my fuel tank is leaking for the second time. I “sealed” it with por last summer and today noticed it is leaking again. The prices of old tanks is insane... I’m so sick of gas leaking I don’t want to deal with it anymore! I want to just put in a universal plastic or aluminum tank like the one below. My main question is with the sump system on the jag, will the top mount style fuel outlet work or does it rely on the fuel coming out the bottom? I figured the fuel pump is sucking fuel into the sump as well or is that putting extra strain on the pump? I’ve seen others with ports on the bottom front of the tank but it dips down and isn’t a flat bottom(2nd pic)

 

The pump is gravity fed, and the tank must have an outlet at the bottom and an return near the top. Your new tank needs to gravity feed the existing sump tank (swirl pot in modern usage). The pump will not suck. The sump tank is there to prevent the pump running dry at low main-tank fuel levels, and on hard cornering.

 

thanks, that’s what I figured but wasn’t sure.

 

Fuel cell is the way to go

 

I’m giving one more go to try and keep the car as original as possible. I’m going to clean and use a zinc tank seal. If it leaks there might be one less XJS on the road! Ha

 

pic of my Nascar tank, with filter and pump!
not original , i never really satisfied with factory stuff!
kept slosh tank big tank gravities into the sump/slosh and pipe goes to bottom and line at top of sump bleeds air bubbles back into main tank!
works fine, but normal people could do away with sump tank, if they keep the main tank at least 1/4 full!
ron

 

ha yeah, your photo seems to be what always pops up. I’m gonna try the sealer and if it leaks again, I’ll roll it off a cliff in a big fireball

 

make sure you get pictures!!!

 

just maybe i'm the only one with a complete updated fuel system!

 

You’re frustrated. So best thing to do is pull the tank and have a pro repair it. Otherwise you will be miserable all over again. I know the feeling.

 

I pulled it back out yesterday and cleaned it out and today put some Red-Kote inside and tankweld on the outside. Everyone swears by tank sealers and my buddy swears by tankweld. If for some reason it leaks again, I will be doing a new plastic tank like above.

 

When I first got my car the tank leaked badly. It was a combo of,,, old as hell,,, and the car had sat unkept and cared for for years. Me, in the early days (and days are still early) with near zero experience working on cars, I got some muriatic acid (I think it was) to "neutralize" the rust in the tank. Lol,,, I poured that stuff in and BAM,,, after, the thing leaked like a spaghetti strainer... ALLLLLL along the bottom of the tank pin holes. It was bad and I was weapy...

A new tank is DEFINITELY in my future. I don't know where you are BUT I've seen tanks on Welsh for 500, roughly.

Anyways, I took the tank to a hard core down and dirty radiator repair guy. He demanded the tank be out of the car and completely free of gas. The guy literally had two rottweilers chained on short leashes that looked and acted like they would EAT me if,,, it was like a movie. Anyways,

The guy grabbed the tank, turned on a wide flamed torch and the tin started flowing. He tinned the entire bottom of the tank and charged me 90bucks if I remember. Air tested it with a bit of water in the bottom, waited and hit it again. Took him 30min I think. I then applied about an 1/6th of an inch of JB weld allllll along the bottom and up the sides. So far, 2-3 yrs, leak free.

Watching that guy with the tin gave me a lot of temporary confidence... It worked. Jus say'n

 

JJJ
Exactly what my radiator guy did to my tank, as a precaution during my rebuild. I was rusty but not actually perforated. 10 years ago, still perfect, sitting on 1/4 inch thick aluminium-covered neoprene rubber sheet. No rottweilers though! A very dependable way to repair a tank, it will see you out, and me!

 

Right,,,, I had never seen the process. I was only impressed. The way he worked I have to say was masterful. I appreciate skills like that.

My tank was (and I'm sure still is) was pretty bad on the inside. Had to be. And today I worry about the flaking that must be going on inside and what it's doing to the filter and straining the pump. Sometimes my pump will start screaming for no reason, then settle down. I could be wrong but piece of mind is such a priceless thing - while cruising

 

my xjs came in as a rust bucket, the complete fuel system, tank , pump,filters ,LINES LEAKED ,fittings where threading nightmare!
so i did what i did ,, 26yrs and counting .
its a plastic tank , NO rust forever!

 

here is quick scenerio,, just say your on a day or two drive and crusin for hours, and the tank or system develops a leak , it drips out the trunk floor vent holes onto a HOT exhaust part!
now that could become interesting?

 

It may have been a fluke, but I had a gas smell problem with my 94. It turned out to be a bad sending unit that was leaking. I noticed it by accident when I moved the sending unit and saw gas flow from it.