DIY Filler Hose for 1998 Extended Cab w/ 20.5 Gal Tank

[Beej]

DIY Filler Hose for 1998 Extended Cab w/ 17 Gal Tank

Howdy folks! Got something in mind here and I wanted to pick your brains for a minute, if you don't mind.

It seems that Ford has decided to stop making the filler neck-and-hose assembly for my truck - the 1998 Mazda B2500 SE Cab Plus. Which is really fraggin' annoying because I've discovered that non-OEM versions of this particular assembly are stupidly susceptible to dry rot. (If you ask me, two years is not an acceptable life span for this component!)

Seeing as my problem is with the hose and not the filler neck itself, I've tried to find a replacement online without any success.

But then I had an idea...

The filler hose has to bend in two spots to fit properly without kinking - a ninety-degree angle at the top of the fuel tank an a forty-five degree angle where it comes up from under the bed.

And then I notice that many 'universal' filler hoses available are 45-degree and 90-degree angle hoses.

Naturally, I realize: "What's stopping me from joining two of these hoses together!?"

Of course, there's the question of how to do it, but that's pretty easy. I figure a piece of stainless steel pipe or fuel-safe plastic and some extra hose clamps will do the job just fine. As an added benefit, this method also provides a point where I can twist the assembly to a better fit without kinking the whole mess.

So, here's where I'm lacking: knowledge of materials.

Specifically, I need to know what company makes the most reliable hose materials - if possible, I'd very much like to not have to make this replacement ever again!!!

Also, for the joining-splice between the two hoses: what would the best material be?

Finally, as a bonus: Does anyone know what diameter of the hose should be? I'd go find out myself, but pulling the bed off my truck is a bit of a pain in the ass when I'm doing it myself. (How I wish I had a fully equipped machine shop. )

If this thread gets enough interest, I may even write up a tech article with pictures and everything - just to help others out, because I've noticed this seems to be a common issue on Rangers and B-Series trucks.

 

[Andy D]

Please post your progress on this project. TIA

 

[Mazda]

Question to you,

What part did you use to replace the filler hose when your original went south. Could be you just got a bad part or just a CHEAP replacement.

My 94 needed a new hose around 06 and replaced it with this:

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=2160400&cc=1137967&jsn=478

So almost 10 years and it's still good.

It is just now starting to leak again but I am assuming it is because I have been filling up lately very very early in the morning and the temps have been very low at least for us this year. I still haven't filled up in the afternoon to see if the temp has any effect on the hose connections.


The hose is I believe a 2 3/8.

 

[enjr44]

lurk!

 

[Beej]

Question to you,

What part did you use to replace the filler hose when your original went south. Could be you just got a bad part or just a CHEAP replacement.

My 94 needed a new hose around 06 and replaced it with this:

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=2160400&cc=1137967&jsn=478

So almost 10 years and it's still good.

It is just now starting to leak again but I am assuming it is because I have been filling up lately very very early in the morning and the temps have been very low at least for us this year. I still haven't filled up in the afternoon to see if the temp has any effect on the hose connections.


The hose is I believe a 2 3/8.

I did a little more research and it seems that my truck is supposed to have a 17 gallon tank.

Which doesn't ring true to me, since I've managed to cram 18.5 gallons into it before!

Either way, this is what my truck uses: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fuel-Tank-Filler-Neck-for-98-00-Ford-Mazda-Ranger-Pickup-/371060354668

Only the kit that I got to replace the original (metal portion had rusted out on it) included the hoses. Not sure if it's the same brand, though, because this was about two years ago and the listing no longer exists.

That said, from what I understand of the vent-within-filler-hose setups like yours, I think this procedure will work just fine - you'll just use two forty-fives instead of a ninety and a forty-five like I have to.

Oh, and whatever you use for the splice, make sure that the inner edges are all deburred and smoothed out. Otherwise it could wear a hole through your internal vent line and cause problems at the gas pump. (Or, if you live in California or a state with similar regulation, cause you not to pass the vapor test. )

 

[4x4junkie]

A piece of 1½ water pipe fits perfect inside the filler hose (I used this to lengthen a hose for my '94 longbed... seems hoses for longbeds are few & far between).

