[V8] Fuel Tank Leak (Happy freaking Easter)

[Kneale Brownson]

I replaced the tank on my 200q20v last spring for the same reasons.
They're identical.  Whole rear end has to be lowered.  Spare tire well has
next to nothing to do with it.  It ain't fun and I can't imagine doing this
job without a hoist.   If you've got a rusty tank, you've got a whole bunch
of rusted fasteners associated with the rear drive train.   My old tank had
the leaking from the area you describe, but also was rusted higher up, so a
patch would be temporary, most likely.  I transferred the pump and stuff.
Since you can get those lines off without removing the tank, I figured it
was an unnecessary expense to do all that too.  Bit o Bernie in me, eh?
I've kept my old tank with the thought that I could have it reinforced to
use when one of the V8s starts to leak.  I had a tank from an S-car, and I
found that the big basket that holds the smaller basket that holds the tiny
basket for the smaller pump is different between the two models, so I had
to exchange some of that stuff inside the tank before it would accept my
200's updated pump assembly.  Do all that stuff before you start
reinstalling the tank.  

At 04:01 PM 3/26/2005 -0500, DieMarthaDie at aol.com wrote:
>So... two days ago I smelled fuel near the back of the car.  I though I was a 
>bit sloppy with the fillup or maybe it was someone else's car.  Smelled it 
>yesterday and logged it as something to look at before driving around
again... 
>Looked this morning and found a puddle under the center mufflers (I have 2 
>glasspacks instead of the one audi unit) - then I watched it drip... and 
>drip some 
>more...  looks like a set of 4 small perfs on the face of the fuel tank over 
>the muffler area to the drivers side of the car.  IF that's all that is
perf'd 
>I assume I can try to seal it with some kind of patch, but I don't think I 
>REALLY want to do that as anything more than a VERY temporary solution.
If it 
>is perfing now, I have to assume it will continue to do so in another area in 
>the near future... It doesn't look dented, as though something smacked
into it.
>
>Looking for advice on BTDT for removal of the fuel tank.  Does the rear have 
>to come out or anything majorly complicated?  I was already going to pull the 
>spare tire well out since it's chewed up in a few places and I have a clean 
>replacement to put in.  With that out, I imagine that improves access to the 
>tank...  No R&R instructions in Bentley that I can find.  The ETKA makes it 
>look 
>like 4 bolts hold in the tank, but of course it doesn't show all the stuff 
>that's in the way ;)
>
>And, assuming the tank is coming out, should I go to the expense of replacing 
>the pump, filter and older lines to avoid any additional failures when 
>finished?  Assuming that this tank has some degree of sludge in the bottom, 
>it's 
>probably got some in those units too.
>
>Since this leak is right above those nice cool mufflers, I don't want to run 
>the car at all until I fix this, so quick advice and solutions would be MOST 
>appreciated :)
>
>Couldn't the damn bunny have just left me eggs this year?!
>
>Happy Easter :)
>John
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