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The passenger side of my XJ6 series III fuel tanks leaks, we have made attempt of removing the tank for maintenance, all screws, bolts and nuts have been removed/loosed but still the tank has refuse to loose to be removed. It looks like the tank unit is stuck at the filler cap area.
The mechanic said it looks like there is a rust at the inner part of the filler cap.
Has anyone experienced such before and how did you solved it?
Please help so we can successfully remove this tank.
The filler assembly with its lid is a Mazak casting and is a pretty tight fit in the tank. There is an o ring seal too. I found mine an absolute PITA to loosen off, because it sits in the well of the rear wing, and it is very easy to damage the paint or even dent the panel. I tried rotating it back and forth within the obvious limits, plus squirted WD40 underneath the casting to, (hopfully) loosen it off. Over time you get Mazak corrosion products which fill the gap between casting and tank. Eventually it came off but it was very difficult.
If you have facilities, you could try making a couple of "jemmy bar" tool in the form of a J to insert underneath the filler assembly and gradually lever it upwards
Last edited by Fraser Mitchell; Jul 23, 2019 at 05:21 PM.
there is a pin that needs removing at the chromed filler cap. Difficult. There is also an overflow drain hose connected to a nipple at the rear of the chromed filler cap..
with the filler cap in the open position you need to carefully rotate it as you pull it up.
eventually it will release from the tank's filler neck. Takes patience and rust blaster spray.
once you achieve the impossible, the top of the tank will have welded itself at the filler neck area of the wing. You will need a heavy rubber mallet to hit the neck down until it lets go. Careful here, you can deform the wing if you get too aggressive.Use Rust Blaster continuously.
Just visited the shop and there is a paint damage as attach photos.
I took the photos this evening at about 6:35 so they are not so clear.
We are planning cutting the top body plate around the filler and weld it back afterwards because its been over a month now and tank is still not able to removed.
have you followed all the steps in the Service Manual for tank removal?
Jose, every bolt and nuts, screws have been removed and the tank is shaking freely but its stuck at the filler cap top side there. We have applied several derust chemicals but no result.
Do you recommend cutting the filler cap area on the body for the tank to be removed and reweld after?
Jose, every bolt and nuts, screws have been removed and the tank is shaking freely but its stuck at the filler cap top side there. We have applied several derust chemicals but no result.
You'll never get the chemicals into the area that is stuck. You need left-right rotational turning/twisting ....not vertical prying.....to break the filler assembly free from the gas tank. Too late now, but if extreme force is needed, better to break the filler assembly than mess up the paint and body work. You can buy a good used filler assembly easily and cheaply
Do you recommend cutting the filler cap area on the body for the tank to be removed and reweld after?
as I understand it, it is not the chromed filler cap, but the top of the tank.'s surface, the neck area of the tank, rusted welded itself to the bottom of the wing.
I still think it should release with rotating the tank every way possible.
as I understand it, it is not the chromed filler cap, but the top of the tank.'s surface, the neck area of the tank, rusted welded itself to the bottom of the wing.
I still think it should release with rotating the tank every way possible.
Ohhhhh.....
I thought the issue was removing the filler assembly from the neck of the tank
I had the same issue with one of my Series 3 cars.
4 screws hold the filler pipe to the body of the car. (I think you have already removed those).
Remove the chrome flap. It is attached to the filler pipe with a roll pin.
Reinstall a couple of bolts to hold the tank firm.
If the tank is loose, trying to turn the filler pipe will also turn the tank so nothing will happen.
With the tank fixed to the body of the car, grab the filler pipe and turn clockwise and counterclockwise.
There is rust accumulated there. You have to break the rust free in order to get the filler pipe to move.
Trying to lever the filler pipe upwards will not work. The O-ring fits into a small groove in the tank.
I used this to remove mine. this is what I used to remove my filler pipe. 16 inch adjustable locking pliers.
Hi all,
I understand your frustration.
I was in exactly the same position with both tanks absolutely rotten. Very surprising considering the rest of the car is basically rust free.
At first I though I would never free up the filler cap, nevertheless once I started rotating the tank a few degrees back and forth I knew I was on the right path.
Keep telling yourself that if it moves at all, it will come, every movement microscopic movement getting closer to coming out.
Towards the end of my battle I used a very small pry bar (similar size to a bicycle tyre lever) and with a little judicious leverage, the filler cap popped out with no damage.
Good luck
Al
Removing Series 3 fuel tank
