[Shakeman]

I'm in the middle of this job and I'm stuck. How do you easily remove the two small vent pipes shown in the photo and drawing p/n 30? They are fed through the frame and protected by a plastic sleeve (drawing p/n 32). I can remove the plastic sleeve but I can not see or feel where the vent lines go. And secondly, I'm having a hell of a time removing the filler neck from the fuel tank hose. Is there a knack to get that free?

Edit: Never mind. I figured everything out. I just needed to step away from the job for a while -- to be read, a few beers were consumed

To remove the large corroded filler pipe from the hose feeding the fuel tank a lot of WD-40 was sprayed around the corroded connection and then allowed to penetrate for at least 10 minutes. Afterwards the filler pipe was slowly worked back-&-forth to loosen the corrosion. Then more WD-40 was applied to free the pipe from the hose. After the large filler pipe was removed the connections for the two smaller vent pipes can be seen. To easily access the vent pipe connections, two evaporation canister hoses (drawing p/n 34 and 36) were disconnected and moved out of the way. Again, WD-40 was sprayed on the two badly corroded vent pipe connections and allowed to penetrate for at least 10 minutes. Pliers were used to carefully peel away the corroded hose clamps. Note: Much care should be used when using pliers to not damage the hose ends. Go easy. More WD-40 was then applied while working loose the corroded vent pipes from the hoses. I found removing these two vent connections to be a real pain -- more of a pain than drilling out the three screws on the topside! Note: Before attaching the new filler neck and vent tubes the inside and outside of the fuel tank hose and vent hoses were thoroughly cleaned with WD-40, a clean rag and Q-tips.

Total repair time, including beers, 3 hours.

Fuel Filler Neck Assembly: New, Spectra Premium Industries FN664 Filler Neck Assembly, which includes screws and plates. Drawing P/Ns 2, 7, 9, 12, 24, 30. eBay $75.

Sensor and Self locking Nuts: New, drawing P/N 16 and legend 3, purchased at local Subaru Dealership, Subaru Sensor P/N 42084AE100. Ask them for the nuts. Cost $60.

2 ft. of 5/8in. hose, 1.5 ft. of 1/4in. hose, and clamps: New, from Advance Auto, $10

 

[johnpaulm1208]

The "Shut Valve" on mine was nearly rusted-away completely. I found however that the "guts" which are made of plastic still worked perfectly. After carefully liberating the plastic module from the rusty hulk, I dressed up the thick base plate with assorted files, rasps, chisels, and whatnot. Then I scrounged up a plastic, barbed tee fitting of the appropriate size, cut two ends off, dressed them square, and super-glued them to the nylon module. Then, over the course of a day, I worked up a few batches of JB Weld and gooped it around the base of the module attaching it to the plate. Also liberally around the bases of the two barbed fittings, and finally all over the sides and top. Sort of like frosting a tiny cake. You'll need to carefully center the module's spring-plunger over the actuator built into the base plate so that it operates smoothly. hold it steady with a rubber band or a little clamp. I guess you could use super glue sparingly. You don't want to get it on the moving parts. There is a little rubber gasket on the module's base that I re-used. You could probably get away without it.

I'm no expert, but based on what I've gleaned from these threads and attached documents, the shut or valve closed condition is not very important. However the valve open function is important since it is the primary path for gas fumes to get from the fuel tank to the canister during normal vehicle operation, or turned-off-but-not-refueling time. I've read that people simply splice the two hoses together and it's fine.

hey man what ever works for you. I just ended up buying the whole unit from a part out. I didn't want to mess to much with the valve.

I'm in the middle of this job and I'm stuck. How do you easily remove the two pieces of filler pipe assembly shown in the pix? They are fed through the frame and protected by a plastic sleeve. I can remove the sleeve but I can not see or feel where the lines go. And secondly, I'm having a hell of a time removing the end of the filler neck from the fuel tank hose. Is there a knack to get that free?

Edit: Never mind. I figured everything out. I just needed to step away from the job for a while -- to be read a few beers were consumed

To remove the large corroded filler pipe from the hose feeding the fuel tank I sprayed a lot of WD-40 around the corrosion and allowed it to penetrate for at least 10 minutes. Afterwards the filler pipe was slowly worked back-n-forth to loosen the corroded connection, then more WD-40 was applied to free the connection. After the large filler pipe was removed the connections for the two smaller vent pipes, that are fed through the frame (see pix), can be scene. In order to get my hands on these connections I had to disconnect two hoses from the evaporation canister and move them out of the way. Again, I sprayed WD-40 on the two badly corroded vent pipe connections and let it penetrate for at least 10 minutes. Then pliers were used to gently remove the corroded hose clamps. More WD-40 was then applied while working loose the corroded connections. Much care should be used when using pliers as not to damage the hose ends. Go easy. I found removing these two hose connections to be a real pain -- more than drilling out the three screws on the topside!

Sorry i couldn't get back to you sooner. Getting to the pipe sometimes requires removing a few of those hoses and working the pipe a bit. PB Blaster worked wonders for me too.

