Official Rusted Fuel Filler Neck thread

First off: Go outside now and pull the plastic filler neck guard off and empty the dirt out, it takes no more than 30 seconds and saves you from a world of frustration when the metal rusts from the dirt thats stuck in there.

 

Well, its happened to me. Filler neck is rusted out and has a few small leaks. Super annoying!

 

Tried fixing it a few times but it keeps coming back! Part is $230 from Subaru, and I also found it here for $100 ( http://www.fillernecksupply.com/servlet/the-201/95-96-97-Subaru/Detail )

 

How did everyone else fix theirs? New part? Fix the old one? Whats involved in replacing the filler neck? any tricks?

 

EDIT: Car is a 97 GT

To replace the filler neck you will need to drop the gas tank.

 

Mine rusted out. I cut back the plastic guard to keep dirt and moisture from making it get any worse. I had a small leak that turned into a big one all of a sudden. To fix mine all I did was take a piece of scrap inconel sheet metal from the scrap bin at work and rolled it on the mini-roller to the same diameter as the filler neck. I coated the inside of the sheet metal with JB Weld and fitted it around the leaking segment of filler neck. I wrapped a hose clamp around the sheet metal to keep pressure on the leak, then after the JB Weld dried I sealed the edges of the sheet metal with Seal-All. About 10K miles later and still no leaks. The repair cost me about $10. The best part is the inconel will never rust.

Another thing, if you're going to replace it I'd suggest masking and painting the new filler neck with a few good solid coats of base and one or two top coats of Rustoleum just to give you that addded protection against rust in the future.

oooh interesting idea! What I did on the weekend was remove the guard, sanded the fillerneck down and used some "gas tank repair putty" to fill the holes I could see, then coated it with a spray on gasket material that is supposed to be petroleum resistant. Well I tried putting some gas in last night and its still leaking! Arg!

Found out the dealership in Grand Forks ND will sell a new part for $165, way better than the $230 the dealership here wants! Think I'm going to go that route then have the shop up here install it.

i was changing a strut out on my DD beater and noticed a rock stick out of a weird spot. grabbed it and then noticed it was a plastic shield that was completely blended in at the seams with dirt. so i started pulling on it and noticed a TON of sh_it coming out of it. so i yanked it the hell off. i am going to take a brush to everything to see how bad it is. i plan on getting some POR-15 to seal it up

Yeah, those guards do more harm than good. They should've just painted the filler neck at the factory and been done with it. The things companies will do to save a buck....

Wow thanks for bringing this to my attention. I have had 2 BD Legacies since 2000 and never thought of doing this.

uhhh I didn't have to drop the tank when I did my filler neck...

 

Got the OEM neck for around 140 bucks from the dealer (was going to order it online I think for about 108 plus shipping) and it only took about an hour and a half to do with a lunch break. Most of the time was spent just sliding the neck out of the rubber hose at the bottom. Here's a tip: get a couple flathead screwdrivers, slide them between the neck and the hose, and spray some WD40 in there. Once I did this it slipped out without too much trouble. I didn't paint mine because I didn't feel like going to the hardware store, but leave the damn shield off. Such a dumb piece of engineering.

Mine's done it too. It started leaking back at Thanksgiving when I was home for break and I was able to seal it up with some gas tank putty like someone mentioned before and it held, until this last week when I filled the tank up. Got home last night and smelled gas and throught, Oh crap! I hope that's not my car. Sure enough, gas was REALLY leaking out of the filler pipe. Now I'm going to have to get a new one and put a layer or two of undercoating on it I think before I pop it back in there. For the guys planning to paint theirs, you're going to want to put something tougher over the paint. The sand and stuff the tire kicks up will sandblast the paint right off. Look closely and the wheel well has a type of undercoating on it, not just regular paint.

 

Well, I'm off to go spend more money I don't have

Tried fixing it a few times but it keeps coming back! Part is $230 from Subaru, and I also found it here for $100 ( http://www.fillernecksupply.com/servlet/the-201/95-96-97-Subaru/Detail )

 

 

A word of caution about that link is the parts are recycled OEM parts. I don't know if that means they were taken off cars and cleaned up or what, but for an extra $20 (shipping included) you can get one from subaruonlineparts.com that is new.

A word of caution about that link is the parts are recycled OEM parts. I don't know if that means they were taken off cars and cleaned up or what, but for an extra $20 (shipping included) you can get one from subaruonlineparts.com that is new.

 

I Just ordered a replacement for my wagon so we will see how it is. it say's a rust free recycled replacement so i figure ill throw on a Good coat of paint and it does have a 1 year warranty.

Advance Auto Parts sells a replacement section of rubber hose designed to handle fuel. It's a 2 foot section. All you have to do is cut out the bad section and install the hose with a clamp at each end.

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product__3330028-P_N4005_A|GRP2024____

Can anyone paint a picture as to where the bolts are to remove this thing on a sedan? I have a feeling its under that little door under the carpet in the trunk, but its dark out now. I need to replace mine since my repair is no longer holding and I'm tired of patching it.

Hokay...

