I am having a problem with my gastank. After running it dry, I was only able to put about 3 gallons of gas in, and it only takes about .25 gallons at a time at the pump. before i take the tank off i was wondering what some potential problems could be?

 

Sounds like a problem with the vent tube. Its one of the three or four lines coming out the top of it, and it ends at a plastic vent near the driver's rear tire, under the car.

 

I looked and there is one open tube that ends in just an open metal tube about an inch and a half long that was just kind of hanging near the gastank. didnt see any plastic vents. would my problem be that its clogged so air cant get out?

 

On my '88 the vent tube is inside the filler pipe, it runs from the bottom of the tank and stops just behind the little trap door for the gas pump nozzle.

 

this is what i found when i looked under the gastank, not sure if this tube is supposed to be open like this doesnt really look like it is.

 

Looks like you're missing the plastic bell shaped vent. I don't see how that would cause your problem though.

 

thats what i thought. my only guess is that something got lodged in there. would my best option be to drop the tank and try to replace that?

 

Avoid dropping the tank unless absolutely necessary. I just dropped mine to replace my fuel pump over the weekend. I don't wish that job on anybody.
Try running air through that tube if you believe it to be plugged. All 4 lines coming out of the tank are solid and mounted directly to the top of the fuel pump assembly. You can't exactly just replace 1. The vent gets attached to a rubber line which then gets clamped to that pipe in your picture.

 

This is a pressurized system with a vapor recovery system, run a diagnostic, when filling it needs to allow some of the vapors to vent to the charcoal canister.

This may sound off the wall but, are you pumping from the same station and pump? Might try a different pump, or station. Newer pumps have a vapor recovery system of their own to recover vapor from the gasoline you paid for and sell it to you again.

If it's really hot out refueling in the evening when it's cooler to keep the fuel vapors from rapidly expanding and forcing the air out faster than it can vent through the filler breather tube.

Do your hear a hissing sound when loosening the gas cap?

 

i've tried at a couple different gas stations, same problem. I dont think there is a hissing sound when i take off the gas cap, but i could just not have noticed it. one time i needed to take a bit longer trip so i just kept pumping more in, and a little bit started spraying out from under the car, i am assuming it was coming from the vent tube. it sounded like it was under a lot of pressure when it did that. i have also tried pumping some in waiting a little bit and putting more in, but that barely seems to make a difference.