My hose connections weren't that bad! Lucky they didn't snap off! I really hated those three screws on top though. That's what really took me awhile to do.

Dont forget to clean inside the plastic cover on a yearly basis everyone!

 

[NYCForesterS4Sale]

Same problem

I m having the same problem with my 01. I started to do some work to the car but had to stop since coming to the NJ area. Now I have no driveway any more to use and am in search of a decent mechanic that knows Subarus out here. Total bummer since the ride is parked up.

Luckily this forum helped me identify what the issue was that was throwing he cel code.:icon_frown:

 

[Shakeman]

The "Shut Valve" on mine was nearly rusted-away completely. I found however that the "guts" which are made of plastic still worked perfectly. After carefully liberating the plastic module from the rusty hulk, I dressed up the thick base plate with assorted files, rasps, chisels, and whatnot. Then I scrounged up a plastic, barbed tee fitting of the appropriate size, cut two ends off, dressed them square, and super-glued them to the nylon module. Then, over the course of a day, I worked up a few batches of JB Weld and gooped it around the base of the module attaching it to the plate. Also liberally around the bases of the two barbed fittings, and finally all over the sides and top. Sort of like frosting a tiny cake. You'll need to carefully center the module's spring-plunger over the actuator built into the base plate so that it operates smoothly. hold it steady with a rubber band or a little clamp. I guess you could use super glue sparingly. You don't want to get it on the moving parts. There is a little rubber gasket on the module's base that I re-used. You could probably get away without it.

I'm no expert, but based on what I've gleaned from these threads and attached documents, the shut or valve closed condition is not very important. However the valve open function is important since it is the primary path for gas fumes to get from the fuel tank to the canister during normal vehicle operation, or turned-off-but-not-refueling time. I've read that people simply splice the two hoses together and it's fine.

Thanks for the great information on your little rebuild. I thought about doing such but I didn't have enough time. That little rubber gasket is important and probably could have been refreshed with a vitron o-ring. Let us know how your plastic barbed fittings hold up against the gasoline.

 

[Dentinmyestate]

rusty neck

I have the same problem on my 1998 Forester but I cannot find a suitable replacement part on eBay listed, there are a number listed for Impreza's though they look the same but are they?

Any clues if Subaru use the same part for both cars.

Many thanks for the advice in advance.

 

[johnpaulm1208]

Try looking on the classifieds here for someone parting out. I would start with people within your model range.

If you have no luck then check the Subaru part numbers for the impreza and forester pipes to see if they're the same

 

[Dentinmyestate]

Thanks I have bought one for an Impreza as they have the same part number but for one letter.:crazy:

I will let you know how it goes

 

[xyphur]

Well, the fuel filler neck on my '01 has just rusted thru. I've had the small evap leak CEL code for quite some time, but knew what it was, and that it wasn't critical and just kept clearing it every time it came up. It was actually to the point that I've done it while driving down the highway, haha.

Anyway, went to put fuel in the ol' girl earlier tonite at a place I don't usually go, and to my surprise right after I started I hear splashing next to my feet. The stupid fuel nozzle had a different bend angle and the tip I guess doesn't end up where the ones I normally use do in the filler neck, and I managed to pump about 2L onto the ground. Oh well. Been a long time coming, knew it had to happen sooner or later. Time to order the parts...

FWIW, I'll be Rhino Lining the entire assembly, and wire brushing & rust converting all the hard lines on the body as well to prevent this from happening in the future. New rubber lines everywhere, and stainless hardware (clamps, screws, etc) too.

I agree with what someone said earlier, this kind of part should be required to be made from stainless steel. One can only hope Subaru learned a lesson from this apparently well-known issue and fixed it on later model years...

 

[Dentinmyestate]

Well my pipe was changed successfully with the part from the Impreza it was exactly the same for the Forester.

I used this site to do a comparison of the part numbers http://opposedforces.com/parts/forester/

I also ordered the vent pipe as this was also rotten, this came new from Subaru as well as the fixing nuts. I also have about 10 spare pipe clamps if ever there is a rush on :catfight:

 

[Vik_987]

Mechanic in Ottawa

Does anybody know mechanic in Ottawa (or around Ottawa) who charges reasonable fee for replacement of fuel neck filler 01 Forester? guys from the service next to my office told me that it requires removal of fuel tank and they gonna charge for 8 (!) hours of labor @ $85 + parts :mob:

Or may be you know somebody who can repair it?

Thank you!

 

[xyphur]

Does anybody know mechanic in Ottawa (or around Ottawa) who charges reasonable fee for replacement of fuel neck filler 01 Forester? guys from the service next to my office told me that it requires removal of fuel tank and they gonna charge for 8 (!) hours of labor @ $85 + parts :mob:

Or may be you know somebody who can repair it?

Thank you!

