micktroup2

Where I come from, "Heath Robinson" is a derogatory term used to describe a rough, Micky Mouse repair or addition. I just bought this Z28 and it failed smog. While searching for where the pressure leak was coming from, we spotted some seam sealer above the tank WHERE THERE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ANY, and this is what I found when I peeled back the carpet!!


If you look closely, you can see THE GRINDING MARKS ON THE TANK(!!) FROM THE CUTOFF WHEEL that was used to cut through the floor!!


Guess I can find that vapor leak now....SIGH. I have to drop the tank and weld up the floor don't I??!! And it looks like the lateral cut- made BELOW the forward edge of the hump, extends further toward the driver's side shock. What a mess...

loneroad

iTrader: (3)

not the worse one ive seen. Ill give hima a d+ at least he used seam sealer instead of white latex caulk.

micktroup2

Can I get away with pop riveting a sheet of steel over it after I fix the leak, at least for a while?

redneckjoe

ill give him a D+ also,...it looks like he didnt catch the car on fire.

loneroad

iTrader: (3)

funny you should say that. yes. when i found mine(with white caulk smeared all over) i went dwn and got a piece of sheet metal from home depot and riveted it in.

the thing that sux the most is YOU know its there and its like that.

i had to replace floor boards, so i welded that panel in when it was time to do that repair.

the upside is that i got the chance to teach myself how to weld sheet metal (silver lining i gues)


if you search on here youll find a really bad one, someone went at one with tin snips or pruning shears, or weed whacker or someting

micktroup2

I have my burnt out doner car sitting at the mechanics... maybe I will just butcher that with a cutoff wheel and cut out a piece to later weld in. I can rivet a cover over it in the meantime until I have to drop the tank for something.

redneckjoe

might actually come in handy down the road. i think volkswagon did this on all there cars. they come from the factory with an access panel. something g.m. shoulda done.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

funny thing is after they cut the hole, they didnt even change the pump. the lines are not cut....

I have pics of much worse jobs, but i will add this to me collection

micktroup2

I am still getting a loss of pressure in the system and the PO says they changed the fuel pump. Maybe they just dropped it as far as it would go and then cut the door to pull it out?

Arizona IROC

iTrader: (4)

It's hard to understand how he got the pump out without cutting the lines. Maybe he dropped the tank halfway and then pulled it out???

As far as a leak there goes, make sure it's not just coming out of the O-ring between the tank and the round plate that houses the lines. Mix up some dish washing liquid and water to pour it on the seal area. Turn on the car and see if there are any bubbles. The return line on these cars causes lots of tank pressure and over time starts leaks.
I had that problem but fixed it by loosening the steel ring and moving the plate around until the bubbles stopped. Then just tighten it back up. Easy to do when there is a hole cut for you to see.

Another time the plate had a crack by one of the steel lines letting out bubbles. I cleaned it real well and poured some JB weld on there and the next day no bubbles.

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

Looks like they cut the floor, figured out they couldn't get the pump out & didn't go ahead & cut & flare the lines while they were there.

As for the grinding wheel marks....It looks like the nicked the tank, but didn't go through it. Of course, an internet pic can't see as well as eyes in person, so maybe you can see that they actually got through the tank.

Might just be the ring gasket leaking from where they tried to pull the pump lines & couldn't. I'd try a new gasket before dropping the tank.

waterboy87

That's what the lateral cut toward the drivers side shock was for, so they would have enough room to move the lines. I had a 87 IROC-Z done exactly the same way.

micktroup2

Don't I have to pull the pump out to get a new gasket over it?

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

True. How about trying the paste gasket stuff?

Is the retaining ring fully tightened?

micktroup2

Dunno- I will have to check tomorrow- at least it is accessable!!

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I saw about 6 of those types of hack jobs in the junkyard yesterday..
While its a great idea, 99% of the jobs Ive seen are total crap.
good luck fixing that mess

puma1552

iTrader: (1)

I don't get why people do this, the fuel pump needs to be replaced maybe what, every 10 years? Christ just take it to a shop and pay the $500 one time in the car's life to get it done right.

travis401

iTrader: (1)

or mod the tank a little to make dropping it easy as pie.

micktroup2

The idiots that did this apparently replaced the fuel tank, but screwed up on the seal- I am betting they dropped it in the tank trying to get it over the fuel pump- so it is leaking fumes and failing smog. Like an idiot, I said I would have it smogged- instead of them doing it, as required by law- and now I am stuck cleaning up their mess! I have to cut the exhaust off to drop everything, so I guess I am putting in the Magnaflow at the same time!

