'00 SS Fuel Tank Question

**blue_rose2001** · 11-12-2007, 07:57 AM

Hello everyone,
I have a 2000 SS Camaro that is a work in progress. It took a while to get some paint on it and it set up for about 3 months. I had a battery put on it in Aug. 05 and basically we would crank it every now and then, but eventually it went bad. Sooo the last time we went to crank it, it wouldn't even with a Jumpstart or by charging the battery. So we decided it was a fuel issue. We found that it wasn't relays, the power was getting back to the fuel pump, but when we turned car on with the fuel filter removed, no gas was flowing. So I bought an OEM fuel pump to replace it, and we also think for some reason the computer may be bad, but we are trying the pump first.

Well yesterday we dropped the tank and while emptying it, I noticed some red rust colored gunk floating in the gas. My dad took a paper towel to wipe the tank out and see what it was and it is a very sticky gel like substance. Did someone put something in my tank do you think? It is so sticky that he thinks we need to replace the tank because cleaning it would be very difficult (This is the plastic tank so it isn't rust or anything). So I have been looking around for a tank and just can't find any online. (Smelled awful!)

So my questions are-
1. What do you think is in the tank that is sticky, reddish in color. reminds me of syrup. (It was dark when we got done so I didn't inspect the old pump.

2. Should I clean the tank and if so, then how/with what.

3. On a side note, since we have the rear end dropped, what shocks would you put on it? It has 46,000 miles on it and we might as well do it now- saw a little grease leaking from one it seemed like- or something. We haven't driven it far enough to know what it rides like.

Car is going to be driven occasionally. Hope to enter a small local car show, and I would rather have a smooth ride than a racing stiff suspension one.

**GatorSS** · 07-23-2015, 03:43 PM

I can't believe that nobody has replied to this thread. With all the members here, I find that extremely hard to believe. Well, I will reply. Why? Because I'm facing that exact problem now with the gel in the fuel tank. I'm not talking a little bit of gel, but a bunch! It's like the fuel tanked has gelled inside as if it has been slowly deteriorating. It is awful.

The only reason this has been spotted is because my fuel pump started whining loud and not providing sufficient fuel pressure. I bought a new fuel pump module and after removing the tank and upon removing the fuel pump module, we discovered this gelatinous mess!

So, it's time for a replacement fuel tank. Interestingly, I have the same kind of car as above, a 2000 Camaro SS M6 with the same Light Pewter Metallic paint. My car currently has a little more than 185k miles on it (all mine, since I bought it new in 2000). Has anyone seen the price for a new replacement plastic tank for this car? I was quoted $1k today for it and a week for delivery, unless I want to pay an extra $300 to have it in about 36 hours (weekdays only). Unless I can find a better deal, this problem will wind up costing me about $2.5k.

Anyone else have this problem? I will get to the bottom of it and find out exactly what the gel is and what caused it and how. I just thought there would be at least a few threads on this site about this problem that could givve e a head start.

**KahanaReef** · 07-23-2015, 08:28 PM

I'm interested to know what is causing it and if it's something we can all expect to happen at some point down the road. Or if some commonly used fuel additive might be the culprit. I had no idea new tanks were that expensive either. I wonder what the going rate at a junk yard is.

**pajeff02** · 07-24-2015, 03:16 AM

Not a clue - but sounds like really old gas. I use TC-W3 in our car on a regular basis and she gets Stabil in the tank for the winter down months. Other than that, I usually run a bottle of Chevron Techron Fuel System Cleaner through a car when I first acquire it. No reason the tank cannot be removed and cleaned with a mild solvent.

**98TransAmWs-6** · 07-25-2015, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

No reason the tank cannot be removed and cleaned with a mild solvent.

This is what I would do and it is what I am doing when I switch to running e85 on my car.

**DarrenWS6** · 07-25-2015, 07:35 PM

I have never heard of such an issue before, this is a weird one. My guess would be the bad ethanol and perhaps a reaction to the plastic tanks. Cheap gasoline perhaps, not really sure. Once resolved I would run some Techron or Amsoil or some fuel system cleaner to hopefully assure the lines are clean. But if they weren't you would probably have a bad injector by now.

***SMWS6TA*** · 07-27-2015, 01:13 PM

Only things I know that would jell up gasoline are powder soap and/or Styrofoam. But these "additives" make something that was used over the jungles of Vietnam war if you know what I mean....

Maybe someone is screwing with your car? Like pouring something in your tank.

**0rion** · 07-28-2015, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by GatorSS

I can't believe that nobody has replied to this thread. With all the members here, I find that extremely hard to believe. Well, I will reply. Why? Because I'm facing that exact problem now with the gel in the fuel tank. I'm not talking a little bit of gel, but a bunch! It's like the fuel tanked has gelled inside as if it has been slowly deteriorating. It is awful.

The only reason this has been spotted is because my fuel pump started whining loud and not providing sufficient fuel pressure. I bought a new fuel pump module and after removing the tank and upon removing the fuel pump module, we discovered this gelatinous mess!

So, it's time for a replacement fuel tank. Interestingly, I have the same kind of car as above, a 2000 Camaro SS M6 with the same Light Pewter Metallic paint. My car currently has a little more than 185k miles on it (all mine, since I bought it new in 2000). Has anyone seen the price for a new replacement plastic tank for this car? I was quoted $1k today for it and a week for delivery, unless I want to pay an extra $300 to have it in about 36 hours (weekdays only). Unless I can find a better deal, this problem will wind up costing me about $2.5k.

Anyone else have this problem? I will get to the bottom of it and find out exactly what the gel is and what caused it and how. I just thought there would be at least a few threads on this site about this problem that could givve e a head start.

did your car sit for an extended period of time? Sounds like old gas to me. I wouldn't buy a new tank though. I would clean the shit out of the one you have. Spray it all down with purple power and let it sit then power wash it.