Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Hi All! This is my first post on here and I recently bought a 1985 Sunrader. I believe it’s going to need a bit of work but when I was driving it home I noticed a gas smell in and around the cab. I identified a small gas leak and wanted to see if anyone had similar issues. It has the 26 gallon tank and seems there is a small patch on the back of the tank. So if anyone has any experience getting tanks pulled and replaced or relined I’m open to that option too. Thanks everyone and looking forward to learning here! 

A871AFE7-7165-4AA5-B94B-442E94025DD7.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Varmints love to chew any of the rubber portions of your fuel lines—I'd definitely take a look at those to make sure they're in good shape.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It should just go to the scrapyard and save yourself many headaches, PM me your details and I will take it there for you...  😁

 

Take a picture of this "patch" for us.  My first thought is to wonder if you are looking at the fuel tank or one of the other tanks...  26 gallons sounds pretty big!    Normal sized tanks are 17 I believe.  Normal tanks are also very easy to get a hold of.  As to repairing your tank, if the tank is actually what is leaking, then there are plenty of options.  Start with seeing what is actually leaking and lets go from there.

 

As for the axle thing, do pop the hubcap off and take a look.  Post up pictures.   

 

And seriously why are ALL the Sunraders in the PNW?  Greedy bastards....  

Edited by thewanderlustking
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We live in South Alaska BTW!

 

All kidding aside there a is a Sunrader always on sale here, maybe we should start an export business. 😉

 

Nice one, leather and a manual to boot!

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/rvs/d/seattle-1986-toyota-sunrader/7534868375.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome thanks for the suggestions everyone. I checked the back axels and they are both 6 lug so that’s a relief. I am pretty sure about the 26gal tank, but I’lll check to see if any of the gaskets are in poor condition. I smell gas outside and inside the main cab. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Holy crap Gary I want that one!  

 

First off is this an exhaust, or a raw gas smell?  Lets assume you have a raw gas smell and not an exhaust one.  Raw gas is way more serious of a short term issue as a fuel leak can easily cause a fire.  

 

Get a fire extinguisher first.  Then run it a few minutes and shut it off.  No reason to get it hot or run it long at all.  You just want to essentially pressurize the system and have fuel running through it.  Jack it up by the frame on the passenger side.  Put a jack stand under it, be safe!  Go investigate.  Oh, do this when everything underneath is dry, it can be rainy, but you don't want to have driven the vehicle and gotten it all wet.

 

Look really carefully around the engine bay.  Many more places here where a fuel leak is likely.  You are looking for wetness, if you see any, touch, sniff, verify it is gas.  If it is a small leak and the engine is hot, it can actually evaporate  before you even see the leak.  You seem to think it is the fuel tank though.  There is one gasket up on top, but it is unlikely to be a leaker unless the tank is completely full.  The hoses up there are way more likely to be a problem.  

 

I don't know if your tank is metal or plastic?  Lets assume it is metal...  Either one can usually be repaired if it is a cracked/damaged tank.  That is a whole 'other story though, and only worth doing if you do have the unobtanium 26 gallon tank.  Most of the methods I would suggest should be left to the professionals here too lol.  There are some quick and easy ways to do repairs, if the spot is accessible, with the tank still in place.  If not and you don't want to pay a shop to pull the tank, empty it isn't too hard to remove.  

 

A metal tank can then be taken to a place that cleans them, boiled out, and resealed if needed.  This is DIY-able too, but it is a bit of stinky work with crappy chemicals.  The POR-15 kit to do it is $100 + tax and shipping.  The last time I had a tank cleaned and resealed, it was something like $250.  Only slightly more than if one could just replace the tank at "normal" prices.  Having resealed tanks myself in the past, it is WELL WORTH having this done by professional shop instead.  Especially if the tank needs a patch welded/brazed in.  

 

In the shop, I have a handful of various borescopes.   If I were to see a leak coming from on top of your gas tank, I would grab a borescope and figure out where.  (You can grab one on Amazon for $30-50 that connects to your phone or a laptop.)  If it is in the middle on top where the sender is, it is most likely going to be one of the short rubber fuel lines.  Now a shop is going to probably pull the tank either way.  But in your driveway you might have another option...  I spent a couple hours measuring, remeasuring, verifying, remeasuring and then drilled a small pilot hole in my floor.  I dropped a screwdriver down and verified where that hole was, right above my sender.  Then I used a 6" holes and popped a hole through the floor.  (I think it was 6", it was silly expensive).  In my case this was underneath my dining table.  My hole was ever so slightly off by an inch or so from perfectly centered above the tank access, but is was good enough.  I cleaned off the degree sitting there, undid my file lines, and opened the tank up to replace the fuel pump.  To fill the hole back in, one of the guys on here suggested a deck hatch spin in cover.  I had to slightly enlarge the hole with a router, but it has been a perfect solution and I can access those lines, and replace a fuel pump easily on the side of the road or in a parking lot now.  While this is a "slightly ghetto" DIY repair, I wouldn't change my mind and do it differently now.  I would have maybe measured it a few more times though LOL!  

 

BTW, if it is a rusted out steel line above the tank, you still need to access the end attached to the tank.  You probably could do this the same way.  Removing the old line could be tricky as Toyota ran it on top of the frame rail.  But you could run a new line and attach it to the tank and leave the old one in place if you can't tug it out from underneath.  I am pretty sure I remember seeing my feed line having a rubber line repair splice in it between the tank and the run up front.  Steel line is cheaper than the correct high pressure rubber line, so a long run of rubber line would make less sense.  

 

 

 

  

Edited by thewanderlustking
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Runsader85,

You might want to take this opportunity to check the fuel-filler-neck and vent hoses from the tank.

Unless I'm mistaken, the fuel-filler hose and vent hose for your rig may be routed through the sidewall of the coach near the entry door, and pass through the coach within a cabinet.

(Might be wrong about that too, I'm guessing as I have an 18'er, and your picture is of the driver's side, but this was one of the first things I fixed. (PO issue)

 

On some of these older rigs, when the tank is filled right to the top, or the RV is in motion, fuel will many times "slosh" up into an old, cracked or loose filler-neck-hose and or vent hose, and cause it to seep, creating a fuel-vapor smell in the front of the coach, and or the cab.

(Kinda depends on whether you have a window open in the back and or front, or both)

There should be a way to look inside a cabinet to check the hose clamps and hose itself, or you can probably slide under as well.

 

Also, a coupla yrs ago, I called Transfer Flow, I believe it was in Oregon, and they still made the 24 gal tanks, but said they wouldn't ship to me in Ca.

(Whoo hoo,... roadtrip ;))

 

BR,

TG

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...