Is my fuel filler neck collapsing? Can't put gas in my Ranger (Flareside)

[JoeVR5]

Is there a way to pull out the bedliner without removing my tonneau cover? I've never removed either in 10 years.

It's an ARE fiberglass cover with a spoiler on the back. I'd prefer not to remove it, but I'm thinking I will have to do that to get the bedliner out.....

Is there a way that I could loosen the bolts underneath the bed without pulling them all the way through the other side?

If all goes well, it should be a quick on-and-off procedure, and I could just lift the bed off the frame and set it on some blanketed 2x4's before fixing the filler neck and reinstalling the bed.

Is that possible? Or are the bolts installed from the top?

 

[superdave1984]

Or are the bolts installed from the top?

Bolts go in through the bed floor. No getting them off from underneath unless you cut them off. I do NOT suggest this as new correct bolts are about 4^ each. Not sure about the cover coming off to remove the liner. Unless the liner is on top of the bedsides I wouldn't think it would be a big deal. Maybe at the front though. Many go over the front lip.

 

[kennykenny]

Save yourself any further aggrivation by just removing tonneau cover and bedliner. 10 extra minutes in the beginning may save you hours and some choice words in the long run.

 

[Engloid]

bringing back an old thread, with a question....

My Ranger has suddenly started doing this recently. Today, for example, I tried to put gas in and got .880 gallons in before it stopped on me. There's no way I'm even able to get a gallon a minute. I'd have to go home and come back later to get the second gallon in.

I'm thinking that if the INNER hose has broken, it leaks into the outer hose, which is meant for venting purposes. By doing this, it is trying to fill through both, with no vent. This inner hose is flexible, correct? I did unhook the filler from the body of the truck and pull it downward, so I may very well have made it worse...as if there is any worse.

The problem is....how do I know for sure this is the problem before going to this trouble? I hate to just put a small cut into the outer hose to see if gas comes out when I try to fill, but I'm tempted to do it.

Any other ideas?

This is the original filler hose, as far as I know. The dealer I called said it sounded like the charcoal canister was clogged. I unhooked both hoses from it and blew through them. I could blow through both slowly, but could tell there was some resistance. It wasn't like blowing through a straw, for sure.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Welcome to The Ranger STation! and by reviving an older thread it shows that you have used the search function, in which I am repping you for. You sir, are an inspiration to us all.

Now for the answer to your question.

More than likely your filler neck is shot. $40 on ebay, yank the bed and install it and be done with it. The inner hose *should* be flexible, but has probably hardened to the point of not being able to bend it, or just breaking and cracking instead.

just put plenty of pb blaster on the bed bolts a few days in a row before removing them. Bed should come off real easy once the bolts are out and the taillight harness is unhooked. Just need two people.

Hope this helps!

AJ

 

[Engloid]

100% chance thats whats it? I don't want to spend the money and time waste the time and not fix the problem. My fuel gauge isnt working...hasnt for a long time. It would be a good time to look into that. I already broke a t55 driver trying to get the bed off. I'll have to give it a few days to soak.

 

[97RangerXLT]

I am pretty certain that this will solve your problem. However when you have the bed off, unhook the charcoal canister again and find the ends in the tank and if you have shop air or access to shop air, blow the lines out with the shop air. if there is blockage, hopefully it will come out. make sure you have something to catch the junk so that it does not get into the tank.

since you have to have the bed removed anyways, you might as well do all you need to do while it is off: replace sending unit (altho that *might* be part of the fuel pump, not sure) replace the filler hose, apply rust reformer to the frame, thoroughly check your spring hangers/ shackles.

If the carbon filter itself is clogged, you can replace it down the road in about 10 minutes. just unhook the hoses and remove a single screw that secures it to the header panel.

As for T55, get a good one with a lifetime warranty. work the bolts back and forth and apply more pb blaster.

