fuel tank top plate help needed

ok so I finaly got the top plate and the pump out, was going to replace the pump but found out a ground wire had just come loose no biggie, pump works now

now for the problem
during the removal of the hoses and the pump assembly, the supply hard line was damaged, where the tube bends just after leaving the plate, not leaving enough to attach a rubber hose to :disgust:

now what to do? anybody have a spare laying around? would one from another car fit? most scrapyards don't hold on to older imports so the chance of finding an 85 200sx is pretty rare...... so what to do???

If it is damaged where it seems to be, I think you may be SOL. A better bet would be S13 pumps, or if you want to spend less try a factory S13/204SX pump from a junkers...most Nissan pumps can be made to fit, hell I have one out of a 1992 Q45 which looks very promissing, but you will most likely at the very least need to modify the holes in the tank, or the holes in the pump...Another problem with finding a used one with our cars is that the likelyhood of it being in the same or worse shape is likely, so unfortunately you are probably looking for a new or used unit from another Nissan...But on the bright side you will get more flow...

Now is the line cracked, or did it break off, because something like liquid metal might work, or if you live on the edge (I do not suggest this) you could try welding the piece, but fire + gasoline = dead...

Also some epoxies, or CA (hobby grade super glue (thick USA Gold to name one)) might also work...

I'd take the pump to a welding shop, tell them its a fuel pump, and have them weld on a new section of tubing if its the pressurized line. High pressure fuel, and consumer grade epoxy will generally fail.... and then you have a high pressure gasoline sprayer.

If its the return line, the fuel pressure MAY be low enough to use consumer grade epoxy. When we built pressure vessels, we could use epoxy up to 60psi, but the stuff was close to $40/tube and a 25 tube minimum purchase. JB weld would not hold up to more than 5-10psi without leaking. JB works ok on a gas tank, as the max pressure is pretty low.

Ron

I have a tube of " Steel Weld Epoxy System "

Says on the front of the package

*** SUPER HIGH STRENGTH ****
2500psi !

contains steel.

Would this be what you need?

Ill try to snap a pic of the container if you can find it in the store. Home Depot or Lowes.

Holy moly......the "sending unit" you are talking about you can grab out of any s12 I believe. The pump just unbolts from it and the wires are held to the pump with 2 screws. I'm not one for advocating any sort of rigging when it comes to fuel. There is just no room for error here. You could end up with on hell of a nasty leak and by the time you realised it your car could be on fire.

That line comming out of the sender is the highest point of fuel pressure in the system. Not a place to be screwing around. Especially with all those wires right there and the frequency with which they corrode and short out. All you would need is one spark with a fuel leak and it would all be over and done with in a hurry.

I would personally suggest just getting a brand new sender if you can beg borrow or steel the money because that is just the best and safest way to go here. A close second would to be to try and find one that is in "decent" shape in a yard if you can.

But I still strongly suggest you just get a new one. And yes I know they are dealer only items. I have replaced two of them.

Well worth the piece of mind knowing I'm not going to blow up any time soon.

Holy moly......the "sending unit" you are talking about you can grab out of any s12 I believe. The pump just unbolts from it and the wires are held to the pump with 2 screws. I'm not one for advocating any sort of rigging when it comes to fuel. There is just no room for error here. You could end up with on hell of a nasty leak and by the time you realised it your car could be on fire.

That line comming out of the sender is the highest point of fuel pressure in the system. Not a place to be screwing around. Especially with all those wires right there and the frequency with which they corrode and short out. All you would need is one spark with a fuel leak and it would all be over and done with in a hurry.

I would personally suggest just getting a brand new sender if you can beg borrow or steel the money because that is just the best and safest way to go here. A close second would to be to try and find one that is in "decent" shape in a yard if you can.

But I still strongly suggest you just get a new one. And yes I know they are dealer only items. I have replaced two of them.

Well worth the piece of mind knowing I'm not going to blow up any time soon.
This is why I suggested a new assembly as the best choice, however if you are going to replace it, you may as well go with a higher volume unit...like even a Walbro, or even something like out of the Q45, cheap from a wreck yard, and because the tank is an interior unit, the pump is always in immaculate condition...

The problem with getting the sender out of a different vehicle is that it may not be the same depth as ours and therefor either wouldn't pick up the fuel properly or would be too tall to bolt down. The bolt pattern may also be different.

But I do see what you are saying about trying a new vehicle to find one in better shape.

The other advantage is hopefully they fixed the design flaws of the original one. Someone was asleep at the wheel that day (or more likely, it was vacation time, and it fell through the cracks. Eg, no vapor block in the wire harness to the fuel pump plate terminals...... Which is why they corrode and fail. Then again, the top plate on the S12 is fairly well protected, unlike other applications.

Lastly, a weld and pressure test of the assembly more than likely will be a better solution than a used one. Best is new if you can find an affordable source. I'd hate to put in a junkyard one, and find out that the tubing had internal corrosion. Rememeber, in most salvage yards, the fuel tanks are drained. A few years later without fuel vapor in the tank, corrosion will set in.

Ron