CheeseHelmet
Member
I personally don't have this problem...yet...but great read.
I had been chasing a P0300 for a few months, and was starting to think it was fuel filter/pump/sending unit related...but i never had any gas smell inside the car, and only outside when the missing started when idling (it ended up being a bad coil, despite numerous 'tests' that it checked out fine with). Anyway though, i looked at the infamous top of this stuff...and the screws are so corroded and rusted that it felt as if i could simply pick them off with my finger...but everything is perfectly dry. i'm not one to usually fix things before they are broken, but considering the rust under there is something that will only get worse...i'd love to do something about it so that when i finally do start leaking gas, its a quick job to fix.
so those of you with rusted screw heads...I've read all the posts in this thread, and am a little confused. I can get access to an impact driver, or 'grab it' screw extractor relatively easy. My questions are more for those that ended up having to chisel or drill out the screw heads (as i'm fairly certain thats what i'll be faced with). You say the studs do not extend into the actual tank? Like i said, it seemed as if i could let my finger nail grow for a sick ass month, and just pop the heads off with that, leaving a stud underneath. Was it easy to grab the studs with vice grips or something to back it out? And is there no threat of dropping the studs into the exposed tank after the assembly is removed?
I've got a laundry list of stuff to do to the car over the winter (it doesn't get driven much then anyway), so i'll try the pb blaster daily routine for a week or so...and try the normal way, just trying to get a heads up on what to do if that doesn't work...as again, i'm pretty sure it won't be that easy as simply using an impact driver. honestly i can't see how those screws are even holding it in place currently...
To get those screws out, I'd recommend the method I used (with a bit of modification). For a week before you do it, every day or two spray the screws with PB blaster, brush away any loose rust, and tap the heads of the screws with a hammer and a #2 philips.
Then I'd just use a grab-it screw extractor to remove them all. If you come across one that's really bad, chisel the head off and remove the rest of it with a pair of vice grips (you'll have about 5-6mm to grab onto). Inside the tank the threads should still be in decent shape, you shouldn't need to do any drilling.