Gas Tank Leaking

[clays123]

The FFR gas tank that came with my kit is leaking.
Does anybody knows where the leak is coming from?
Can this leak be fixed or I have to go the Boyd route?

Thanks for your answers.

Clay

[AJT '33]

The FFR gas tank that came with my kit is leaking.
Does anybody knows where the leak is coming from?
Can this leak be fixed or I have to go the Boyd route?

Thanks for your answers.

Clay

I am assuming you did not do a pressure test prior to installing it, correct? Repairing it now will be difficult.

[clays123]

I am assuming you did not do a pressure test prior to installing it, correct? Repairing it now will be difficult.

Some people come to this forum for help, some come to help others. So how are you comments supposed to be helpful? They are not. I guessed you built the perfect car without any issues.

Clay

[AdamIsAdam]

Mine leaked when I bought the car this winter. It was coming out of both the pickup gasket and sending unit gaskets. Cheap and easy fix. It's hard to tell where the leak is coming from because the gas sloshes over and then runs down and into the tank cover. I put my cell phone video camera up around the top of the tank to find the leak. Notice the wet around within the dusty area on top of the tank.

sending unit pic.JPG

[JimLev]

Which tank do you have?
The one that requires a rubber filler tube or the one that has the gas cap integrated into the top left side of the tank?

[tony]

I had a leak too prior to final body going on. I tried fixing it to no avail with a epoxy. Went to a boyd tank and haven't looked back. If your kit is done apparently you'll have to cut the old tank out but the new boyd can slide in behind the waterfall

[clays123]

Mine leaked when I bought the car this winter. It was coming out of both the pickup gasket and sending unit gaskets. Cheap and easy fix. It's hard to tell where the leak is coming from because the gas sloshes over and then runs down and into the tank cover. I put my cell phone video camera up around the top of the tank to find the leak. Notice the wet around within the dusty area on top of the tank.

sending unit pic.JPG

It is really weird because I have been driving the car since the spring of 2019 (over 500 miles on it) up until last week and nothing leaked. I decided to put it away for the winter so I topped up the tank, didn't even drive it again then next day a saw drips just in front of the rear wheel on the driver side. So it may be coming from the sending unit area. I siphoned out about 2 gallons of gas and then it stops. Not sure what to make of it.
I will remove the waterfall and check to see but I suspect the sending unit area.

Thanks very much for your help.

Clay

[clays123]

Which tank do you have?
The one that requires a rubber filler tube or the one that has the gas cap integrated into the top left side of the tank?

I got my kit March of 2016 so I would think FFR would have sent fixed all that by then, it was a well known problem. It is the tank that requires the rubber filler tube.

[clays123]

I had a leak too prior to final body going on. I tried fixing it to no avail with a epoxy. Went to a boyd tank and haven't looked back. If your kit is done apparently you'll have to cut the old tank out but the new boyd can slide in behind the waterfall

I will try to fix it first but if that fails I may have to get the Boyd tank.

[AdamIsAdam]

It is really weird because I have been driving the car since the spring of 2019 (over 500 miles on it) up until last week and nothing leaked. I decided to put it away for the winter so I topped up the tank, didn't even drive it again then next day a saw drips just in front of the rear wheel on the driver side. So it may be coming from the sending unit area. I siphoned out about 2 gallons of gas and then it stops. Not sure what to make of it.
I will remove the waterfall and check to see but I suspect the sending unit area.

Thanks very much for your help.

Clay

Yes, mine only leaked when full or close to it.

[cv2065]

My guess would be the filler tube gasket if it stops leaking when you pull fuel out of it. Use the original Ford gasket F4ZZ-9072-DA instead of the FFR one. It's a little more robust with a slightly different design. Don't forget to lube on install or it could rip.

[clays123]

My guess would be the filler tube gasket if it stops leaking when you pull fuel out of it. Use the original Ford gasket F4ZZ-9072-DA instead of the FFR one. It's a little more robust with a slightly different design. Don't forget to lube on install or it could rip.

So how do I install this? I have the older style tank with the rubber hose that fills from the bottom.

[JimLev]

I got my kit March of 2016 so I would think FFR would have sent fixed all that by then, it was a well known problem. It is the tank that requires the rubber filler tube.

