Gas stations are making me angry.

[JCampbell]

...and it's not just because of the price of fuel.

Anybody have issues with certain gas station nozzles not being compatible with your 73-80 truck?

Seems like about 45% of the time when I go to fill up, I have to dick around with the nozzle to get it to work. Sometimes I get it right on, sometimes it kinda works but spills about $10 worth of gas down the side of my truck and onto the ground, and the other times it just flat out won't pump. It will run for a few seconds, then it shuts off. Even if I stand there and hold it manually, or flip the nozzle upside-down it still won't pump.

It's pissing me off.

Seems like the only stations that don't give me any issues are the commercial card lock stations.

I'm thinking about doing something just like this-



I think by eliminating all the bends and other restrictions of the stock fill system and basically making it a straight shot, I will eliminate most, if not all, of my problems.

Think beer bong for your fuel tank.

Any thoughts?

[SBellew]

Maybe you could fashion up some type of neck extension to put in there when you go to fill up and help with the problem. Just put a o-ring at the bottom to prevent overflow.

[piecesparts]

God bless California and their emission rules---they can screw up just about EVERYTHING. We don't have that problem in Kansas and filling the truck is easy here.

[Pyrotechnic]

Thats my only gripe about 73 to 78.5 - The fuel caps. It's very tough to avoid spilling some out. Sometimes it'll stop just fine and none will spill. Sometimes I can fill it as slow as I possibly can, and it'll still blast out like I was pumping full blast. It almost seems like an air pocket forms and when you get to a certain point. It tries to escape but at the same time it pushes a bunch of fuel out too.

[JCampbell]

Originally Posted by piecesparts

God bless California and their emission rules---they can screw up just about EVERYTHING.

You said it. 99.9% of the problem is directly related to the Golden State's mandated vapor recovery system.

[SRH916]

I've been having the same damn problem... Exact same thing, and its wierd cause half of the time its fine, but others... its hell...

[BowTieOgre]

Most of the places I fuel up the '80 give me issues. I have to pull the nozzle about half way out and angle it towards the front of the truck to get it to pump without shutting off after 2 seconds or spraying gas at me. That combined with the fact that my truck is lowered make it doubly awkward to top off the tank.

[Rooster's82]

HA! I knew i wasn't going crazy! This is my first truck with 2 tanks...i would go to gas station thinking yup i'm on the left tank, look at my hands to see which one makes an "L" pull up to the pump....start pumping only to shut of 2 seconds later. So i go in the truck look at the switch, look at my hands....yup thats the right tank why aren't i pumping? then i start thinking maybe the switch is messed up...so i turn the truck around try to fill the right tank...gas pukes everywhere....yup that one is full. go back to the left tank...damn pump turns off after 2 sec again. At this point i'm freaking pissed and a little embarrassed seeing how the 19 year old girl filling up her dads Hummer has already pumped $220 worth of gas. So i pay the $15 dollar bill and hit the road.

Now i only fill up at the Racetrack gas station by my house...never had a problem there.

[Malo83]

Live in Cent Cal and have no problems here filling my 83, and i've been to a few different stations looking for the cheapest gas when I fill up I push the nozzle all the way in and then let it hang by itself with that clip on that keeps the flow going without having to hold it

[JCampbell]

Originally Posted by Rooster's82

...i would go to gas station thinking yup i'm on the left tank, look at my hands to see which one makes an "L" pull up to the pump....

LMAO!!! I do the exact same thing! I feel retarded sometimes, but hey, I get confused easily.

Originally Posted by Rooster's82

...At this point i'm freaking pissed and a little embarrassed seeing how the 19 year old girl filling up her dads Hummer has already pumped $220 worth of gas. So i pay the $15 dollar bill and hit the road.

LMAO x's 2!

I don't know how many times I've boned out of the gas station with like, $2.50 worth of gas.

Okay well, I feel a little bit better since I know I'm not the only one.

[screwballl]

I had a similar issue with my 76 (before I upgraded to my 91)... I found that at least here in FL, if you pull it out about 1-2" it fills perfectly and stops properly.
I do not have this issue with my 91 burb...

