Ughh.... I put my '70 up on jack stands to remove the wheels, so I could bleed the brakes, because I was installing a new master cylinder. Easy enough. Until I decided to remove the spare tire.

Minutes after I dropped the tire out, gasoline started dripping down from the gas tank. Pretty soon it was dripping all over the place. I quickly determined it was not the fuel line, nor the sender unit.

My next thought was when I had jacked up the car, maybe for some reason, I had twisted and broken the seam on the gas tank. Nope. In fact, the tank looks fairly new on it. After a 10-second, cuss-strewn panic, I grabbed a funnel and as many gas cans as I could find and pulled the rubber line off of the tank and started draining it.

Past the half way point, below the seam, it was still leaking! At this point, I'm flustered, and gas is all over the floor -not to mention the vapors. I'm lucky I didn't have a fire...

A piece of putty fell out near the tank shortly before it started to leak. I'm guessing that some idiot punched a hole in a new tank by accident, and instead of getting a new one, used this garbage.

I won't know for sure until I drop the tank tomorrow, but that's where my money's on.

I've only had the car about 2 months. Previous owner not known; I bought from a dealer. I don't think a dealer would have caught this flub up. I saw the tank was new before I bought it, and thought "oh good, a new tank - one less thing to worry about"... Boy was I wrong.

 

Bubba strikes again!

 

That is beyond "bubba"..that is sheer stupidity..

 

Bubba-gum.

 

Wait, don't credit Bubba yet. Lets see where the leak is first and if that chunk came from around the hole.

 

Wow, my hot water heater is in my garage and if that had happened to me.....gives me chills just thinking about it.

 

A customer of mine back in Dansville, NY lost over a million dollars in paving equipment not to mention the whole shop facility when someone tiped over a full fuel tank from an F-250 around 1999. The mechanic had his trouble light on the floor under the truck, and removed the fuel tank without draining it. The tank sliped off the floor jack, and the fuel spilled onto the droplight causing the instant flash fire. The mechanic suffered severe burns to his upper body.

Be careful!!!

DR. Jay

 

Yes, always have a plan. Do you know where your fire extinguisher is? Is it charged and easy to get in a hurry? That reminds me to get one for the other side of my garage.

 

Don't you just love Bubba ! I'm glad the furnace or hot water heater didn't light up when you were leaking gas !

Are you an ATC ??? If so ...where? I will "look" for you next time I blast through your sector !
I will be under a call sign of "caa" or Candler.

 

Why do you need a heater for your hot water??

 

Luckily, I was using a flourescent plastic drop light. Also had the fire extinguisher handy. The fumes were really bad though. I am dropping the tank in the morning and will know exactly what went wrong then.

I work a lot of Candler flights. I work enroute (ZDC) North Carolina mostly (RDU, CLT, FAY) If you've flown in/out of there, you've probably talked to me. I've been there since '89... Are you flying the RJ's? I like the RJ70, but the other ones are pigs!

Mark

 

Yes..the CR2 and CR7....after 9500 hours of Brasillia time....
I have about 6000 hours of CRJ now.

Check your pm...I just sent you one.

You are correct....the rj 70 is a rocket...the 50 poops out above fl250.

Fred

 

I wonder how many of us are aviator's on the forum?

 

Yikes, hope the problem is easily found and that the fix is simple.

 

I bet there are quite a few....performance nuts like vettes and planes......Watch this !

 

I think somebody stole this topic

 

I bought mine from an F15 pilot out of Langely AFB, does that count?

 

guess i did squawk 7500 on this thread.....my apologies

 

Yep....We ran the original topic completely off the airway....ran right off in the ditch!
sorry

 

and gas is all over the floor -not to mention the vapors. I'm lucky I didn't have a fire...

To anyone who doesn't know this it’s the vapors that will explode from the floor to around two feet above, NOT the gas on the floor. First thing to do is turn off all electric and of course put out any flame. Open all doors and windows and let the garage air out. Remove the gas on the floor w/a hose or kitty litter. If you use the kitty litter get rip of it ASAP because you just made a bomb out of it. IF in dough get out and call the fire department. Been there done that, wife's uncle is a Chief of a city fire department.