I have a problem putting gas in my Valiant. From empty it will only take around 3 or 4 gallons and then it will start overflowing out the fill tube and down the side of my quarter panel. I havent pulled the filler tube and tank yet as I need a new sending unit (guage doesn't work) so I figured I would take care of it all at one time. I know a lot of the A bodies had a slow fill problem but this will take no more than 4 gallons. Any ideas.
Thanks in advance,
Paul

 

there should be a vent line from the tank often attached to the fill tube but also run seperatly on different models , it has to be blocked so the evaporated fumes cannot escape to make room for liquid fuel

 

This is news to me. Most of the A bodies have a GOOD design, IE a nice tall filler tube and a simple vent, unlike many of the B bodies which had the filler down low in the license plate.

We are talking about a 66, right?

You might see if the vent is plugged. Look up under the trunk quarter lip and feel around the back of the fill tube. There should be a 1/4?" fitting up high on the fill tube which turns, goes up high to the top of the quarter, turns down and is clipped to the back of the fill tube, and goes through the trunk gasket, where the tube open ends inside the rear frame rail.

Probe down the filler and see if it's restricted. Maybe someone crammed one of two of those "anti siphon" springs down the filler tube.

Do you think the car is all original? Any chance it has the wrong filler, tube, and that it goes too far into the tank?

66 manual from MyMopar:

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/ser...ice_Manual.zip

 

There is no restriction in the vent tube as that was the first thing that I checked. I also thought the same thing that the filler tube may have been a different filler tube that is a little bit too long and goes in to deep. Also there is no spring or any kind of restiction in the filler tube itself, so I will buy a new grommet and pull my tank and see what the deal is. Check out some of the other sites out there that deal with these things as I have lurking and have seen quite a few guys complain about the slow fill and splashing down the quarter panel on the A bodies and actually a lot of them were Valiants, they say that they even make a bib that goes around the top of the neck that will prevent it from splashing on the quarter panel. But this isn't just a slow fill problem as it will only allow me to put in right around 4 gallons from empty and that is it. I can come back an hour later and it looks like the tube is empty but it will overflow very quickly again. I dont understand why there isnt a vent on the tank itself as I wouldnt think one that high up on the filler tube does a whole lot. It would realese pressure when the gas cap is on but I don't see where it would help when filling up, unless I am missing something it seems more like a poor design than a good one.

 

Have you tried a different filling station(s)? Some of these have the pressure turned up WAY too high. There's a couple I NEVER go to in this town because of that. I've owned several Ford Rangers, and currently have an old 86 with dual tanks, and a 98. There is a couple of stations that NEVER splash fuel on shutoff, and a couple of others that are nearly impossible to deal with. I don't know why the pubic puts up with it.

A vent "in the tank" as you say would do no good, unless it was HUGE, say, 5/8" or 3/4, because the tank must displace the same volume of air as the filler is pushing in as fuel. You would never get that volume out of a 1/4 or 3/8" line.

One of my favorite stations for my 67 has an asphalt lot which is sloped, and many times I can pull into the last pump, with the front of the car off the end of the concrete, so that the car points downhill. I NEVER have problems with that pump. Put it on the "middle click" of the latch and leave it be.

Do you guys in your state have the vapor collection boots on your nozzles? We don't here, maybe that makes a difference?

 

Actually that happened the first time I tried to get gas at the filling station, and since then I have been putting gas in from a can with a slow pour. Even like that it only will take a total of like 4 gallons and thats it, which leads me to believe that the filler tube itself is longer than it should be which puts it deeper into the tank. So we will see when I get it tore apart.

Also here in PA where I am there are no boots on the nozzles, but I know what you mean as I have an older F150 and I have to watch how I put gas in or where I get it. Like you there is one near me that has a slope to it and I can pull in and have no problem at all. Must be a Ford truck thing.

 

Are you absolutely certain the tank is actually empty to start? Or IOW, it's not full after the four gallons? Does it drain down slowly and allow you to continue adding more?

 

It will only take 4 gallons from empty, and I know because I have run it totaly out of gas and then tried to fill. It will drain the fill tub after a little while, but then it will only take enough gas to fill the tube and that is it. Thats what leads me to believe that the fill tube itself may be a little too long and goes in to the tank too far. It has me scratching my head, surely there isnt something in the tank only allowing 4 gallons to fill it. The tank seems to be a newer tank probably changed when the restoration was done about 10 years ago. If I cant straighten it out after pulling the tank I will put a fuel cell in the trunk, because 4 gallons doesnt go far with a built motor getting between 8-9 MPG, but its a blast to drive

 

Is it possible the pickup is stuck "high" on it's arc, so even when it "runs out" there is still 13 gallons in the tank?

I don't know about a '66 Valiant, but there is only the three screws around the mouth of the filler holding the fill tube on my Duster. It comes out in like literally only 5 minutes.

 

When it is empty I can tap on the tank and it is empty as you can hear the hollow sound.

 

Sounds like a venting issue, then.

 

Ya know that's an interesting thought. Are you CERTAIN the tank is MT?

You say you "ran it out of gas"

Maybe the pickup tube somehow is not in the bottom of the tank?

Have you had the sender out? I think with a lamp and mirror you could inspect the filler tube interior from the sending unit hole.

 

it should just have a few bolts at the filler neck and more arounda rubber gasket in the trunk. at least that is the way it is on my 67 valiant.