why does front fuel tank leak gas?

60

Asked by reyes7261 Sep 10, 2014 at 04:17 PM about the 1986 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat Standard Cab SB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

i have a 1986 f-150 xlt lariat  after driving a few miles ive noticed leaking of gas from the
front tank if i open the gas cap gas and air shoot out about 1/2 a gallon  ive noticed a
small crack in the tank  i use the rear tank which is all newly replaced but fuel is alwas
being sent to the front. what to do?

6 Answers

60

also i see a crack on the back of the nozzle that also makes the gas leak which looks like an easy fix but isnt all of my problem

6 people found this helpful.
60

Did you find the fix to this problem? My 1986 F150 has the same problem. I've owned the truck for many years, but I don't drive it much and keep it in the garage. It just has 150K miles. Problem first started when I noticed a vacuum release with the front tank when I removed the cap to fill, now tank pressure is so much that gas blows by the new cap. I want to know how to fix this dangerous problem.

6 people found this helpful.
10

I have 1978 ford f150 that has a hole near the top and to the right of the fuel sending unit if you're looking from the front of the vehicle. The hole presses against a pad on the frame or the pad was on the tank and has now stuck to the frame. It appear that when I reinstall the tank it will seal off. Does anyone have any knowledge about this design and can verify that my idea is accurate?

1 people found this helpful.
350

Have same issue. You have a fuel selector valve mounted under the cab that switches between tanks... it also sends unused fuel BACK to the gas tank from the engine. When the selector valve goes back, it sends gas to the OPPOSITE tank...and usually will not let the truck run on the other tank either... you flip the switch and the truck will die. REPLACE the valve... got mine for $176 on eBay. Rust and pressure will force gas to leak from one tank (mine was front too). Have to replace the tank next. In my case, the fuel pump in the rear tank (which was working fine) is now bad. Considering the pump in the front tank was disgusting, I'm sure the rear one is too. The parts are 32 years old...they don't last forever. New pump, new sending unit, new tank. Good for another 300,000 miles!

5 people found this helpful.
350

Pardon my misspelling... "When the fuel selector valve goes BAD....it sends gas to the wrong tank..." is what I meant.

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

F-150

Looking for a Used F-150 in your area?

CarGurus has 163,202 nationwide F-150 listings starting at $993.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

1986 Ford F-150

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    OJ
    Reputation
    42,450
  • #2
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    16,040
  • #3
    Rowefast
    Reputation
    15,840
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford F-250
189 listings starting at $18,900
Used Ford Ranger
694 Great Deals out of 20,752 listings starting at $1,995
Used Ford Mustang
987 Great Deals out of 19,719 listings starting at $2,950

Used Cars for Sale

2024 Ford F-150 For Sale
120 Great Deals out of 94,731 listings starting at $28,944
2023 Ford F-150 For Sale
859 Great Deals out of 10,150 listings starting at $18,500
2022 Ford F-150 For Sale
766 Great Deals out of 7,860 listings starting at $14,824
2021 Ford F-150 For Sale
1,066 Great Deals out of 10,353 listings starting at $13,984
2020 Ford F-150 For Sale
531 Great Deals out of 5,583 listings starting at $5,500

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.