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After parking my 76 vette in the garage following a drive around town it reeks of gas fumes. I have checked the gas line from the back to the front and have found nothing. There is also no sign of gas on the floor of the garage. The fuel pump is dry and the fuel filter connection at the carb is also leak-free. I am at a loss here. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
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Re: Gas Fumes! HELP
You probably have to drive the car to get it warm/hot again. After stopping, remove the air cleaner and look down through the bores of the carb, there you will possibly see raw fuel dripping from the venturi's or a very fine mist. This mist is fuel dripping or leaking and running down onto the hot intake manifold and evaporating (hence the fumes). At this point I would recommend that you have the carb overhauled. Because what you possibly have then is an improperly adjusted float or a stuck open needle and seat. Either way the carb will have to be rebuilt. -
Re: Gas Fumes! HELP
Also you might want to check the fuel tank vent system, in 76 the fuel vapors were routed to a fuel vapor canister which you will find positioned below the master cylinder area. It will have a single line to it and possibly one or two rubber hoses that exit it and go to the carb. If you have a shop manual it will direct you on how to check this system. They call this the ECS system also known as the Evaporative Control System.Comment
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Re: Gas Fumes! HELP
In addition to the good advice given by Zachary, have another very close look at the left side of the gas tank area, more or less above the drivers side muffler. The evaporative control system tubing has a few junctions in that area, and are prone to leak. An additional clue is that the car will tend to fume more on a full tank than on a half tank.
Mike
NCRS Quebec chapterComment
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Re: Gas Fumes! HELP
The service manual will show you an overall view of the places where connections from steel lines to rubber hose and back to steel lines are within the ESC system. (From tank to carb) If you don't have access to this information, e-mail me and I will copy it for you and send it to you. Everything is in Section 8 Fuel tanks and exhaust of the service manual.Comment
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Re: Gas Fumes! HELP
Jeff,
I'll add my $.02 here. Not sure on a '76, but on my '69 I had the same problem last month. Strong gas fumes when I parked in the garage (which has the house water heater and an ignition source - not a good combination). It took me a while since there were no puddles underneath or on the intake. My problem turned out to be the hose connection from the frame to the bottom of the inline fuel filter at the fuel filter end, just enough to trickle down the hose, but not enough to drop on the floor.
DonComment
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Re: Gas Fumes! HELP
Hope you don't have a gas hot water heater in your garage! I don't know what year bladders were installed in gas tanks, but you could have a hole caused by rust and the fuel could be leaking on top of the spare tire carrier and evavorating before it can reach the floor of the garage. If your tank was pretty full upon your return to your garage the cork gasket that seals the filler neck to the gas tank could be leaking fuel out the top. This is easy to inspect by removing your gas lid and the rubber seal around the filler neck.Comment
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Re: Gas Fumes! HELP
Hello guys, this could be a real problem. But lets check things out one at a time. Ok I'll tell you right now for a fact...... 1976 did have a bladder in the fuel tank, as for 74 and 75, well I' ll ask for help there.. In about that time GM was sued big time from what I remember, a few accidents, where rear end accidents caused explosions and possible death from the tanks erupting. They, then came out with the bladder in the fuel tank, this may have been used as early as 74 / 75. I know that 76 did have a fuel tank bladder as I own one. Also I hate to mention this in the same column but, FORD, with Pinto and Mustang also were sued very heavily with rear end accidents. They had recalls on rear bumpers, because they collapsed and the fuel tank was ruptured, causing death. Also previous posts will be correct with overfilled fuel tanks causing fuel vapors. A warning though, removing or plugging the ECS, or a few years later known as the ECC system, will defintely cause fuel vapors to build up because the tank is not properly vented.Comment
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