The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Fuel Help Needed ASAP!!

Here's the back story to rule out some of the issues. Bought this '62 C10 a few weeks back, ran through several tanks of fuel, recently had the fuel tank removed, cleaned & sealed.

Tonight we went for a cruise and it sputtered and died. Refused to restart. While waiting on the wrecker I noticed something did not look right in the glass fuel filter. This is the common 3" long glass (in line) filter that unscrews apart and it has a little off white plastic tube shaped screen in it. So I unscrewed it and there was some CLEAR JELLY looking crap all over everything. I flew it out and just so happened to have another filter element for it in the glove box (thank god!). After installing the new plastic screen she fired right up and off we went. A couple of hours later we left the party and made it a few miles from home and the same thing. New filter glogged with CLEAR JELLY looking junk but this time I didn't have another filter and called a neighbor to come tow me home. I blew air threw the line back into the tank and could hear it bubbling so I know the line was clean and I blew out the current filter and it started right up.

What is the heck is going on?? What is this clear jelly that just appeared? I filled up the other day and drove it about 50+ miles on this current gas until this happened? The only thing I can figure is that I got some gas with water in it and it is turning to gel? WTF?? I'm going to talk to the guys at the auto parts store in the morning to see what they think but I figured I would talk to you folks as well as surely this isn't the first time this has happened. If so, did a alien pee in my fuel tank or what?!?!?!

Please help me out here folks. Thanks!!!

Jimmy V~

I would think it's the sealant that was not done right and is breaking down and being sucked into your gas line.If it's water it just comes out as water it would not mix with the gas.You might want to drain the tank and see what this gel looks like in a drain pan,I bet it will be the sealant.


Pete

The tank sealant? Really? It was done years ago and has not been a problem. I find it hard to believe that the tank that was sealed years back is creating such a quantity of clear gel goo that it has clogged my fuel filter and shut down my engine twice in 1 night. Yet hasn't caused a lick of trouble since it was done years ago.

Hmmmm, I was sure hoping that someone else out there had run across this before and had a more "for sure" answer as to what the problem was. Oh' well, guess I'll have to hit up Pep Boys.

I'm with Pete52 on this one. Its gas tank sealant that the gas has finally softened and it is clogging your filter. I would never ever put anything but gas in a gas tank. With these modern fuels with many additives you never can tell what is happening to the sealant. E85 and straight ethanol contain alcohol and can dissolve a lot of stuff including sealant.


Weeds

So which situation is it, "recently had the fuel tank sealed", or "it was done years ago"? Something isn't adding up here. I can't think of anything that would produce a clear gel type contamination in ordinary gasoline, so there must be something other than gas inside the tank that's generating the clog. The sealant is the logical suspect. I've used various types of "slosh sealer" over the years, mostly products that are intended for sealing aircraft fuel systems, with varying degrees of success. If a new tank is available from one of the old truck parts places, I'd suggest replacing the tank, rather than wasting more time tinkering with the old one.
Jerry

I have had bad luck with gas tank coatings & have always had it done by professionals. When a new tank is available it's best to go with it. In your case I would put in a new tank & blow out the lines. Getting stranded with these old trucks takes the fun out of them.

Okay, let me clarify! It was removed, cleaned & sealed some time back. The original owner I bought it from told me this. Time frame unsure. What I do know is that I have driven it several hundred miles, who knows how long he drove it after it was removes, cleaned & sealed and now this odd problem all the sudden.

I guess my way of thinking is if fuel would rot out the "sealant" installed by a tank sealing company then why seal it to begin with. Seems kinda stupid! Any why the problem all the sudden?

The guys at the auto parts store sold me a much bigger filter so that the little holes would not get glogged like the old one. In his experience (being a old Chevy guy) he said that because the ruber hose coming off the steel line to the filter, then from the filter to the fuel pump looked a million years old that they have been known to gel up over 20 + years. He said these rubber hoses looked older than moses.

I'm still a believer that I have something in the tank as when I pulled the rubber hose off the steel line (while stranded last night) no fuel came pouring out. I could not blow through it either. Picture me bent all the way over and my feet in the air blowing on a old steel line at 2AM on the side of the interstate. LOL

Once I get her home and the neighbor and I jumped on it we grapped his air compressor and blew the line back into the tank and I could then hear it bubbling. Now fuel is pouring through the steel line once I pulled the old rubber hose off.

As for now, I have new rubber fuel line, new hose clamps, a super sized fuel filter, and yet another new hose going to the fuel pump. Because the gel chunks were fairly small I will be able to still suck on through the line and into the filter without clogging it. I have a spare in the glovebox as well just in case I need to replace the whole thing on the side of the freeway again.

I'm going to start driving it again and see what happens. I also dropped a bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil Fuel Systems Cleaner in a fresh tank of Super. Let's see what happens. Worse case scenario if it keeps up then I will take the tank out, have it cleaned by yet another company that does this for a living, have that same company seal it as this too is what they do for a living, and by your input.....have the same problem all over again as for some reason the tank sealers break down with fuel and turn to mysterious clear gel with out notice or duration after treatment. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm......

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do you have a locking gas cap? wiseass folks at the party just previous to the "sudden" problem?

Bill

LOL, no locking gas cap and I just noticed that there isn't a rubber seal on the underside of the cap to make for a air tight seal. I guess I need to round up a new one to prevent any moisture and from the aliens. LOL

well, I wonder about the kind of work that rod shop does, Look at the door?

After all the information that was input into this post,has anyone thought if silicone was used in the installation of any of the connectors?
I know personally that it jells when contact with fuel is made.

It's for looks there Tommy. Besides that, "Rod Shop" or not, one can't predict what goes on inside a gas tank; sealed or not.

I was referring to the headwork on the door, trying to be funny.

they been around a while,guess the found a way to keep customers comming to them.

It cost as much to seal it at a radiator shop here in northern California as it does to buy a new replacement one from a remanufacturer. I wish I bought a new one instead of getting mine sealed. It was the first thing I did when I got it back a few years ago, I drained all the gunk out and took it out and had it resealed. Now a few years later after I decided to restore it, it should be running and on the road shortly (a few weeks) and I still might buy a new one if I have just one bit of trouble with it. I bet you wasted enough time and money already and I vote for replacing the tank as Wrenchbender suggests. I also suspect the ethanol (alcohol) and its properties and the sealer...

I did find a replacement tank for $149 I think it was. If I keep having this issue then I will just slap a new tank in it and be done with it. I need a new sending unit as well. The current one must be out of service as the fuel gauge pegs to the right when you turn the key on. I took the gauge out and it looked good. I ran a new temporary line from the fuse panel to the sending unit and it did the same thing. Yep, checked the cround too. I assume it is bad so we'll slap in a new one of those with the new tank if I keep having these problems.

I drover her around for a bit, only a few miles being gun shy now, and didn't see anything in the new bigger fuel filter. No doubt there is still some crap in the tank but I'm hoping that it lays low for now and stops [censored] on my parade!!