leaking fuel tank fill line grommet

[Floyd]

Same topic with similar splits in opinion. 

https://forum.e-bodies.org/body-shop/5/which-way-to-install-filler-tube-grommet/1378/

[Jay Bee]

Now I'm not sure which way I want to go especially after reading Katfish's logic in Reply#17 of that posted link.

[dodj]

Now I'm not sure which way I want to go especially after reading Katfish's logic in Reply#17 of that posted link.

I'll bet it doesn't matter.

On my '73 the 'B' side on the inside.

[chargerdon]

I put a new fuel tank, and new filler grommet into my 74 challenger.    The grommet did not split, but it leaked anyways.   Got a second grommet pulled the filler tube out and sanded the first few inches till i was certain that it was good and smooth, and put on the second grommet and installed.

Again, it leaked.   

Emptied the tank, took off the new grommet and filled the groove that goes into the tank with Permatex black RTV sealant, and the inside of the grommet with Permatex Black RTV sealant as well.   Reinserted and waited about 48 hours for it to fully cure, and then filled the tank.   No leak...been good now for over two years.    In my case im pretty sure the leak wasn't on the filler tube, but, instead was between the tank and the Grommet.   

Apparently they just don't make either the new tank or the grommet like they used too.   If i had to do it over again, instead of Black RTV Sealant, i would use the Permatex "The RIght Stuff"   when cured that stuff seals anything.    Also, since its safe to use on the engine around the Intake gasket i have to believe that once cured its impervious to oil or gas.   

[headejm]

I vote B side in tank. 

[JH27N0B]

I replaced my '71's fuel tank not long after I bought the car and found the tank was going bad.  Got it all buttoned up, and after filling it up it was leaking at the grommet.  I put a pan under the leak and pondered what to do about it.  I was in no mood to take everything apart again, so for a while drove it being careful to not fill up much more than 1/2 tank.  A month or so went by and I filled it up, no leak!  I don't know what happened, maybe the rubber swelled up a bit with time and solved the issue?

[dodj]

I replaced my '71's fuel tank not long after I bought the car and found the tank was going bad.  Got it all buttoned up, and after filling it up it was leaking at the grommet.  I put a pan under the leak and pondered what to do about it.  I was in no mood to take everything apart again, so for a while drove it being careful to not fill up much more than 1/2 tank.  A month or so went by and I filled it up, no leak!  I don't know what happened, maybe the rubber swelled up a bit with time and solved the issue?

Ignoring it and waiting for it to go away has never worked for me....

[JH27N0B]

Might have been a first for me too.  But I'd imposed on a friend with a auto shop to use his lift after hours to replace the tank and lines, and we'd ended up there working on it until the wee hours of the morning, so I wasn't feeling like I was in any place to call on him for another favor, plus it was the middle of a hot summer, so that crisis got pushed down a number of spots on my triage list.  So it waited for attention, and in the meantime either the gasoline exposure made the grommet swell a little, or the vibrations from driving the car seated it, or a combination of both, resulting in it stopping leaking and crisis solved!
I've read a number of threads in several forums on this problem in recent times, was it always a problem or did the quality of these grommets get worse?  I doubt many were leaking back in the day on new cars after a hung over UAW worker installed them on the line, so it shouldn't be that common a problem if the part was good?

[RUNCHARGER]

Nope: I've worked on these cars for close to 50 years now and the first time I replaced a fuel tank grommet was in 2000 on my 71 Hemi Charger. Previous to that I would clean up the old ones and reuse them.

[Brads70]

When helping my buddy Mike with his 71 Cuda, we found out the hard way there apparently is 2 sizes of those grommets , as the first one was loose and leaked. Not fun dropping the tank again  for that.  Got the second one from Roseville and it worked fine. 

[Floyd]

Checked my 71.  Still the original tank to the best of my knowledge.  Side "B" out.  Now I have to decide whether or not to leave the one I just installed (with side "A" out) or leave it be.  I'm probably going to leave it be since there's a good chance I'll damage something during the swap.  I installed one in another car about 7 years ago with side "A" out and no leakage to date. 

[headejm]

Looking at the DMT website today and saw this.

[Jay Bee]

I'm going with SIDE A in the tank.

I'm officially changing my mind - SIDE B in the tank. I also got around to asking the guy that took my tank out and he said he's not 100% sure BUT he believes side B was in the tank.

[dodj]

Maybe it's one of those things that got installed either way depending on who was on 'gas tank' that day?