My plan for the day was to get my faulty fuel pump changed out. This was an external unit on a 99 F4 so it was quick and easy to replace. I got up this morning and took the old one off and turned the petcock to the off position. I left for work and got the new pump on the way home. When i pulled in i noticed a puddle of gas on the ground. Turns out the petcock was dripping just enough that i didnt notice before i left. My almost brand new rear michelin road 2 tire sat in a puddle of gas for about 8 hours. Needless to say i have a about a 3" diameter patch of rubber that the gas clearly reacted with. After cleaning it off the rubber felt softer than the rest and was nearly flat like the ground it was in contact with.

I guess my point is do not let gas come in contact with your very expensive rubber. I never thought it was eat away the rubber like it did. I knew that it could hurt the rubber, but didnt think it would be as bad as it was. This ruined my day to say the least and i feel a little better now that i have told someone about it.

Ill try to post a picture soon.

 

Wow, that's crazy. Sorry about your tire and thanks for the heads up; good info to know.

 

No doubt.

 

Yeah that totally sucks. I've seen rubber absorb lacquer thinner before and swell to nearly twice its original size (respirators) I never thought about gas on a tire though.....