That's the silliest thing I've ever heard... Multiple people on here have done it themselves, myself included, without dropping the tank, and the guys you describe want to drop the tank AND shaft you for 8 hrs of labor on top of the cost of the parts?! Assuming the pipe and valve cost you $180 together, that's roughly $860 total! ABSURD!!!

Please, run in the opposite direction of them as fast as you can.

If you were local, I'd tell you to order the parts and come by with them and $80 cash, and I'd have you sorted in about an hour while you watch. I'd even provide beverages! lol

I'm sure there's gotta be someone closer by who'll pipe up and do the same for ya.

-Mark

 

[Vik_987]

Hi Mark,
You made my day! Thank you very much, I will keep looking. Those guys probably know nothing about Foresters and just made assumptions. They suggested to sell the car...

Thank you for your offer, I would be happy to accept it!

 

[hyper gear]

I hope 2004, 2005 doesnt use the same part numbers. The Fuel Filler neck is made of cheap metal, it will rust in 3 ton 4 years. Subaru should recall this?

 

[Vik_987]

I called Subaru dealership - 2.5 hours! Those guys know nothing about Forester....

 

[brendanw]

Just wanted to thank 'johnpaulm1208' for the photos and walk-through on this job. They were really helpful, and were exactly what I ran into last night when I did the job on my '98 Forester.

Here's what I bought at the dealership for $249.68 + tax

1 - 42084AE100 - $80.13
1 - 42066FA140 - $121.85
3 - 047405160 - $2.46
2 - 023705000 - $2.40
1 - 0951AE180 - $4.15
1 - 42075FA280 - $16.40
1 - 42075FA330 - $15.73
4 - 909170070 - $3.84
2 - 092313104 - $2.72
3 - 047406120 - [$3.52 at Autozone]

I needed every single one of these parts because everything was either rotted, broke during removal, or wasn't worth saving knowing that the CEL might stay on because of some $2 part. Totally worth it.

The only parts that the Subaru dealership didnt give me that I needed were the three M6 screws that hold the cover on. I found them at Autozone for around $4 though.

Tips and Findings:

- The 3 screws that hold 'saucer' in under the fuel cap are an absolute [email protected]#$% pain in the butt!! I can't emphasize this enough. I have a shop full of miscellaneous tools, and those 3 screws were by far the hardest part of the job. I finally used a grinder attachment on my pneumatic grinder to just grind the heads away and be done with them. The impact wrench with a phillips bit worked somewhat, but eventually the one screw it worked on started spinning in the filler pip flange ... ugh!!

- Figuring out the geometry of getting the old pipe out and new one in is tricky. With everything unscrewed, grab the pipe and pull it down until the filler pipe comes out of the fill port then give it a good yank. The tank-end will unseat from the rubber hose in the fury of it all. To get the new one in, lube the end of the filler pipe and install it into the rubber hose at the tank end. Push down on the pipe, then work the business end of the filler pipe up behind the fill port and into position.

- Remember to bolt the new 42084AE100 Valve Assembly onto the new Filler Pipe BEFORE you install the filler pipe. Ask me how I know this!! I had the pipe fully installed before I realized I had forgotten to bolt the valve on (5 second job) and you cant get to one of the nuts with a wrench when the pipe is installed ... ugh!

Overall the job took about 3 hours, and that's with 1 hour totally dedicated to those 3 screws on the saucer. If it wasn't for those dang screws this probably would have been a 1.5 hour job for a DIY guy.

Good luck everybody!

Brendan

Edit: Also, plan on replacing the 'saucer' with a new one. I wish I had thought to grab one from the dealer when I got the other parts. I will probably do that at some point. I hate putting a rusty piece back in. Especially when it is all marked up from the grinder!!

And for purposes of closure, this did in fact work to shut off the CEL. I had another couple of codes related to cylinder 1 and 2 misfires (0301 and 0302 I think) , but I believe those were associated with the evaporative emission plumbing coming up to pressure. All is well now!

 

[johnpaulm1208]

Glad I could help! I know it wasn't totally complete but I did exactly as pictures. And those screws are the hardest and longest part of the job!


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

 

[Shakeman]

Only replacing the filler neck and ignoring the vent lines is like brushing your teeth and not flossing afterwards ... :biggrin:

 

[johnpaulm1208]

Only replacing the filler neck and ignoring the vent lines is like brushing your teeth and not flossing afterwards ... :biggrin:

True. This was done a few years ago so I'll be going back and finishing the job once I swap my car. 😁 Changing the fuel neck was my top priority at the time since that was the part leaking and causing my CEL.



Sent from AutoGuide.com App

 

[jj63]

Hello all. I found this site while looking up how to repair fuel neck.

Everything went in so far. But I also have those two rusted vent lines on the side of the fuel neck. I want to yank the rusted lines out and replace the rubber hoses. Problem is I can't find the ends of those hoses. They go inside the frame and toward the fuel tank, but that's all I can see.

Thanks.

Jon

 

[Shakeman]

You have to get under the car and remove a few other hoses in order to the see and get at the two small vent lines. Throw some good light on the area and you'll see all.