As for the dry-rot issue, I wrapped the entire length of mine with Scotch (3M) "Super-88" electrical tape (overlapping about half the tape's width each wrap) to protect the hose from pollutants in the air (smog/ozone is what dry-rots it). So far this has worked for about 5 years on the first hose I did it to (without this the hose would begin cracking after barely a year). Just an idea if you don't come up with something better.

Good luck with it.

 

[Beej]

Okay, picture time, folks!

First off, some tools. Harbor Freight may not have the best tools, but they'll definitely get the job done when you're on a tight budget.

Next up, getting the camper shell and bed liner off...

...Done.

And then, of course, we make sure all the fiddly bits are disconnected.

Tail lights...

Filler Neck... kinda done already because, as a stop-gap measure, I cut out the leaking parts of the filler hose... but made the thing a bit too short. Whoops. A bit of coat-hanger wire keeps it where I can get at it for fill-ups in the mean time, and is easy enough to get rid of now that we're getting down to business.

Okay, now for the fun part. If you guys don't have an impact tool and are short on cash, Harbor Freight Tools has an inexpensive electrical impact wrench. This way you don't have to have an air compressor - just a suitably long extension cord.

Well, that was fast. Let's move on.

With a bit of help from my brother, we got the bed off the frame and set aside...

Let's get a closer look at the relevant bits...

So, while we can see that the filler neck itself is just fine, the hoses are shot to hell and gone. Hence why I shortened them earlier. A closer inspection of the filler neck, though, reveals this...

That rust isn't a problem now, but it will be later. (Also, if this is exactly how the OEM filler neck was built, then I can see why the original rusted out as horribly as it did.) I don't have access to sand blasting equipment, so I'll just have to plan ahead on buying another replacement later on in the next few years. And when I do, now that I know that spot is vulnerable to rusting, I will know to weather-seal that collar before I put it in and hopefully avoid this issue altogether.

Moving on again...

My filler neck in all its glory. This is definitely still good to go, so we'll be reusing it for sure. Now, before I go hunting up a new set of hoses, I just wanted to check something out...

Well now! This is a pleasant surprise! I've placed the filler neck here under the bed where it would normally be fastened into place, and the result is encouraging. Apparently, since the tail end of the neck is parallel to the bed of my truck, this means that all I need is one hose with a 90-degree bend at the end to fit into place.

Before I go, though...

That should keep any foreign particles out, yes/no?

So, with this bit of knowledge in mind, I took the neck around to a few parts shops in town in hopes of finding a hose with a good fit. Consensus? Ain't nobody has anything that can do the job! They do have 'flex hoses' that I might be able to use, but they're not capable of the sharp 90-degree angle I need at the top of the fuel tank. These flex hoses might do the trick for some, but experience has taught me not to trust a quick fix like that in a situation like this - it's all too easy to imagine a flex-hose getting a hole worn into it by the bottom of my truck's bed rubbing against it.

So, I had to go the hurry-up-and-wait route: ordering the right hose from an online shop.

Fortunately, someone seems to have just the thing:
http://www.fillernecksupply.com/1998-1999-2000-mazda-b2500-b3000-b4000-fuel-filler-hose-main/

I went for the whole nine yards on this one - got the filler hose, the vent hose, and two hose clamps for each one. All told, it set me back by $68. I opted for 1-2 day USPS shipping, which accounted for about $19 of that bill, but I need this ASAP - I'm on the hook for work on Wednesday (I deliver pizza) and I really don't want to call-out.

Anyhow, I'll update you folks once I get the parts in. Hopefully they'll be the correct size and I won't have to bitch someone out over the phone.

 

[Beej]

A piece of 1½ water pipe fits perfect inside the filler hose (I used this to lengthen a hose for my '94 longbed... seems hoses for longbeds are few & far between).

As for the dry-rot issue, I wrapped the entire length of mine with Scotch (3M) "Super-88" electrical tape (overlapping about half the tape's width each wrap) to protect the hose from pollutants in the air (smog/ozone is what dry-rots it). So far this has worked for about 5 years on the first hose I did it to (without this the hose would begin cracking after barely a year). Just an idea if you don't come up with something better.

Good luck with it.

