Well the fuel filler pipe on '96 Legacy I think has finally gotten a hole in it. I can small fuel from the wheel well area and sometimes a little bit inside the car so I am assuming it has rusted through.

 

The replacement doesn't look too difficult..... are there any pointers or tips? Other of course than to put the cigar aside and not have a propane camping heater running in the garage or warmth?

It was a PITA when I did it on my 95 back in the summer.

 

It's pretty straightforward replacement. Remove the rear wheel. Disconnect all the hoses. There is a single clamp to where it meets the fuel tank. This was the tightest fit and caused me the most aggravation. I think it would have been better if I had a second set of hands helping me.

Thanks for the tip! That does look a little tricky up under there. Mainly going to try to avoid as much as possible.

don't do it with a full tank of gas.

 

annoying job...but not difficult. it seems like it should take 10 minutes and it doesn't - that's the annoying part. but it isn't a long or difficult job.

 

plan on most of the screw/bolts shearing off when removing, they all do for me when they're rusted like they usually are when the pipe is also rusted and you're in the rust belt like me. ditch the cover when you're done, it just traps debris and moisture against the filler pipe.

Great thanks. I didn't open the box yet but I ordered the tube and I think the plate where it mounts in the fuel door and the screws. Hopefully it is the right one, said for '96 they were different depending on Vin, maybe because of Calif. I will scrap the cover. I can't see this car lasting more than maybe another 5 years before it is so rusted it becomes unsafe.

 

Hoping also to pop in the new timing belt since I had pulled that all apart trying to figure out that weird cranking/no start which mysteriously fixed itself.

The kit that I bought from Annapolis Subaru contained all replacement clamps and screws. Even contained the shield piece that goes around the filler neck entrance.

 

Gary, you're 100% correct about it looking to take 10 minutes. It took me an hour and a half. Of course it was due to low light and me being the only one working on it.

Outbacks give you another inch that is much appreciated on the fuel tank side.

 

I'd say start soaking the 3 phillips screws around the fuel cap. They can go bad. The rubber washer behind the metal piese applies pressure so the first few turns are tight - be careful.

You'll be really tempted to take a heat gun to the hose on the bottom of the filler to the tank. But don't... Also, if you bugger that hose up while getting the pipe out, that's bad. You REALLLLYY don't want to have to access the other side of it.

I was messing around with a spare parts car I bought & one off the phillips screw heads at filler, was buggered up. I simply drill off head.

Ok thanks! I may give it a go today if I have time. I would have been tempted to use a heat gun there I am thinking but I will heed the caution!

Something to keep in mind: if you have the new pipe in your hands, and you are 100% sure it's the right part, don't hesitate in bending/destroying the old one. I spent some time trying to be creative removing the one in my car until a chunk of it came apart because of the rust, and everything was much easier afterwards.

Thanks! I'm looking at it right now.....the fuel fill pipe actually doesn't look too bad. I don't really feel or see any major weak spots in it but I guess that doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't have a pinhole leak in it.

 

But... that little line that comes off the side, I think for the canister? That goes to a hose, then to a piece of pipe that goes through the body, then to another hose. That piece of pipe does not look to be in very good shape at all.

 

Since I soaked everything with penetrating oil I am having trouble kind of sniffing to where the gasoline is actually coming from. Otherwise I thought I could use a short length of hose and kind of move it around while sniffing through it to maybe pinpoint the source better.

 

If it's that little piece of pipe for canister...I'm wondering if I can just plug that off at the fuel filler pipe and maybe where it goes to the canister under the hood. I know we're not supposed to do that but it would still be better than leaking gasoline fumes. The '96 resets all I/M's every startup anyway so that wouldn't matter. But I guess that might make it hard to fill the fuel, like clicking off by itself a lot.

How about replacing the entire line in rubber fuel line. Bypassing the rotten metal tube.

Btw. I found pinhole leaks by charging up the system thru the canister hose with about ten lbs compressed air. Found leak quick. Could hear it hissing.

Thanks. I thought about replacing that section of line (the air ventilator pipe) with all hose, but ended up ordering the actual part instead. (http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=129301)

 

I stuck a drinking straw into the body where that air ventilator line passes through the body, and I could smell the gasoline, so I believe that line has a hole/leak in it where it passes through the body. Which also explains why I can smell it inside the vehicle after it sits overnight (except now I have been leaving the gas cap loose, and i don't smell it inside anymore).

 

Using compressed air to find the leaks is interesting, how much pressure can you safely apply before the tank gets unhappy? I saw some plans to build an evap smoke machine from a DJ fog machine, that looks pretty interesting.

Ive used 5 lbs & suds on my diesel tank. Doesn't take much.

Thanks. Ok, got the fuel filler pipe and the vent pipe replaced today. It took me about 2-1/2 hours taking my time. I would like to say it was a fun job.....but I can't bring myself to say that

 

It wasn't difficult, just a little tricky to maneuver those pipes into where they need to be.

 

So after doing it...my tips would be...

1. Soaked everything with Kroil a week ahead of time, even where the hoses meet the metal pipes.

2. Used hose pick to loosen the hoses before trying to remove them.

3. Fuel filler pipe will have some gasoline in it, it's like a trap for a kitchen sink. So don't promptly dump it all over the garage floor like I did.

4. I used some engine oil on the new pipes and inside the hoses to help them slide into place. Not sure if that's a good idea or not but not sure I could've gotten them on all the way without doing that.

5. On fuel filler pipe don't forget to take out the rollover valve from the old pipe to put in the new pipe (unless you don't care about it).

6. When installing the fuel filler pipe, I bent the little hook tab where the mounting screw in the middle of it goes, I couldn't wrestle it into place otherwise. Then I hooked the pipe loosely with one of the screws at the gas cap end, then put the pipe into the hose to the tank. I tried to get the hose started first, then turn the filler pipe up into the body but there was no way to wrangle it into place that way.

 

Now...hopefully that solves the fuel smell problem. I think it did. Afterward I couldn't smell fuel around the vehicle at all, whereas before I could always detect a faint whiff of it. I'll see if the gas cap hisses next time I remove it, usually it gives a little hiss.

Edited January 18, 201214 yr by porcupine73

Thanks for the help! I fueled up today, and I've never been so happy to hear that hisssss when removing the cap. So that means the leak is fixed successfully.