My dad passed away last year and I inherited his truck, since it was otherwise going to sit unused.

I hesitantly got my Ranger cleaned up and ready to sell. I had shopped around for a long time looking for that specific model – 2000 with 5 speed, 4×4, and a 4.0 liter engine. Very low miles for the age and basically everything was original. I had intended to keep it around as my daily driver and as another project vehicle – as if Tallulah Beetlebug doesn’t have my TO DO list and bank account sweating hard enough…

I posted pics in Ranger For Sale Or Rent, so that I would be able to easily access them when posting on Craigs List and Marketplace.

When I listed it for sale, I was asking a lot for it, way over the KBB book value, because honestly, find another one like this for that published price. I had a ton of interest, people from up to three states away wanting to come look at it. One person actually did make it over and took it for a spin. When they got back, they thanked me and quickly left.

That evening, as I was fueling up for the trip home, I noticed fuel pouring out on the ground under the truck. When I got up under there to look, the metal fuel filler neck, which was VERY rusty, was broken, like someone was doing chin-ups with it. Fair enough, you found a fault. Thanks for mentioning that and not just running off.

So, I was able to trickle enough fuel into it to get the half tank necessary to get me home, back up the mountain. Took about 20 minutes to add 1/4 tank. That was definitely the most expensive 1/4 tank of gas I have purchased, since about 900% of it went on the ground.

I ordered a new filler neck online and purchased hoses at the local parts store.

The next weekend, I headed back to Thomasville and spent a few hours trying to drop the tank and replace the filler neck. The year before, I had a rusted brake hard line blow out and replaced it, but wasn’t able to drop the tank at that time to be able to properly tuck the new line up into the frame rail. It was wrapped in rubber hose the length of the truck, to make sure it didn’t rub against things and break the new line.

Anyway, I got the tank straps disconnected, but for whatever reason, was not able to get the tank to drop more than three or four inches. That gave me enough room to (very uncomfortably) replace the filler neck and hoses. I was still mostly working blind throughout the process, as that three or four inches was just enough to get my hands up in there, but not to be able to see anything.

I was blindly snapping pictures with my phone and then trying to get the lay of the land.

Wow, it’s more rusty under here than I remember.

Anyway, I got it changed. I may have hurt my back, my neck, my shoulder, and scraped every knuckle, but now there are shiny new parts. I took it to the gas station and it still had a leak.

[sighs]

Significantly improved, but still a leak. Maybe 10% lost now if going full blast at the pump.

So, it must be the weak hose clamps or jubilee clips or whatever you want to call them. I started shopping around and found some serious hardware at Tractor Supply.

So, yeah. Time to install the new clips.

Thanks, hillside. Tell mom’s carport I miss it.

Heading back to the gas station, it still drips, but now a much more live-withable 1% loss at full blast. Nothing dripping if you back off the pressure a little.

I think it’s just going to need the tank dropped to be able to get anything better out of it.