 

The fuel filler neck job on the sedans is pretty simple, especially compared to you guys that had to drop the tank to do it. Here are the basic steps:

 

1) After getting the wheel off, I stared at the top and worked my way down. Open up the gas cap and remove those three bolts you see. That's how the top part is held in.

 

2) Remove all the screws and remove all the tubes you see in the wheel well that are attached to the filler neck. Some WD40 is a good idea to get these tubes off... that part was kind of a pain.

 

3) Follow the filler neck under the car. Just as you see the neck disappear from view and go towards the tank you'll see the rubber tubing that is hose clamped around the filler neck.

 

4) Get something long and thin and thoroughly lubricate the crap out of the interface between the rubber and the neck. Just pry open the rubber a little bit and spray it for a couple seconds and work everything lose.

 

5) Yank like hell.

 

6) Angrily throw old neck in the trash, cursing Subaru for their crappy engineering.

 

7) Put new one on, and LEAVE THE STINKIN SHIELD OFF.

 

That's really it from what I can remember, but I'm open to questions. It's kind of a pain to do, but it's pretty quick as long as you don't get discouraged from fighting the rubber and everything.

The only thing I would add to that is spray the new filler tube with rubberized undercoating before putting it on. That's what I did.

Of course I would spray the new filler neck. I don't want this to happen again.

 

 

 

I have a powder coating setup left over from a failed Dot-Com R/C car aftermarket parts business. I was thinking about powdercoating the new tube but I'm not sure if it's safe to put that in the same oven I use for cooking. Of course I would clean it after, but I'm still not sure this is the best idea.

 

 

 

 

EDIT: Someone should just make aluminum filler necks. That would solve all problems. I would be willing to pay a little extra for a filler neck that I literally never have to worry about.

 

Can I get an Amen?

Ironic how that plastic shield is supposed to protect the filler tube, but in the long run is what makes it rot out. The stupid thing even though it is steel would probably outlast the body if it didn't have that dirt/salt trap attached to it, lol.

 

I'd be interested to see how well powder coating holds up to the stones and sandblasting from the tire. I went with rubberized undercoating since it's softer and doesn't chip off from rock impacts the same way paint and powder coating can (though powder coating is much superior to normal paint).

True, the finish of powdercoating is a bit harder than undercoating, making it more brittle. The only thing is, I'm cheap, and I was thinking about paint or powdercoat because I have an abundance of it. Undecoating I'd have to buy, but it's probably worth it in the long run.

 

And yes, I think Subaru should do a voluntary recall on their first and second gen Legacy's that removes the plastic guard. It would take about 10 minutes for their service department to remove the guard. Of course, this will never happen.

Interesting thread, I will have to check my 97 LGT wagon...

Mine looks brand spanking new. Gotta love the NW and no salt!

 

I think subaru should try to use a different material like rubber or aluminum. My dads boat uses all rubber hoses and there is no problem with them. Don't see why subaru couldnt.

Hokay...

 

The fuel filler neck job on the sedans is pretty simple, especially compared to you guys that had to drop the tank to do it. Here are the basic steps:

 

1) After getting the wheel off, I stared at the top and worked my way down. Open up the gas cap and remove those three bolts you see. That's how the top part is held in.

 

2) Remove all the screws and remove all the tubes you see in the wheel well that are attached to the filler neck. Some WD40 is a good idea to get these tubes off... that part was kind of a pain.

 

3) Follow the filler neck under the car. Just as you see the neck disappear from view and go towards the tank you'll see the rubber tubing that is hose clamped around the filler neck.

 

4) Get something long and thin and thoroughly lubricate the crap out of the interface between the rubber and the neck. Just pry open the rubber a little bit and spray it for a couple seconds and work everything lose.

 

5) Yank like hell.

 

6) Angrily throw old neck in the trash, cursing Subaru for their crappy engineering.

 

7) Put new one on, and LEAVE THE STINKIN SHIELD OFF.

 

That's really it from what I can remember, but I'm open to questions. It's kind of a pain to do, but it's pretty quick as long as you don't get discouraged from fighting the rubber and everything.

 

Hey, thanks slickfast for this simple procedure. I tried to follow what you have done (just like in this post) and i got it! never tried that step 4 ever since. That was pretty much easier than i thought.

oh %^$) someone with the same issue as me..

 

here is mine...

 

dealer wants $149..

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckSCQmXSO6I&feature=related]YouTube - ‪May 13, 2011 4:19 PM‬‏[/ame]

 

 

Where do you find this rubber undercoating?

I have to change the filler pipe on my 98 Legacy and called the dealer here in Toronto today for prices. The main pipe is $160, but he also recommended changing the 3 smaller pipes as well. I have to take a closer look at mine to see how bad they are, but I was wondering if anybody here had changed those as well. The dealer said they normally change everything (the main pipe, 3 small pipes, check valve, gaskets, etc) when they do it and the total parts cost is $412.

 

That's a lot more than I want to spend right now, and the only reason I'm changing it is because my CEL is on and I have to go for an emissions test this month to renew my plates.

Sounds like your dealer needs money :o

 

I've never heard anyone else saying they needed to change the other pipes.. it's the filler pipe thats the problem because of that stupid cover...