Keeping water out of your gas tank

[C2C3C4]

Reading though the repair invoices for the 91 I just bought. One of the nastiest ones was where there was a no start and the car had to be towed in. Water in the tank and lines had to be blown out. Tank drained and cleaned, new fuel filter, sending unit and fuel pump was installed.
I then remembered Gordon Killebrew saying to drill a hole in the lower corners of the rubber thing that surrounds the filler cap. This will prevent water pooling there and getting sucked into the fill pipe.
:cry

 

[joshwilson3]

Mine came from the factory with a drain tube that seems to drain pretty well. It sits outside all the time, and no problems.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Your 91 has a drain tube that runs from the bottom of the rubber "bowl" that surrounds the fuel fillter cap, down the side of the tank out the bottom of the body.

I'd find that tube and make sure it's clear.

Also, even if water does pool there, because the fuel tank is sealed--ie: not vented--water won't get in the tank unless the water pooled there is above the lip of the tank filler neck and you take off the cap.

There are other ways water gets in the fuel tank and one of them can be long-term storage with the tank not full. Another is contaminated fuel being introduced into the tank and that can be made worse with long-term storage.

 

[John Robinson]

Hib is exactly right about the water forming in the tank. I learned a long time ago on motorcycles put up for storage to top the tank to prevent the tank from becoming a micro environment for moisture. As for the gas you buy my son and I filled up our motorcycles on a road trip from two different pumps and grades of gas at the same station. My sons bike absolutely would not run over 55 mph and we struggled on for 75 miles to empty the tank so we could put fresh gas in it. New gas different station and we were off cruising 90+ again. The worst case of water in the gas from a station happened to a fellow I worked with he got less then a block from the station and the engine let loose. When they drained the tank they got over a gallon of water out of it. Coincidentally while he was standing beside his car after leaving the station two more cars pulled over that had just bought gas at that station with blown engines.