Moved a couple of years ago and my 2001 has been doing a lot of sitting, mainly because I was getting a clunk and the shop I usually go to quoted me a sum of money that I wasn't prepared to pay at the time. It's been long enough that I can't recall the exact issue....control arms maybe? I remember looking at videos and there was a lot about bushings and bushing presses.

Anyways, I went to move the truck and gas started spilling out from under the back. I assume it's the connection from the gas line to the tank on the top of the gas tank. I've watched the videos on dropping the tank and working on that issue.

Other than those issues, it was in great working order. Interior was pretty nice. Less than 200k on the motor. There's a bit of rust underneath but I think it's manageable. With warm weather around the corner, more free time and money, I'm ready to get this thing rolling again.

I guess I'm just looking for advice to get started. Step 1 is fixing the fuel leak. I see replacement gas tanks in the 300 dollar range? Are those a good idea? I figure I might as well replace the fuel pump and the rest of the stuff attached to it while I'm at it.

And while the fuel tank is out, I think I'll try to mitigate any rust issues. Any advice or links to tutorials on that project? Wire brushes and spray/sealants? I'm handy enough but my abilities top at doing any welding.

Any other things to look out for or general advice would be appreciated. Not a ton of miles on, mostly good condition...so it would be cool to have it still on the road 10 years from now.

Find your fuel leak and go from there. I'm dropping my tank this spring also as I need to change the fuel pump. If that tank seems solid it's going back in the truck. I'll probably hit the exterior with some rust inhibitor and paint as it may buy some time (no guarantee, but I'm cheap). Bottom line, it's your money.

Very good idea to check out for rust while the tank is out. I am working on a 1998 4 runner frame in the gas tank area now.. The idea is to get steel coated and sealed before rusting.. The boxed frames love to rust from the inside out. So keeping the frame clean inside and out will help keep the oxidation down. Rust convertors help but the main thing is to keep the steel sealed off from oxygen. This is what paint and the coatings do. Rust inhibiting solutions are your best bet to keep the steel from rotting away.

I just went through this process and documented everything here: Gas Tank Replacement Journey

Dude, amazing! Thank you so much! Extremely useful