[GearHead899]

im beginning to think i should have never bought this 94 rodeo :-( it drives great but today im getting bad news after bad news... i took it to my friends shop this morning to fix this small exhaust leak. while we were under it we found something alarming. the rear fram is rusted almost all the way thru on the passenger side. right where the passenger side shock is suppose to bolt to the frame... i say suppose to cuz half the frame and the whole shock mount, along with the shock are gone :-( im soooo pissed at myself for not noticing it before i bought it, but it was really hard to get underneath it at the time. so on my way home i fill up on fuel for the first time with it. Now ever since i got it i could kinda smell gas after i parked it. i never saw any leaks so i kind ignored it. but when i jut got home, i noticed a pretty steady drip coming from the back! WTF!!! it doesnt look like its coming from a line. im bout to pull the shield off and get a better look but this truck is pissing me off :-(

 

[JoeIsuzu]

Try a DESCRIPTIVE SUBJECT LINE instead of:
Post subject: HELP!! :-(

Jack

 

[CalG]

My Daughters RS had the rear frame rust off too. The radius rod support fell right off when the frame went. She skidded off into a snowy ditch one time. Some one stopped to tow her out, and the entire rear bumper and sub frame came right off the trooper.

Nice that the body metal was so tuff! The rear doors worked perfectly and closed with a reassuring thunk!

Oh. that RS is gone to it's final rest....200K miles Plus

 

[rodeo joe]

Come to sunny Arizona and rescue a rust free Isuzu who's only crime is 200,000+ miles of faithful service. Many go to the scrapper for that reason alone.

 

[94Rodayo4x4]

i should have warned you about the rust. I didn't notice your location.

Post some pics of her anyway.

You may be able to weld the frame with some time.

 

[GearHead899]

yeah im hoping ill be able to weld it up. it will take alot of time and skill tho. i may have fixed the gas tank leak tho. it seemed to be coming near the passenger side gas tank mount. like where the seem is. i have some of that goop that they give u for exhaust seem patching and i spread some of that into the seem. just whent for a drive and theirs a little seepage but nothing like the steady drip from before

 

[GearHead899]

wait wtf!? i just whent to the part store, when i got their i got out and no dripping... just got home got out and looked, no dripping. just checked after it has been sitting and its dripping again!? what the hell? my driveway it perfectly level too, its not like its on a slant... i got some more of that stuff and filled the seem again. i just dont get why it would start dripping after being turned off and sitting for 5 minutes :-(

 

[CalG]

Dirt builds up on top of the tank and around the "fittings".

the dirt holds moisture and all the pipes and fittings rust....

THROUGH!

A wiggle here, a bump there, leaks spring forth.

$450 buys a new tank from Isuzu..It comes well boxed on a nice little pallet. Still some adaptive surgery is needed to put it together

ask me how I know

 

[GearHead899]

ummm how do you know? lol all the lines and everything are fine, the seem that goes around the tank is whats leaking. just on the passenger side. its weird tho i started it up and no leak. drove it around and hopped out to check it, no leak. got home and checked it, no leak. about 5 minutes later i come out and check it and its leaking! why would it leak afterwards like that?

 

[tlcsr66]

If it's as hot there as it is here in VA, the ambient (sp?) air temperature will warm the fuel increasing pressure in the tank until it vents, or leaks out of the weakest spot in your tank.

 

[johnnie59]

If you really insist on patching the tank rather than replacing it, stop using exhaust bandage. That isn't designed to hold gasoline (which is after all a highly corrosive chemical compound under some conditions). Go the the hardware store and get J B Weld. That stuff when mixed correctly will form on a clean tank surface like putty and harden over night to be like steel!

 

[GearHead899]

yeah i have a feeling im going to have to drop the tank to be able to see exactly where the leak is. how hard is this to do?

 

[johnnie59]

Pretty easy if the tank is empty. You'll need three helpers if its full. Two to hold it while the third unbolts everything. Or a level work place and a floor jack.

Once its unbolted and ready to lower, you'll need to reach on top to disconnect the electrical connections and fuel lines before letting it all the way down.

 

[mallen]

Yup. Gasoline is probably softening and disolving your patch. If you patch somethign that holds gasoline,use the right stuff. Better yet,replace the tank. You could try to find one at a wrecking yard that looks to be in decent shape,and get it with the exchange warranty. Using stuff meant for exhaust though is a recipie for failure. Its made to take heat,not direct exposure to gasoline.

 

[GearHead899]

think i fixed the leak. like u guys said it was leaking and then once i removed the gas cap to relieve the pressure it would stop. so i dropped the tank which was a PITA cuz it was almost full. its nice it has a drain plug but i only had 2 small gas cans, i think i got more on the ground then in the cans lol but anyway got it down and filled the seem with JB weld. getting it back up was a bit of a PITA it was super heavy. me and my buddy struggled but we got it. The only thing that realy sucked was the one fuel line i couldnt get off when removing the tank. the line was so old and dry, i had to cut it. so it was about an inch shorter so i figured to be safe we would take my vr4 to the part store to pick up a new line. on the way back we smell rubber. i pull over and my right rear tire is flat.... not only flat but a damn nail whent in the tread, bent, then poked out the sidewall and blew a huge hole in it. so now i have to order a 200 dollar tire... o yeah and the line didnt even work :-( grrrr but i just took it for a drive and no leaking yet so i think i got it!

 

[GearHead899]

so last night my tank didnt leak at all. came to work and checked on it every couple of minutes and it was fine. just checked on it again and its dripping again! wtf! it seems to be coming from the area where that one sensor is on the side of the tank near the rear diff of the truck. kinda looks like its coming from that seem again :-( i unscrewed my gas cap to relieve the pressure and stop it from leaking... looks like any time i park my truck im gonna have to loosen the gas cap :-(