My '96, with the single 18 gallon tank is leaking. The front of the tank is wet when full of fuel and parked nose down hill. Other wise, no drips, just a fuel smell. What are some common causes/fixes? Thanks in advance.

 

One common issue is corrosion of the top plate or hard lines of the fuel sending unit, and the tanks also tend to rust at the seams first but that usually produces a leak at anything over 1/2 tank. The tank is only held up with 2 straps so it's a bit messy but not to hard to drop when it's empty, but some find it easier to remove the bed to access it.

 

when mine had a pinhole leak I opened the hole just enough to tightly push a rivet through.spread some seal-all on top for good measure.been good for 8 years now.rad shops etc. can braze the hole shut also

 

Changing fuel pumps/senders is easier, IMO, by lifting the bed. The tank has to come out the bottom for replacement though.

 

Thanks guys. It seems to be that removing the bed is my best bet.

If the tank itself is leaking, should I replace or seal it? If I seal, which method would work best?

 

In my experience it's silly easy to use two nylon straps and a floor jack to drop a tank from the bottom. Your mileage may vary.

 

I had a pin hole in my back tank, I'm cheap so I slathered it with epoxy and slapped a penny over the hole...no problems sence !

 

They make 2 part epoxy putty that you knead together and press on the tank. It will work even with fuel leaking out

 

I guess if you're not accustomed to raising up the bed you might have reservations. I've changed enough pumps to be able to do it pretty quickly. Chances are much greater that the tank is leaking though and as I said, it has to come out from below. Crawl under and find the leak before proceeding.