91 Droptop

I just dropped my tank today to insatll a my new Walboro pump, I left the tank out since I found some surface rust under the tank. I wheeled the rust off and sprayed it with Ospho, I will paint the entire area tomorrow. if it was not for this it would have been a single Saturday job. I hate when people hack up a car to try and fix it, the worse is when you get the surprise upon peeling the carpet back. Like Puma said if you dont want to do it, pay some one do do right.

Arizona IROC

iTrader: (4)

Did you ever find out where the leak was?

A good way to repair these is to take out a clean undamaged piece from a junkyard car. I cut it out much larger then the hole, laid it down and the carpet over that. No real need to weld it on or make a hinged door IMO.

On the other hand, your "cut" needs to be cleaned up and flattened out.

GTA50

I agree...not to start a war, but what the heck are you doing to your cars? I've had two Firebirds that have gone on past 450,000 km. I have four more in my shop. In 22 years, I have never, repeat never replaced a fuel pump or relay!!

Don't run the tank below 1/4, change the fuel filter regularly, amd yes, regular tune-ups and injector cleaner. May be a lot of criticism towards me, but I stand by my record.

haps

iTrader: (4)

The difference here is that the OP bought the car from someone that made the "modification" already. My PO did the same thing.

91 Droptop

You will not hear an argument from me, I may take a short cut every so often but I will never hack up a car cause I am to lazy to fix it correctly. My nieghbor has a 91 RS and his is sitting in his garage (he is back in NY right now) for 2 months with a bad pump. I know he is waiting for me to help him, So since I did mine yesterday I started his this morning and what did I just find when I opened the hatch? he cut a damm hole in the floor. I was so angry since we just talked about this that I just came back home. I cannot believe he did this, he should have asked me for help. He knows I have a third-gen and we hang out all the time when he is here, he is the reason I decided to pull my vert out of storage and fix it, i went to cruise nights and shows with him and he broke my ***** about fixing mine. I will snap a pic today. I was going to be a nice guy and have me and my son change it out for him, so when he came down for the winter he could start using it. I am going to drop everything today and then weld that bitch closed, wish I could weld it with titanium or some magic metal that cannot be cut lol. Well got to go back and drop his exhust and rear to take out the tank. two in one weekend should be illegal.

91 Droptop

I was not directing my comment at anyone in particular, sorry if I came across like a butt-head. I just cannot stand when people cut up or jury-rig cars because they just do not want to take the time to do it right.

mrrman

I made a trap door in my 87 TA...changed the sending unit and fuel pump...gas gauge works now, sealed the tank area properly and make a removeable trap door...Id do this in a heart beat again if I had to...

TA

iTrader: (1)

All of you guys bleeting endlessly about "why not take the time to do it right" should be talking to the GM engineering squad that cheaped out on giving us a nice, professionally designed access plate like most other manufacturers do. Having to drop the exhaust and rear end to battle the fuel tank out is just bad design on GMs part. No car is perfect, but this is a major snafu, and has probably sent a lot of both third and fourth gens to the crusher because many shops gouge big-time for this job.

The problem is not that there is a hole back there, but it is in how the job is done. Most people that go for shortcuts continue that trend when putting it back together. I have done it both ways, and to cut a hole and also cut/flare the lines, build an access plate, set it up so it seals properly and doesn't look like a hack job, all combined becomes more work than pulling the rear end/exhaust/tank and doing it that way. But when the pump fails again, that is when the payoff happens.

Just fyi, most of the failures of the tank pressurization test on these cars is because the filler neck/tank junction is not well brazed, and cracks. Check where the filler neck attaches to the tank for any signs of a fuel leak.

Good luck
TA

haps

iTrader: (4)

The PO jacked my car up as well. Rather than weld it shut, I did this:

travis401

iTrader: (1)

one of the few correct ways to keep an access hole. did you use something to seal it from fumes? and did you flare and use the correct connector on the fuel lines?

haps

iTrader: (4)

Thick cork gasket to keep fumes out but have yet to properly flare the fuel lines. It is the correct way to do it. It's on that long list of things to do.

travis401

iTrader: (1)

what are you using to hold it down, they look like zeus fasteners.

haps

iTrader: (4)

Stainless socket head button screws. Literally everything for this was purchased from Home Depot.