Went away for 10 days and my Monte was parked in the garage. It has been plagued by a gas smell ever since I installed the new tank last year. I decided to plug all of the vent hoses coming from the tank that go to the emission unit behind the back seat before I left for vacation.

I bought a vented cap from GM but came to find out it doesn't fit my '71 EEC tank. So I left the non-vented cap loose. When I returned yesterday, the stink of gas was unbearable.

I aired out the garage and put the non-vented cap on tight, now the tank is completely sealed off, this morning it was unbearable again.

Today I dropped the tank down thinking (hoping) it was the rubber seal on the top where the sending unit goes in. It Seemed OK :confused: but the rubber was dry and brittle. I replaced the large o-ring.

SO now I am left with a tank that has no venting at all. I know I need something to keep the tank from collapsing.

I was thinking of hooking up the old charcoal canister line that still runs the frame rails to one of the vent nipples on the top of the tank instead of the EEC unit behind the back seat.

Is this going to be sufficient?

Could the braided line in my system be stinking up the place?

I need to dig up a charcoal canister, don't have one on hand.

Any Suggestions?

Not to thread jack here, but what is this about tanks collapsing? I can't find a way to vent my tank but it builds pressure, sometimes to the point where it pushes gas through the jets and I have to pull over and slowly take the cap off the tank..
I really haven't been able to think up a slick way to vent my tank either..

matt

Tom,

My guess is that the rubber in your braided line has gotten porous and that is the source of the smell. It is odd that you didn't notice it until you swapped the tank. Any chance you have a loose fiting that is slowly seeping fuel (maybe not enough to puddle, but enough to stink)? I wish I had used 1/2" aluminum tubing on mine rather than braided line. Not only would it have been cheaper but it would be much easier to inspect. I'm not sure how you know when it's time to replace braided line. Maybe when it starts smelling bad? I've heard some people say to replace it every two years. not at that price, thank you!

Thanks Ken,

I got the smell with all new lines from day one. No leaks in any fittings, been over those at least 6 times. Very Frustrating....My wife says no car in garage with that stink, it gets in the house. I don't blame her it really stinks.

Gotta solve this. I still need a vent line though.

My guess is the braided. While it won't physically leak, even fresh braided will allow a little gas smell through it. It's the nature of the beast, as it were.

Run as much hardline as possible, which will at least minimize the stink.

The other option is to go to gas-specific push-lock type hose; I've found it doesn't smell at all. Unfortunately it doesn't look as nice as braided stuff.

Troy

i have a jazz fuel cell in mine. the smell in the garage finally went away after a year, but the inside of the car is horrable after a day of sitting. i still think its the plastic walls in the cell venting the fumes. if i ever replace it i will be a metal cell next time. Dave

If you have braided line from the tank to the engine, that's probably the problem. Braided line will "sweat", not enough to see a fluid leak, but enough to emit the fumes. The manufacturer will tell you this if you ask.

Originally posted by MarkM:
If you have braided line from the tank to the engine, that's probably the problem. Braided line will "sweat", not enough to see a fluid leak, but enough to emit the fumes. The manufacturer will tell you this if you ask. Thanks for the Reply Mark..

Well That "Stinks" Looks like I need to either deal with it...or ventilate my garage with a fan system or install hard line, hard line is no easy chore with my Street Car.

Tom,

Try contacting a local instrumentation supplier (ie a Swagelok or Parker Hannifan distributor - check for these in the phone book). They will typically sell "soft" annealed SS tubing in coils. This type of tubing is very soft and works well in this application. Down here we sell it to the refineries for instrumentation. We also carry fully annealed tubing in 20' lengths that can be bent with a tubing bender, but the soft coils are great. Also, for braided tubing or rubber fuel - try to get it in Viton rubber, Viton has much higher chemical resistance than Buna rubber, also, make sure the rubber tubing you use is not EPDM - EPDM is not compatible with hydrocarbons. If you get stuck, let me know, I could get you a price on the SS coils. May be expensive for one person, but a couple / few guys could split up a coil to make it more palletable.

Joe

Thanks Joe...

First off I am going to try the garage fan ventilation system. It worked well for Scott B. he had the exact same thing happen when he went to braided line.

I have about 50 feet of braided line in my car when you add in the supply and return lines.

I usually keep the car in my detached garage, but the '69 is taking up residence there now for the next "few" years.

Tom, I'm experiencing the exact same problem graemlins/angry.gif

I replaced the stock pick-up tube and fuel line with larger diameter ones this winter and ever since I've had strong gas fumes in the garage after the car sits over night. I've plugged the vent line, plastic wrapped the fill neck, plastic wrapped the carb, etc.. in an attempt to find the source. I pressure tested the line from the fuel pump to pick-up connection and also pressure tested the pick-up/tank assembly. :confused:

The only thing I found was the gas cap was leaking slightly which was fixed by a new cap.

I'm using -8 braided line from the pick-up connection to a fuel filter in the frame rail, a short (36" or so long) SS 1/2" hard line and then another run of -8 braided line to the fuel pump.

I always thought that the smell was strongest near the braided line but discounted it as I thought there was no way that fumes could seep through the hose wall! I assumed that there must be a leak at one of the hose end connections that was wicking the fuel along the SS braid. I even disassembled two seperate connections to make sure that the hose under the braid wasn't rolled or folded, all looked OK. I've never heard of braided hose seeping fumes before but that would explain whats happening, how disappointing! :mad:

Troy and Mark M, did changing hose type fix the problems that you have heard of?

Jeff

maybe its just from the bowl vents in the carb?

Run 1/2" Aluminum line like I did. No smell and it's easy to work with. You can flare it and make nice connections without much hose.

What a Pain in the A$$ graemlins/angry.gif

You think you do it right and it stabs you in the back.

Thanks for the information everybody..

Brian, I tried that when we went on vacation earlier this summer. I took a large ziplock bag, poked a hole in it just large enough for the carb stud to pass through and put it over the carb. I then installed the air cleaner and tightened it down to seal the bag at the air horn flange, fumes.. fumes.. fumes..

Its just really disapointing to buy a product that is considered to be one of the highest quality "fuel" lines on the market and it emit fuel vapors graemlins/angry.gif Maybe I should have done more research before I spent my money!

Jeff

Tom......not having the car home for so long makes me MISS the smell......... graemlins/beers.gif graemlins/beers.gif Man I wish I could go down stairs and clean my car right now.... graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Originally posted by Jeff65SS:

Its just really disapointing to buy a product that is considered to be one of the highest quality "fuel" lines on the market and it emit fuel vapors graemlins/angry.gif Maybe I should have done more research before I spent my money!

Jeff Very well said Jeff.

Originally posted by blaauboer:
Tom......not having the car home for so long makes me MISS the smell......... graemlins/beers.gif graemlins/beers.gif Man I wish I could go down stairs and clean my car right now.... graemlins/thumbsup.gif If it will make you feel better, you can come over and clean mine. I have a very large quantity of Hoosier Rubber on the lower 1/4 panel mouldings. :cool:

Never heard of it, and I don't smell it. My car has been garage kept ever since I've owned it and i've never had a problem with gas fumes.

some noses are better than others, after working in garages and bodyshops for 18years my nose doesn't pick up what my wife's does. I'm glad this was discussed, I'll run hard line as much as possible on my projects now, I don't have enough brain cells to lose anymore. graemlins/clonk.gif

What about the exhaust? I noticed my garage will stink of race gas for a few days after parking the car. I just figured it was from the carbon in the pipes.