S14 Zenki gas tank leaking. Pics included

[sunrat]

Hello all,

I noticed the other day that I had a little bit of a gas leak underneath my gas tank. The next day it looked to be a little more of a leak. I looked under the car this morning to try and locate the leak but I could not find the exact spot. I decided to take pictures and hopefully someone can lead me the right way in finding out where it might be coming from and what to do from there.

I guess the worse case scenario is to buy a new gas tank ($450) and enjoy removing the rear subframe so I can install the new tank.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q1gkk7rnm1aucbe/IMG_1038.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8u2dxzns93zzu2h/IMG_1039.JPG?dl=0

I used to arrows to give you an idea where the gas leak seems to be coming from.

[winter]

Apparently this is a common problem. Probably better off just swapping it. I haven't had this happen to me yet, but you might get lucky and find one off a used car at the JYard, and hope the subframe is already out to save you some time.

[sunrat]

Yea it looks to be a common issue. Well, I guess while I take the subframe out, I can install some new bushings!

[datboibrad]

I had just put a new set of wheels on my car and drove it around for a day. At the end of that day i gave it a full tank of gas and parked it in my garage. Woke up the next morning and the whole house smelled like gas. I thought about changing out the tank but i put in a fuel cell instead and molded in the gas door.

[jdizzle9]

I had just put a new set of wheels on my car and drove it around for a day. At the end of that day i gave it a full tank of gas and parked it in my garage. Woke up the next morning and the whole house smelled like gas. I thought about changing out the tank but i put in a fuel cell instead and molded in the gas door.

I have the same problem. I haven't gotten around to fixing it yet but was undecided on replacing the tank or going the fuel cell route. Do you daily your car? How big is your fuel cell?

[datboibrad]

I have the same problem. I haven't gotten around to fixing it yet but was undecided on replacing the tank or going the fuel cell route. Do you daily your car? How big is your fuel cell?

i drive it every other day now and its a 14 gallon cell. When i first did the cell i drove it every day. i came out cheaper going with the cell. I have heard of people bedlining their leaking tanks and that solving the issue but i wouldnt advise that

[STEEZxIT]

i had the same issue. i was lucky enough to find a clean replacement around the same time i did my SR swap, so downtime wasn't an issue. if it leaks again i'm going with a ten gallon fuel cell though.

[sunrat]

So I cannot siphon the sob out. Should I just go through the fuel pump opening? Don't turn on the car or anything right?

[sunrat]

Got it to siphon. Def push that tube allllll the way down lol. 80586

May have found the crack

[JBB]

I have the same issue and haven't fixed mine yet. Mine only seems to leak if I fill it past about 1/2 a tank. I was told to look into the lines coming off of the sending unit as they may have cracked and that's where it might be leaking, might be something worth looking into yourself. Im in the middle of wrapping up my SR swap and haven't bothered to fix it, I figure Ill check the lines when I put in the walbro pump. When it was running though, I just didn't get more than 1/2 a tank of fuel when I hit the gas station

[silviasandbeer]

yup, reall common
mine had it. not as bad as yours, but bad enough to where the cabin would smell like gas after i tanked up. co worker also had the issue on his s14

i hated when people would flick there cigs out in front of me on the freeway.. scared me half to death

[simmode1]

I've had this happen twice on my Zenki inside of 4 years. It's the one reason I dislike S14's. Having to drop the subframe to replace the tank is such a hassle in comparison to the S13. Finding new fuel tanks is becoming harder & harder. If it happens to me again, I'm definitely going the fuel cell route. Most times, the leak is in the same spot on all our cars & can be mitigated by putting no more than a 1/4 tank of gas in, or 3.5 gallons.

[jdizzle9]

i drive it every other day now and its a 14 gallon cell. When i first did the cell i drove it every day. i came out cheaper going with the cell. I have heard of people bedlining their leaking tanks and that solving the issue but i wouldnt advise that

Cool thanks for the reply. Seems like this is much more common with TX folks lol. I'm going to have mine replaced with a brand new tank this week and pray it won't crack again.

[jdizzle9]

Got it to siphon. Def push that tube allllll the way down lol. 80586

May have found the crack

What are your plans to resolve the leak?

[sunrat]

I think I'll replace the tank. I have to work on it though. It's too cold and windy in Illinois right now lol.

[tauntdevil]

Its best to just replace the tank. I have repaired quite a few gas tanks for customers and even though the repairs work just great, it doesnt keep the tank from cracking more or elsewhere and they end up having to come back anyhow and eventually just buy a new tank. Downside to plastic tanks that are roughly 18-20 years old. Would also recommend replacing the hoses as well.

[Rustys14]

I had the same problem back when I had my s14. I used a gas tank repair kit (I think it was made by JB Weld) that I got from the local parts store. It was some sort of putty that you put over the crack and it hardens overnight. It worked for me for about 20k miles until another crack developed on the other side of the tank. If the crack is accessible and your looking for a quick fix to hold you over for awhile I would give a it or a smiler product a try since its cheap and can't hurt anything.

[fullthrottle]

This was a problem on 1995 s14s. That spot on the passenger side strap towards the front of the car. It cracks from stress. Any 96-98 tank should not have this issue. So if you get one from a newer car you should be good to go

I cant be 100% sure about this so please post if you have a 96+ with this leak at this exact spot.

[simmode1]

Cool thanks for the reply. Seems like this is much more common with TX folks lol. I'm going to have mine replaced with a brand new tank this week and pray it won't crack again.

Well, if it counts for anything... I had to replace mine twice because I cheaped out the first time by replacing my original tank with a used one. Stupid choice. It was probably about the same age. It started leaking about 2 & a half years later & I waited a year to replace it, driving around with no more than a quarter tank of gas at a time. If you're gonna replace it, do yourself a favor & don't buy used.

[Fries]

Yup sucks. Buy new or hope that the used one you get lasts. Good time to upgrade your subframe bushings :)

[Ryanks14]

I used JB weld on mine and it's held up for years.

[onevia1]

Ended up being a crack? yeah nothing like a fresh gas tank lets be honest here. Anything newer or in better condition that is on mine currently is quickly swapped

[feito]

this happened to one of my zenkis right before a potential buyer arrived to check it out lol I ended up taking a loss... These are listed for $450 at frsport, has anybody contacted them to confirm availability?

[onevia1]

its amazing on the demand side of things. gas tank is 450, but yet the Kouki front lip is roughly 320-350.. you would have thought due to size, effort of manufacture (even though its all mass produced) and material used there would be a substantial price difference brand new. turns out not

[mewantkouki]

I thought these things crack from rotten subframe bushings causing the subframe to slam into the tank...

[onevia1]

seems legit. I mean ive seen some bad bushing action, and it seems logcial.