AJ

 

[Engloid]

I am pretty certain that this will solve your problem. However when you have the bed off, unhook the charcoal canister again and find the ends in the tank and if you have shop air or access to shop air, blow the lines out with the shop air. if there is blockage, hopefully it will come out. make sure you have something to catch the junk so that it does not get into the tank.

since you have to have the bed removed anyways, you might as well do all you need to do while it is off: replace sending unit (altho that *might* be part of the fuel pump, not sure) replace the filler hose, apply rust reformer to the frame, thoroughly check your spring hangers/ shackles.

If the carbon filter itself is clogged, you can replace it down the road in about 10 minutes. just unhook the hoses and remove a single screw that secures it to the header panel.

As for T55, get a good one with a lifetime warranty. work the bolts back and forth and apply more pb blaster.

AJ

I plan to do the fuel sending unit since my fuel gauge is shot. As for rust reformer...the underside is in pretty good shape, and it's a $600 rustbucket anyway, so I probably won't spend $50 on that stuff.

The charcoal canister... In my state, we don't have emissions tests, so I may just chuck it and plug the holes at the tank.

I do have something else I may look at though....the back end of the truck sags. Springs? any options out there for cheap springs?

 

[CurtisP87]

Junkyard

 

[97RangerXLT]

I agree with Curtis on this one. the leafs from any ranger 83 - 2012 should work, provided the axle is the same size.

also, you might consider replacing the hangers and shackles while you are tearing into it. these are very comon to rust through. I had one of mine rust through on my 97. for about 150 bucks, I got all four new hangers, the shackles, new bolts, and new bushings from Rock auto. the shackles come with four of the bushings and four of the bolts, so all you have to do is get the front bushings and and two more bolts.

AJ

 

[Topazdan]

Hi all,

I'm brand new to the forum, and I was wondering if anyone can help me out with a small problem that has turned into a VERY expensive one.

I have a 1997 Ranger Splash, 2wd, 4.0L Ext Cab, 5spd. It has been an AWESOME truck, and I've had it for almost 10 years now.

About a year ago, I started to have a problem filling my truck with gas. I couldn't pump it any faster than about 2 gallons a minute or it would back up and overflow.

I took it to a shop and without even warning me, it wound up costing $600. Apparently, the filler neck on the 97 Ranger splash is a dealer-only part and it is over $350. Holy Cow!!

The problem is, the new super-expensive hose has now made my fuel-filling problem is WORSE! I can't gas up my truck any faster than a gallon or so per minute or else the pump backs up and spills fuel all down the side of my truck. This happens OFTEN. I cannot even set the gas pump on the first notch. It's VERY frustrating.

I looked under the truck, and it really looks like the hose is completely collapsed. I took it back to the shop and they said that all rangers with the flaresides have this problem because there is a sharper angle going into the tank, and you really can't fill it with fuel at a normal rate.

I have trouble believing that because for the last 8 years, I had NO problems filling it with fuel. Now it takes me almost 10 minutes to gas up my truck.

I took it to another shop, and they tried to put a metal sleeve around the collapsed hose, and hose-clamp the sleeve to try and get the rubber hose to open up a little bit, but that didn't work at all.

I'm REALLY frustrated at this problem, because I have to budget serious time for gassing up my truck. I DON'T want to spend another $350.

Had anyone else had any problems like this? Are there any solutions that won't cost me an arm and a leg?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks all!

SOLVED. I replaced my filler hose on '96 Ranger. Then it would not allow me to fill up with gas. After some google research and a few failed attempts I fixed it. My problem was that the inner small hose inside the filler hose is molded with two bends to fit inside the larger filler hose. To make the neck match the screw holes at the fuel door the larger hose had to be rotated (about 180 degrees) on the neck fitting. This twisted the smaller inside hose. Unknowingly, this caused the smaller internal filler hose to be bent the wrong way and caused two crimps. (you can't see it from the outside). Once I figured this out then I lined the filler hose up again properly and drilled 3 new holes in the bed fuel door housing so that the filler hose could be attached without twisting on the neck fitting. Problem solved. (See attached photo of crimped innner hose)

BTW, I did not totally remove the bed. I left in the two rearmost TORX bolts (but loose) then raised the front of the bed with a comealong. So I had no issues with wiring. The whole thing is quite simple and now I can do the whole project alone in 60 minutes.