Thanks for the advice, 4x4junkie! I will definitely do just that when I get my parts in, though now it looks like I won't need that splice.

Here's some interesting observations I made while I was working on things - this could make for an interesting project later on.

So, a generation or so back from my truck's current model, Ford used to have a dual-tank option for the Ranger, with the second tank situated where the spare tire currently is located. (On dual-tank models, the spare was kept inside the bed, and many folks actually prefer that.)

So while I was taking my bed off, I happened to notice something...

You happen to see those 45-degree cut-outs in the bed? The one at the front-end of the bed is where my filler neck fits, like so:

So if that's where the filler neck for the forward tank would be, then I wonder what this is for?

Yeeeaaahhh, so apparently Ford kept reusing the old beds, because why fix it if it ain't broken, and just restyled the side panels...

I made some quick and dirty measurements...

Distance between rear-most bed-bolts and filler neck cut-out...

And like soo~ooo...

I can see here that there would be no real obstructions to be had! I just have to remove the spare and install all the hardware. Granted, I would have to cut a hole in the side panel of the bed and all. But if I go through all the effort of getting ahold of a second tank and all the fittings and such, then there's no real point in not going whole hog on this as a project.

Granted, given that my truck uses an EFI system, that makes for a mess of plumbing. But I have heard that there are after-market solutions out there.

This is just as well, I figure. At some point in time, one of the previous owners of my truck redid the rear brake lines.... AND LEFT THE OLD ONES IN THE FRAME RAIL! What a f#@%ing mess!

So there's some cleanup that needs to be done in that area anyhow, and it can only be effectively done by ripping everything out and starting over from scratch.

Really, something like this would eventually pay for itself. Living here in Texas, I have access to some of the least expensive gas in the nation, and now and then I do have to drive cross-country to visit family and help them haul things. Being able to get about half the gas I need for the trip right here (and even socking some away in some five-gallon cans) would save me a bit of money.

(I also have it in my head to put in an Auxilary tank in the bed. )

Oh, and stupid question before I sign off here... What the heck is this doodad, and what does it have to do with the fuel system?

I ask because it's looking pretty dilapidated, and I worry about the effect that it may have on my truck's health.

Thanks in advance!

 

[enjr44]

http://www.oepartsstore.com/a/Ford__Ranger/53549414__6474574/EMISSION-COMPONENTS/MD982.html

 

[Beej]

http://www.oepartsstore.com/a/Ford__Ranger/53549414__6474574/EMISSION-COMPONENTS/MD982.html

Thanks for the info.

I did get the new hoses installed, but I don't have much time to go into detail at the moment. I will say that a code my computer has been throwing for a "Clogged EGR Valve" has cleared up now - likely because it mistook the leaking filler hose for a clog in the EGR system due to the lack of vapors.

More on that later, with a few more pictures.

 

[Beej]

Hey guys, sorry it's taken me so long, but I've been pretty busy lately.

So, the parts arrived right on time, and they were exactly as described - thank God for small miracles.

So there's the stuff. Fillernecksupply.com sent me everything in one bag, and even sealed all the hose clamps together in their own little bag to keep them from damaging the hoses. Not bad at all!

Also, note the designation printed on the hose: D150A90

Diameter 1.5", Angle 90

Is it really that simple?

Anyhow... while the diameter and angle are a perfect fit, and the hose is made of good and sturdy material (the previous one was a soft, neoprene-like crap), it's still a little too long on both ends.

Let's go to work.

Here, I already trimmed the tail-end of the hose, so it fits perfectly onto the fuel tank with just the right amount of clearance over the frame rail.

Afterwards, I had to measure how much to trim off the intake-end of the hose. This was tricky to do since I had to make an educated guess where the neck would be. Fortunately, I was just close enough.

In retrospect, this would have gone a bit faster if I had just put the bed back on, bolted it down, attached the neck to the side panel, and then fit the hose. Live and learn, huh?

But at any rate, the job is done now. I was able to put a full tank of gas into my truck without any clicking at the pump or any leakage at all.

Mission accomplished.

Bonus: the dry-rotted old filler hose did serve some use afterwards: I cut the still good pieces up and used them to replace the rubber pads that go between the cargo bed and the frame rails. NO MORE SQUEAKY BED!