been thinking (oh sh.. watch out) I have to replace fuel filler hose to 96 club wagon and have thought about cutting a hole in floor to do it, will that work ? has anyone tried this ?
Thanks

 

Presume by now you've found/read the old/revived OTHER thread on the topic of "replacing fuel filler hose"? Lots of answers there.

IMO "cutting a hole in the floor to do it" raises Red Flags "oh sh.. watch out". Be careful you don't end up "cutting a hole" in a fuel line, wires, or ding up fuel pump retainer, even the tank!

You might try another 'temporary/emergency' fix. Clean the cracked hose as well as possible & let dry thoroughly. Pick up some of the gas tank repair epoxy putty, follow instructions & apply to cracked hose.

Due to the massive F150 gas tank strap recall & number of times I've seen Rust Belt FORD gas tanks corrode from salt accumulated on top & corrode from condensation inside, while hanging from nearly rusted thru straps, it's advisable to inspect a 15 YO.

 

Yes, most of that ran thru my mind, (cutting fuel line etc) am afraid too tackle the rusty straps etc, will check things out tomorrow, if the strap hanger bolts brake loose then I'll drop the tank, if I can't brake them loose I'll locate fuel lines etc and then go thru the floor.
Thanks again

 

To my way of thinking hacking a hole in the floor creates more potential problems in the longer term than such a shortcut measure hopes to accomplish.

First thought is you've pierced the rather substantial Ford applied protective envelope intented to greatly reduce rusting away of the bodies. The earlier year vans had a huge issue with rust but crawling around under my own '00 I see very very little signs where it would be expected. I dare say its quite sound underneath and everywhever else I've looked too.

While dropping the tank seems daunting its really not. Replacement straps would cost you $80 tops direct from Ford but with a little PB Blaster they can usually be removed and reused. There are more than a few threads here already about the filler hoses so maybe reading them will give you a better idea how to approach this.

Hope it goes easy and afterwards you'll have a lot to share with others also facing your same issue.

Welcome to the forums too!

 

My fuel filler also leaks when i fill up with gas. Is there a how-to on replacing it?

 

Within the last year on this forum several threads have addressed this very situation. Time permitting I'll look back and post a link to them or someone else may have them ready at hand. Using the forum search feature here might do this a bit quicker for you as well.

Over all dropping the tank seems to be the most common way as it allows the most access and relative ease of replacing or repairing the hoses. Others have successfully done it without dropping the tank but it appeared to me to be a bit more complicated.

 

I can't believe there was never a mandated safety recall on the leaking Ford filler hoses. Is the NTSB(or whomever) asleep at the wheel AGAIN? I replaced my 97(7.3) hose several years ago because it cracked. This is a serious safety hazard. I had the filler nozzel locked open while cleaning the mirrors, winshield, headlights. The wind was blowing and I didnt immediately hear the splashing. I ran around to investigate, I it looked like dumped 5 gallons of fuel on the ground! The crack was due to a manufactureing flaw. When the hose is made, the moulding process to afix the steel clamp to the hose uses too much heat and hardens the rubber of the immediate area of the clamp, making it susceptable to cracking. (Of course I went inside to report the spill, it was a huge mess!)

I would not cut the floor, I cut my old one off with a utility knife, did not drop the tank, then had the right tools to tighten the clamps on the new one.

 

I have severe rust and can not break nuts loose on the tank straps or worm clamps, so will wait till after my So. West trip next week, I think you're right about not cutting a hole in the floor plus the seat base it in the same area, mine only leaks at fill up and only while filling it at 'full throttle' , if I fill it slowly and don't fill it to the brim it doesn't leak so I'll wait till next spring to fix it. (plus like the saying "if you can put off till tomorrow.............................

 

Good to hear you won't be cutting your floor-----that opens so many more potential problems its just not worth it trying to save a little work and money.

If your van is driveable as is and you're comfortable it shouldn't be much of an issue in the shorter term. Since you know what needs done assembling the parts beforehand should be easy----or maybe it sitting if waiting for parts isn't an issue?

Either way good luck and let us know how it all turns out--photos during the process would be great too----if possible. Enjoy your trip!

 

In one van I had to lower the tank, which wasn't a big deal. On another, a mechanic did it without lowering it.

 

I had gradual power loss, hestation, engine bogging down, downshift problems with it hunting gears 3-2-3, etc, etc until my engine completely lost all power and barely made it home. I had a very similar problem with my Saturn recently and it was the catalytic converter that was plugged up with a black crust, fixed it and now it runs like new. So I dropped the cat on my truck but it was clean as a whistle.

I then changed the fuel filter and the fuel came out dark like tea! I then had to change the fuel filter every 50 miles at $12 a shot, because my wife bought gas on sale at $.20 off a gallon! The gas station was trying to get rid of some bad fuel and they didn't filter it! After taking a sample of fuel in a glass jar I let it settle out and used a magnet to move the rusty sludge up the side of the jar.

I dropped the tank to drain it and removed the fuel pump, the strainer was completely crusted over with orange sludge. The tank was also very rusty in the bottom half so I ordered a 35 gallon Spectra "Nu Tern" (galvanized) F41B fuel tank on Amazon direct from the manufacturer with free shipping for $184, instead of the painted Ford tank for $914! It fit like a glove and came within a week to my front door.

I also noticed the 11" fuel filler hose was soft and gummy and leaking, probably from ethanol, but Ford wanted $266! I tried a foot of 1.5 inch straight marine filler hose, but it was so stiff it kinked, it needed a 45 degree bend.

So I bought a 45 degree universal 1.5 x 15 inch GoodYear #59200 fuel filler hose for $16 online, then trimed one side off 4 3/8 inch so it would fit perfectly. I then bought new double clamps locally to install it. I dropped the tank, but I think you could easily reach over the frame rail and change it by just following the hose.

I also replaced the fuel pump strainer while it was out and it was all plugged up. I found the 3 port and 2 port strainers are interchangable, but the 3 port is twice as big for much more filter area.

My 98 Ford E150 Club Wagon is finally back on the road and runs like new again!
5.4L V-8, 4EOD, limited slip
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Awesome, you are inspiring me to attempt this myself. Do you have a car lift or work underneath the vehicle?

 

You don't need to jack up the van, having a creeper can be handy.

 

I don't have enough room underneath to work easily, so I jack up the front (on the big bolt that sticks down on front axle) and the back (square support for the shock absorber that sticks down from rear axle) up with my 3 ton floor jack.

Then I slid a cement block or ramp under each wheel to hold the truck up at a very easy height to work on it. I also use a sheet of cardboard underneath so I can slid around while working, it works even better if it's plastic coated. Plus it protects the driveway from drips and provides insulation if the driveway is too hot or cold.