[JCampbell]

Originally Posted by Malo83

Live in Cent Cal and have no problems here filling my 83...

Doesn't happen on my '88 either. It's a 73-80 issue. It has to do with the angle of the filler being flush with the side of the bed. It just wreaks all kinds of havok on my mental health.

[JCampbell]

Originally Posted by BowTieOgre

...That combined with the fact that my truck is lowered make it doubly awkward to top off the tank.

X's 2

[Malo83]

Originally Posted by JCampbell

Doesn't happen on my '88 either. It's a 73-80 issue. It has to do with the angle of the filler being flush with the side of the bed. It just wreaks all kinds of havok on my mental health.

Ahhhhh well that answers that.

[Mr79C10]

The only issue I have is since I lowered my ride and I'm 6'7" I gotta bend over a bit more. Other then that. Every nozzle here in J-Ville fits.

But I do like that idea of relocating the filler into the bed. Have a smooth shaved bed. Keep us posted. if ya try it.

[EN*PN78]

Same problem here in Oregon. Only we get to pay people to pump our gas. I use two different stations only and the boys know me and let me do it myself because of this problem.
I saw a 73 show truck, way prettier then mine. I asked the guy about this because he had about a 10,000 dollar paint job and he said he got a hose with a about a 15/16 to 1" inside diameter about 1 foot long to slide over the pump nozzle and stick the darn thing down the tank for the most part. Said work great.
I never bothered to try this out. I guess its just part of the truck for me. At least the gas stain on my paint is.

[Rooster's82]

Originally Posted by JCampbell

LMAO!!! I do the exact same thing! I feel retarded sometimes, but hey, I get confused easily.




LMAO x's 2!

I don't know how many times I've boned out of the gas station with like, $2.50 worth of gas.

Okay well, I feel a little bit better since I know I'm not the only one.

Glad I'm not the only one.

[f.monroe]

Try this . I work on gas pumps and point of sale systems for a living so I am at stations all day long . I see diesel truck owners trying to fill up and they have problems since Diesel foams so bad . Especially on older Fords since the fill tube runs level until it gets inside the frame of the truck . The cure seems to be using a 4x6 piece of lumber cut at an angle so you drive up on it . They keep it in the truck and drive the rear tire up on it to give the truck a little lean away from the filler neck . They always take fuel better this way . It might be worth a try . Frank

[JCampbell]

I think I'm gonna try the hose trick before I start to redesign my fill system.

I'll report back with the results.

[Kixwy2]

My 74 has this problem too - there's only one gas station in town that will pump slowly enough and have the vapor lock soft enough for me to pull back to pump shorter than 20 minutes... Argh.

Anyway, I have a 3 inch PVC round that I got at OSH which I use as a spacer for the vapor lock - it's about 1.5 inches thick. Works great. Of course, it kinda ghetto. How I roll.

[f.monroe]

Originally Posted by Kixwy2

My 74 has this problem too - there's only one gas station in town that will pump slowly enough and have the vapor lock soft enough for me to pull back to pump shorter than 20 minutes... Argh.

Anyway, I have a 3 inch PVC round that I got at OSH which I use as a spacer for the vapor lock - it's about 1.5 inches thick. Works great. Of course, it kinda ghetto. How I roll.

If you are running gas through the 3 in PVC be careful . All rubber hoses at gas stations are static bonded hoses . They have an internal static strip that runs the length of the hose . You can measure resistance from one end to the other and there is continuity. Without it the hose can/will build up a static charge and it will go to ground when it gets a chance . Many fires have been started this way . PVC isn bonded and might give you a surprise one day . Just something to consider . Frank

[62 C60]

Originally Posted by Pyrotechnic

Thats my only gripe about 73 to 78.5 - The fuel caps. It's very tough to avoid spilling some out. Sometimes it'll stop just fine and none will spill. Sometimes I can fill it as slow as I possibly can, and it'll still blast out like I was pumping full blast. It almost seems like an air pocket forms and when you get to a certain point. It tries to escape but at the same time it pushes a bunch of fuel out too.

try not to jam the nozzle down in the neck. when you do this it seals it off and the vapors cant escape so the pressure kicks off the pump.