94 B3000:

Filled up yesterday and noticed a puddle underneath... what's the best way to tackle? Siphon gas out? Remove tank and filler neck? Not sure where the leak is coming from other than it's dripping from the tank area - no visible holes.

:/

 

Likely should remove the bed to avoid siphoning gas & lowering the tank from underneath;
gives you the best access to do a good repair & inspect the entire area for other issues.

 

Thanks - I've never removed the bed yet so I'll need to see how I go about doing that. I hope what I find is an "easy" fix.

 

Get a short hose and a damp rag/towel
Remove gas cap
Put hose in the gas tank and wrap the damp rag around it to SEAL IT, hold it in place with your hand
Blow into the other end of the hose
You WILL hear air coming out of the leak point, so having a friend there to blow into the hose is usually needed, while you try and find the leak


DO NOT use an air compressor for this test, you WILL BLOW OFF fittings
Human lungs can generate no more than 2psi of pressure, no compressor can be turned down that low

Loads of videos and how-tos on tilting up or sliding back the bed of a Ranger, usually done to change fuel pumps
Its by far the easiest way unless you have a lift and transmission jack to lower the tank and to put it back in(which is the hardest part)

 

Thanks, RonD! I will attempt to remove the bed tomorrow because it's about to rain and my garage is too full! That's a really cool way to find the leak! Hopefully I can just find the leak and use something to plug it. I guess I will need to find out where it is first. I'll report back with pictures when I figure it out.

 

The filler hose would be best guess 99% of the time there is a leak

Although with the price of gasoline these days thieves are just drilling holes in the bottom of gas tanks to drain the gas out, lol
And also cut off the CAT Converter while they are waiting for gas to drain

 

If it is the filler hose, could I just epoxy it or would the leak be around where it connects to the tank which would need a gasket, right?

 

It would be where it bends usually, rubber just rots out, you can try tape but it usually doesn't last long

 

I guess it's the filler neck! :)

 

I guess it is, lol

It looks like a hose inside a hose setup
The larger outside hose, that's broken, is actually the VENT hose, it lets air OUT of the gas tank while filling
The smaller hose inside the larger hose is where the gas flows into the tank while filling it up

Looks like this: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sNpYCDDwpk4/mqdefault.jpg

It you look at the filler part attached to the body you will see a hole or two around the center hole where you put the gas pump nozzle in
Those holes let out the air when filling the tank, make sure they are clear
And the inner hose or vent hose has no kinks, that's what causes slow filling and the pump/nozzle to shut off, gas backs up in the inner hose because its kinked or Air can't get out because vent is blocked

There are TWO different filler setups, a longer one for YOUR regular side bed, and a shorter one for the Stepside beds
So just a heads up

And you can by the 2 hoses, VENT and FILLER separately, or as a set, or as a set with new filler ring and clamps

 

Well, I replaced the filler neck and went to gas up...

For whatever reason, when I near 15 gallons, gas starts leaking out. Is there an overflow that dumps gas out of the tank when it's too full or do I have a different issue I did not see before?

 

Different issue

There is no "overflow"

 

Ok, I searched around and it looks like the actual tank is discontinued. Recommendations? Should I remove the tank in its entirety to fully inspect and go from there? If I find the leak, which I think would be near the top 9/10ths of the tank, I was thinking I could either epoxy and/or make a fiberglass overlay to cover the leak.

Alternatively, since it only leaks when filing up past 15 gallons, maybe I'll just fill to 10 each time. Not sure... Should I get a Haynes manual? Anyone have a PDF copy or is that something I should just get off Amazon? I've really never worked on a fuel system before.

What would you do, RonD? I defer to your expertise in my next troubleshooting steps. :)

 

The plastic gas tanks are not available as you have found

They can be repaired in a few ways, Plastic welding is how they are made, the two 1/2s are welded together at the seam, and same process can be used to repair them
Or like you mentioned epoxy or patch

But I would first remove the bed again and see where its leaking, or at least do the hose/damp towel in the filler and blow, to hear where the air is coming out

It is a 17gallon tank, regular cab, not 19gal, so adding 15gal could have sent some fuel out the top into a broken EVAP hose, shouldn't but could have

 

Thanks, Ron! I will do that and report back! You are so helpful!