Any advice? Are there national databases or a network of junkyards? Is it crazy to think of finding a junker many states away and having it shipped up here? (New England) Can we drop the tank and weld a patch on? Drop the tank and have another (custom!) made? Leave it be? (Will this cause me to fail emissions?)
Have you SEEN the hole or is it speculation? Holes in the tank proper are usually signs of a much larger problem that might not be conducive to a patch. If one of the tube leading to/from the tank is leaking or the seal for the pump is leaking, that is a different matter entirely.
If it was MY truck, I would drop the tank and assess the extent of the hole. If it was a small rust hole that did not extend to other areas, I would cut out a slightly oversized patch, rough up the tank and patch, clean them and then JB Weld (epoxy impervious to gasoline) it over the leaking area.
Please do not try to weld a gas tank, about every year and a half we hear about that on the news here. Some poor guy tries to weld an empty gas tank and the fumes blow up, always painful burns, sometimes fatal. Like Mike says a new tank is not that expensive. JB weld that Twin Turbo could work on a small hole that is cleaned up to give the epoxy something to stick to.
FWIW, I’ve welded gas tanks before, unless you have a death wish, you fill them with water first. But these were vintage tanks that are virtually irreplaceable not for daily drivers…
Your mechanic isn’t trying hard enough. S10s are popular with hot rodders. They’re out there. You’ll just have to dig a little bit. As an alternative, you could always get an aftermarket fuel cell, and adapt it to your truck.
It’s a little harder to find a tank for a 2004 S10 than the earlier generations. All the ones that come up on google actually stop at the 2001 model year. Car-Part.com which is a network of salvage yards only lists a couple of these and in Wisconsin and Michigan (you would contact the yard directly and arrange payment and shipping for the tank) Otherwise check around for a company that can repair yours.Gm Parts Direct lists one for around $480 not including shipping… http://car-part.com/
The hole may allow condensation or moisture into the tanks, so you can patch one hole as posted above, but can probably expect more holes. I would go with a new as suggested by OlyDoug . In a pinch you can rub bar soap across the hole as a temporary fix.
Are you sure it is not leaking out of the hose or fuel pump or filler neck gasket ? I had a small leak on my 59 thunderbird tank due to a small crack on top… I had a shop remove the tank ( near empty ) weld it and no more leaks, plus they cleaned it out and did a reseal as the tank had no other visible rust… Cost 175.00 which was well worth it. I could of bought a new repro tank for 500.00 off a T-Bird restoration site …Strange…I could get a new tank for a 59 and none available for your vehicle…GRRRR ! Just had to bring a few gallons of gas when I picked it up. 9 mpg…with a (1964 ) 335hp 4BBL 390 V-8 427 ft lbs of torque in a 4000lbs car to get fuel at the nearest gas station. Carb / hoses were rebuilt /replaced for 10% ethanol premium. ( 10.5 compression ratio ) 93 octane just makes it without knocking unlesss your at WOT to race someone…back then you could get 95 - 100 octane.
Don’t know why but there appears to be a problem with the 04. 01 and older no problem for about $150. I guess I would be trying a local auto parts house more for pros like NAPA or others that would have access to ordering one.
It is the crew cab. I’ve seen a couple sites have them but they’re $400 to $500 more than all the other s10 tanks. I was just curious if someone found a better option. I’m probably just going to buy a tank and filler neck from an 03 and change it all. I think the only difference is the 04 didnt have the filler neck vent tube.