Leaking right tank

If the tank is truly breeched then it'll have to be removed and welded. I believe that means you'll have to remove the hoses, vent tubes (careful, they're delicate) and the mounting retainer strap. To slide the unit out you'll probably have to remove the right rear suspension. The float mechanism is not always on the same side of every Dino, but US cars typically have it on the left tank, so that's one task you won't have to do.

This can be done with a simple floor jack and stands by a DIY type by turning wrenches and unfastening clamps. While you're there I'd inspect the large crossfeed tank hoses at the bottom of the tank for age.

 

Bob and Scott - I believe that it can be fixed while in the car. If you can identify the hole in the tank, you should first try using a wire brush to remove the thick, gold, protective weather crud that is sprayed on at the factory. Remove it in an area of around 6 inches square centered on the hole. Try to clean the surrounding area as best as possible. Then take an aluminum plate approximately 1 inch smaller than your clean area. Cover the center of the area with a sealant that works with fuel (to plug the hole). The outside perimeter of the plate should be covered with JB Weld or similar adhesive. Press the plate onto the tank and apply pressure (lean something or wedge something) against it overnight.

The good news is that with the early cars there is not too much pressure buildup in the tank. Modern cars are sealed, and pressure rises with temperature quite a bit. You will have to deal solely with the hydrostatic pressure of the fuel, which is not much in the tank even at the bottom. A friend sealed his tank from a leak at the bottom without much difficulty.

Once done you can respray the area with an appropriate color weather coating.

Should you have to remove the tank, I believe it can be done without removing the suspension. My sending units, by the way, have all been on the right side tank. Is your car air-conditioned? Way more trouble. You may have to loosen the oil-water heat exchanger to swing a bit out of the way (a few millimeters), but I have removed the tank without removing the suspension.

Jim S.

 

Jim is correct, having an A/C compressor really adds to the effort.

When I had a fuel tank leak on that exact side, investigation resulted in the discovery that the three vent return lines had been stressed and cracked at the base. A prior owner performed a J-B weld patch and it did last many years.
pic attached.
After removal, master vintage Ferrari restorer (and a great AL welder), Tony Garmey, welded up the breech and also welded a aluminum reinforcing strap across all three vent tubes just below the hose connections to enhance rigidity and prevent the same from happening again.

Tony stated that personal safety required he completely empty the tank of fumes and displace the majority with water as welding with an enclosed container with residual petroleum was something he wasn't comfortable doing.

I have a few extra liters of the correct beige underbody coating if you need them.

Note on the oil-water heat exchanger: it is soft (brass?) and can be delicate, if you have to remove it from the car then I'd recommend remove the fittings from the engine-hose side and leave the fittings untouched at the heat exchanger.
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Thickness is not critical. Whatever you can bend and work with comfortably.

Jim S.

 

If the root cause is the hose and connected pipe, there is some variation in the mounting position. I noticed this when I changed my hoses and coolant pipes. You'll have to drain the system of a bit of coolant and unfasten the hose at both ends (those two tasks might occur at the same time so watch the flow ). Once the hose is loose at both ends then rotate it with the hopes of moving the rubbing bend/section away from the tank.
This will be one of those dirty/nasty jobs where dirt and liquids fall on you, but getting it right is imperative. You don't want that rub to affect the tank any more.

In fact, if it is rubbing now then won't you have to remove the hose to access the damaged portion of the tank?

 

I thought about it a bit more. You could use a beer-can, cut open to provide sufficient surface area. However, I should think that a Coors would work best.

Jim S.

 

Pull the tank and get it fixed correctly. That area is too close to the exhaust to have another surprise leak.

 

Here's a photo of the vent tube repair and the added cross-brace to reinforced the vent tubes. Looks better now and I'm much happier about one less thing to worry about down the road.
Note that the cutout for the A/C compressor extends all the way back, meaning the tank should slide out without removing the A/C compressor.

Perhaps you could post some photos of your task?
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Glad to hear that......some of us are nervous to hear "JB WEld" and "fuel tank" in the same sentence!

 

This just happened to me! I never would have thought a fuel tank could be rubbed through. Why are things packaged so tightly? Anyways, my mechanic has already fixed my tank by welding. Just crazy.

 

I would cut an inch or so of hose and slide it on the coolant pipe at the rub point for added protection.

 

Yes, this is exactly what we are going to do. Thanks

 

But, but....I fixed a D-11 with JB weld