Smell Of Petrol

[Guest golfgtidarren]

Help needed

 

I have a rh tank with one pipe connected to carbs and the other one as a vent

 

The problem i am having is that fumes from the tank are filling my garage

 

ANY IDEAS HOW TO STOP THE WHIFF???

 

Cheers

Darren

[Guest salty_monk]

I had a loop of pipe on my spare sender pipe that came up under the boot as far as poss, looped over & back down to the bottom to vent to ground....

 

Have also seen them T'd back in to the filler kneck, venting through the cap.

 

If the smells really bad might be weeping around the sender or filler rather than just from the vent pipe.... worth a check.

 

Dan

[Longboarder]

Sounds like a petrol leak. Some tanks from RHE have leaked from new on the seams as well as needing care to get perfect seals for sender and filler.

 

Nigel

[Guest elwe]

Block up your vent pipe for a few days and see if the smell comes back.

 

If it doesn't coe back you can get a valve from the scrappy or europa/demon tweeks/rally design so the tank can suck in but can't put fumes out.

 

If it does come back you have a leak elsewhere.

[Longboarder]

Vent needs to pass air/vapour in and out. It should selectively stop liquid getting out. If it stops venting of vapour it's not working properly.

 

Nigel

[Guest Mike G]

I persevered with the original s/steel RH tank for ages, and concluded that the pong was coming from where the sender was attached to the tank. The RH arrangement was rubbish, with 4 little threaded studs brazed around the flimsy hole in the top of the tank. It didn't matter what I did to improve the seal, gaskets, goo, you name it, the smell was always there!

 

The previous owner of my Exmo obviously had the same problem, which he tried to resolve by squeezing in black goo everwhere. In my ownership, this resulted in me breaking down on an journey , which after being towed home I discovered was due to a seaweed-like substance in the bottom of the tank being sucked up the pick-up pipe and blocking it. It wasn't seaweed but the blank gunge matey had liberally used! Message: don't use substances not intended to be near petrol.

 

Finally, I junked the s/s tank and fitted a 'plastic' one from N F Auto Developments, and the smell went away! The original Sierra sender fits in the same sort of hole (but more solid), using self-tapping screws and a thick cork gasket. It's been in service for over 2 years, with no pong or leaks evident.

 

Cheers

Mike G

[Guest Guy]

Mike gave me his tank FOC a couple of years ago (thanks Mike ) I filled it with water to see how much it would hold (33 litres) and when I tipped it up to empty it I could see water pouring out from around the 4 studs that hold the sender on. I'm not surprised the previous owner couldn't seal it properly. I suspect that you could have the same problem Darren.

 

I think I'll use some fuel tank fixer putty to seal the studs when the time comes.

[Longboarder]

My SS tank has gone brittle in the heat zone along the side welds. After two repairs I'm giving up and making a mild steel one. I will put a reinforced flange around the filler and sender hole so I can seal it properly. Haven't got very far yet.

 

Nigel

[Andy Spencer]

I had the same problem for ages on my old S7. Eventually solved it (just before going to Le Mans!!) by using a small amount of Loctite Stop Leak (cures in 10 mins, great!!) around the studs, then carefully using an old pinto oil filter gasket on the sender. Rather than using large washers which (on monocoque cars like yours) seem to encourage small amounts of relative sender / tank / body movement, I made a circular ring (obviously 'hollow') out of 2mm plate (see attached file for a sketch), drilled the holes appropriately and bolted that down on top of the sender.

2000 miles until I sold it never had a whiff again.

Good luck in solving it - have you got anywhere with it yet?

 

Andy

sender_sealing_ring.doc

[Guest Andy Rathbone]

just make your own tank from 0.9mm s/s chain drill and file the hole for the sender as is in the top of the sierra tank and renew the rubber ford gasket, it seals a treat on the road 2years no leaks the filler i also copied from the ford one. they spent thousands developing it so why not use it? oh yes and 45 litres

yes thats 250 miles per tank

have fun, 0.9mm s/s sheet is a b!tch to work is tough it fights back and its razour sharp!!!

[Guest salty_monk]

Haven't got very far yet.

 

Nigel

 

That's cause you enjoy sniffing the fumes..... That's probably what gave you the extra edge at Llandow!

 

Sorted your mapping yet?

 

Dan

[Guest chris brown]

That's cause you enjoy sniffing the fumes..... That's probably what gave you the extra edge at Llandow!

 

Sorted your mapping yet?

 

Dan

I was thinking that as well Dan. Nigel as for the mapping when that’s sorted you’ll be able to lap me once in 4 laps against the 1 in 6 at the present.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Dan

That's probably what gave you the extra edge at Llandow!

 

No it was because Nigel did not keep backing off like you and Sir Chris, so he went a lot faster

[Longboarder]

Still haven't found the rev limiter off switch but when I do I will probably be straight off into the nearest tyre wall.

 

Nigel

[Guest salty_monk]

Dan

 

 

No it was because Nigel did not keep backing off like you and Sir Chris, so he went a lot faster

 

 

Bah... blah... Mine wouldn't go much faster round there, I followed Nigel quite consistently for quite a few laps. He's V fast for an old fella

 

Let's see how you battery boys get on when you have to cope with more than understeer & no ABS...

 

You could have had a go but you won't fit in mine... shortass size only