My kit was delivered in Feb 2018. It came with the same tank you have now.
Then in Oct of 2018 I was in Wareham and stopped in at FFR to see Tony and Dave.
I mentioned that I have the old tank. Tony said those were suppose to be thrown out and the newer tank sent with the kits.
Tony sent me the new tank and a new back panel with the cutout for the filler at the back top side.
This tank has all the connections at the very top.
I put Prematex Permashield #85420 on both side of the gaskets. It’s for oil and gas, it doesn’t harden.

[AJT '33]

Some people come to this forum for help, some come to help others. So how are you comments supposed to be helpful? They are not. I guessed you built the perfect car without any issues.

Clay

Not sure why you commented this way, however, I pressure tested mine because of the fact that it was a concern based on others posts, that was a recommendation of many before me... not sure why you responded this way however my only intent was to ask the question. Regardless, even though mine was reworked (moved the fill up as high as possible) AND pressure tested, I still get a smell from the tank through where the seat belts come into the interior space. Will be sealing that off this winter however never found a leak.

PS. I WAS NOT being malicious just asking the question, good luck with your build.

[clays123]

My kit was delivered in Feb 2018. It came with the same tank you have now.
Then in Oct of 2018 I was in Wareham and stopped in at FFR to see Tony and Dave.
I mentioned that I have the old tank. Tony said those were suppose to be thrown out and the newer tank sent with the kits.
Tony sent me the new tank and a new back panel with the cutout for the filler at the back top side.
This tank has all the connections at the very top.
I put Prematex Permashield #85420 on both side of the gaskets. It’s for oil and gas, it doesn’t harden.

Thanks for this information Jim, I will be calling FFR as soon as possible.

Clay

[jayguy]

Adam and Clay are talking about apples and oranges I think. It looks to me like Adam has a roadster with the Mustang gas tank, and Clay has a '33 with the steel welded tank from F5, hence the references to 'waterfall' and 'Boyds' tank, which is an aluminum aftermarket tank designed to replace the somewhat faulty steel tank from F5.

From those that have done it, its not easy to get the tank out of the car once the body is on, and tracking down the leak might not be easy any way. If you can get a new tank form F5 or want to spend on the Boyds tank, you;ll have a lot of work to do for the replacement but it might be worth it, especially since you can presssure test it out of the car easier than the old one thats still in there. If it is just a pickup/sender gasket or the fill tube, you should be able to see that, however, the top of the tank is going to be hard to get to in the car.

I think you're on the right track, call F5 and see about a new tank, but you should also start looking in the car to see where the leak is coming from now, so you're ready to double check that part of your new tank, if you get one.

Good luck.

[clays123]

Adam and Clay are talking about apples and oranges I think. It looks to me like Adam has a roadster with the Mustang gas tank, and Clay has a '33 with the steel welded tank from F5, hence the references to 'waterfall' and 'Boyds' tank, which is an aluminum aftermarket tank designed to replace the somewhat faulty steel tank from F5.

From those that have done it, its not easy to get the tank out of the car once the body is on, and tracking down the leak might not be easy any way. If you can get a new tank form F5 or want to spend on the Boyds tank, you;ll have a lot of work to do for the replacement but it might be worth it, especially since you can presssure test it out of the car easier than the old one thats still in there. If it is just a pickup/sender gasket or the fill tube, you should be able to see that, however, the top of the tank is going to be hard to get to in the car.

I think you're on the right track, call F5 and see about a new tank, but you should also start looking in the car to see where the leak is coming from now, so you're ready to double check that part of your new tank, if you get one.

Good luck.

A lot of sense Jay. Actually, I about to investigate the leak further before I decide on a way forward.

Thanks again.

Clay

[murjam]

A lot of sense Jay. Actually, I about to investigate the leak further before I decide on a way forward.

Thanks again.

Clay

I had the problem of the tank leaking when I filled it. problem was gas sender leaking because of a kinked gasket, changed it and used a 2-1/2" OD X 2 1/4" ID X 1/8" DIA. "O" ring and that solved the leak. Make sure to lube the "O" ring ( can buy on Amazon )

[clays123]

I had the problem of the tank leaking when I filled it. problem was gas sender leaking because of a kinked gasket, changed it and used a 2-1/2" OD X 2 1/4" ID X 1/8" DIA. "O" ring and that solved the leak. Make sure to lube the "O" ring ( can buy on Amazon )

Great answer, thanks very much. I will be trying this before I go the Boyd tank route.