would be at least enough to get it down a little ways to get up there and disconnect them, right? I can't even come close to getting my hand up there yet. Any ideas?

Also, is the skid plate attached to the tank? Is the tank attached directly to the Jeep, other than by the skid plate? It seems like I can move the skid plate independently from the tank, just not very much.

Please help me....I've been driving my father-in-law's truck with the 460 CID engine, and I can't afford the gas at 7 to 9 mpg!!!!

Mildly troubled,

Sparky

Bounty__Hunter · #2 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 10:14 PM

The tank is attached to the skid with two straps, they're the longest 2 studs where you removed the nuts beneath the rear crossmember. You should be able to push those two studs through the skid to release the straps from holding the tank.

The tank wiring and vent lines will keep you from dropping the tank very far, I'd try to disconnect them asap before the wiring is damaged.

felix_santi · #3 (**permalink**) 08-17-2006, 12:46 AM

Ditto on disconnecting tank straps, wire connectors and ground strap. I won't say how I know that one....

Sparky-Watts · #4 (**permalink**) 08-17-2006, 03:57 AM

How many lines and wires are there to disconnect? How do the wires disconnect? I don't know if I can get my skinny little hands up in there to do any good. Guess I'll have to try, though.

redrooster · #5 (**permalink**) 08-17-2006, 10:20 AM

Sounds like the filler neck is holding you up. Did you disconnect the clamp and remove the hose?

Sparky-Watts · #6 (**permalink**) 08-17-2006, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redrooster

Sounds like the filler neck is holding you up. Did you disconnect the clamp and remove the hose?

Yeah, I've got both the filler and vent hoses off the tank. I think if I can move the jack back to the rear a bit more, the front of the tank might pivot enough to get up in there to disconnect stuff.

Bounty__Hunter · #7 (**permalink**) 08-19-2006, 06:27 AM

I think there's two vent lines and one electrical connector to disconnect the pump/sending unit. Haven't had mine down in a while. The electrical connector is just inside the driver's side frame rail.

Sparky-Watts · #8 (**permalink**) 08-19-2006, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bounty__Hunter

I think there's two vent lines and one electrical connector to disconnect the pump/sending unit. Haven't had mine down in a while. The electrical connector is just inside the driver's side frame rail.

Thanks, Bounty. I'm heading back out there in a few minutes, after I get some coffee onboard. I gotta get it going today, we've had a bunch of rain and I need to go mudding. Besides that, it's blocking my lawnmower into the garage, and my grass is getting really, really tall!

Sparky-Watts · #9 (**permalink**) 08-19-2006, 03:00 PM

Finally got that sucker to the ground! Still don't know what was holding it up, though. I wrestled with it for about 15 minutes with no jack and no jack stands, and finally managed to get it down on my chest, then I could reach up and disconnect the electrical and one of the fuel lines. After that, I just slithered my way out from under it, disconnected the other lines, and pulled the pump. Of course, there was only one place in town that had the pump, Advance Auto Parts, but they didn't have the sock. They said they'll order it and it'll be in by 10am tomorrow. I have no idea how I'm going to get it back in by myself, but I reckon I'll have to. Hopefully I'll have it done by mid-afternoon tomorrow to see if I've gained any headway. Lord, I hope so!

Well, I also just rolled it back out of the garage so I could get the mower out, so now I gotta get the lawn mowed....that's gonna be almost as much of a chore as the tank was! I found a small village of aborigines in the backyard in one particularly large stand of brush. Looked like they were preparing to go to battle, so there must be at least one other colony out there somewhere. Also looks like they may have made a human sacrifice out of the paperboy....I could see the remains of a bicycle and some shreds of month-old newspaper laying around. That would explain all the screaming and wild drumming going on the other morning......

guysmiley · #10 (**permalink**) 08-19-2006, 03:08 PM

Did you find where the fuel leak was coming from?

Guysmiley

Sparky-Watts · #11 (**permalink**) 08-19-2006, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guysmiley

Did you find where the fuel leak was coming from?

Guysmiley

Uhh....from my first post in this thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky-Watts

I've got a fuel leak in one of the fuel lines that runs up on top of the tank.

guysmiley · #12 (**permalink**) 08-20-2006, 07:50 PM

Wasn't sure if it was an actual line or maybe a connection on the top of the tank.
guysmiley

Sparky-Watts · #13 (**permalink**) 08-20-2006, 10:00 PM

It didn't take me near as long to get the tank back up under the Jeep as it did to take it off. I think what slowed me down and created more of a hassle than anything before was taking the nuts off the strap bolts, making the skid loose from the tank. It just kept getting in the way. Before I put it back, I repainted the skid plate, and bolted it back on to the tank. That helped a ton!! So much easier to handle that way. Also, I think that the skid weighs more than the tank does. I dumped the remaining gas out of the tank before putting it back up, and there was just over a gallon in it, or just about 7 pounds. Swapping out the fuel pump was a piece of cake, too. I also changed out both fuel lines that run through the crossmember. The one that was leaking had three cracks in it where it turned to go through the crossmember, most likely that was the cause for my power loss, but I'm glad I swapped the fuel pump, too. One less thing to worry about. It's running much better now, so I took it back out to the lake with Sonya, the Mighty Wheelin' Pooch. She's been bugging me to get back out there for a while. It's been 3 or 4 weeks since we've been wheeling together, and she was going through as much withdrawal as I was!

So, we spent a few hours flexing out the new springs again to get them broken in. It may be in my head, but I think the YJ is riding smoother now than it was on the stock springs....is that possible? Sure feels like it now!

redrooster · #14 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 01:00 PM

What about the Aborigines? Did you make a peace offering or just mow down the village?

Sparky-Watts · #15 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redrooster

What about the Aborigines? Did you make a peace offering or just mow down the village?

Like an F-5 tornado, I leveled it and never looked back.

TwistedCopper · #16 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky-Watts

It may be in my head, but I think the YJ is riding smoother now than it was on the stock springs....is that possible? Sure feels like it now!

my 92 rode better with the 3.5 bds springs than it did with the stock springs... no doubt about it.