Water in fuel again!

Wayne64 · Post by **Wayne64** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:36 pm

Today since it finally warmed up a bit (thanks Al Gore) I finished the steering wheel/column job. The truck sat for about two weeks with a full tank. We use E10 here and when I fired it up it wouldn't stay running unless the choke was fully applied. The first thing I checked was to pump a half gallon of gas into my wine jug that is necessary in NY with this E10. My Facet pump pushed out a Qt. of water with a Qt. of fuel. I doubt it could have absorbed that much since I filled it so I started looking. The first place I want to check is the gas tanks top but can't get the inspection cover off in the bed. Any tricks Gents? Or is it grinder time? The screws are both rusted and painted and the philips slots are gone.

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:28 am

A 50:50 fuel/water ratio is WAY too much for simple condensation to have occurred. Sounds more like sabotage to me. You haven't gotten any of the neighborhood kids ticked off, have you?

Wayne64 · Post by **Wayne64** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:22 am

Lifer wrote:A 50:50 fuel/water ratio is WAY too much for simple condensation to have occurred. Sounds more like sabotage to me. You haven't gotten any of the neighborhood kids ticked off, have you?

No problem with the locals, but your post brought back a memory of when my son's were young. A local kid was "playing gas station" and filling his Dads car up with the garden hose. I currently have drilled the 4 bolts out of the inspection plate in the bed. The top of the tank has no rust I could see but no telling the condition of the sender and fuel pick up gaskets are? I did notice that the gas cap was set for venting and the fording vent line is hooked up to the carb ell. This is one damp island I live on and it might be condensation. I covered the top of the tank with plastic as a temp. rain guard. Also I have the front of the truck jacked up so the tanks drain is the low point. I'll drain the tank till I'm water free and then pump out the fuel line before I try to start it again.

Franz© · Post by **Franz©** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:39 pm

I could tell you a nice story or I could just tell you I had mine out and back in 3 times finding all the holes on the top of the tank. Hell, it's NY and it's a M-37, I'll just tell you the way it is.

Take a cutoff wheel to the inspection cover screws and remove the cover. Disconnect the tank >> drain the tank >> drop the tank >> suck out remaining fuel >> find pinholes, generally at least 3 >> repair holes >>> pressure test tank >>> slop coating over repairs >>> reinstall tank

Every damn one I ever encountered came out that way in the long run.