Fuel Fumes
03-01-2008, 07:57 PM
#1
Junior Member
APPRENTICE
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 14
Fuel Fumes
I'm hoping someone might give me an opinion. I've got a Triumph Spitfire with a V6 conversion. Ideally I would have liked to mount the fuel pump outside of the car, but space did not allow for it. My problem is a fuel smell in the trunk and in the garage. The smell takes a day or two to get strong, but if I let the car sit for couple of days and open the trunk, it is as if I opened a jerry can of gas. Even with the trunk sealed up (duct tape on all the seams), I get a faint gas smell in the garage.
What I've already tried... I've pulled the tank and checked it for leaks a couple of times. It seems good. I've used water inside the tank plus I pressurized the tank and used soapy water to check seams. The person who built the tank also filled it with dry ice to check for smoke. I've changed the fuel pump from a Mallory to an Edelbrock just incase the Mallory vented itself (Edelbrock say's theirs is sealed). I've changed any AN fittings that were swivel to non-swivel type. I've taken tissue paper and wrapped it around all the fittings to see for leaks. I've double and triple checked for leaks. I can't find anything. The inside is carpeted and I've put a fan inside the trunk to blow it dry incase fuel was spilt at some point (fan blew for two days straight).
The tank is tig welded aluminum, then powder coated. The fill cap is vented to the underside of the car through a firewall bulkhead fitting with a -4 NOS Line (steel braid, Teflon lined). The fill cap is connected to the tank using rubber filler hose and two steel band clamps (not just hose clamps). The fuel lines are all -8 Russel steel braid (standard stuff). The fittings are all Russel AN (now non-swivel). I used PST to seal any threads that were not AN (pipe fittings). Has anyone ever heard of fumes leaking through the standard braided hose? Two people have told me its common, but I've been around lots of cars and never heard that before. My next step is to build a new tank and re-plumb everything using Teflon line braided hose.
Thanks for the input.
What I've already tried... I've pulled the tank and checked it for leaks a couple of times. It seems good. I've used water inside the tank plus I pressurized the tank and used soapy water to check seams. The person who built the tank also filled it with dry ice to check for smoke. I've changed the fuel pump from a Mallory to an Edelbrock just incase the Mallory vented itself (Edelbrock say's theirs is sealed). I've changed any AN fittings that were swivel to non-swivel type. I've taken tissue paper and wrapped it around all the fittings to see for leaks. I've double and triple checked for leaks. I can't find anything. The inside is carpeted and I've put a fan inside the trunk to blow it dry incase fuel was spilt at some point (fan blew for two days straight).
The tank is tig welded aluminum, then powder coated. The fill cap is vented to the underside of the car through a firewall bulkhead fitting with a -4 NOS Line (steel braid, Teflon lined). The fill cap is connected to the tank using rubber filler hose and two steel band clamps (not just hose clamps). The fuel lines are all -8 Russel steel braid (standard stuff). The fittings are all Russel AN (now non-swivel). I used PST to seal any threads that were not AN (pipe fittings). Has anyone ever heard of fumes leaking through the standard braided hose? Two people have told me its common, but I've been around lots of cars and never heard that before. My next step is to build a new tank and re-plumb everything using Teflon line braided hose.
Thanks for the input.
03-02-2008, 08:13 AM
#2
Senior Member
RACING JUNKIE
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Belleville, IL
Posts: 658
You have a leak somewhere, you just haven't found it yet.
The only other thing you might try is a charcoal canister on the tank vent. That will remove the smell if that's the source point. Otherwise, you have a leak.
The only other thing you might try is a charcoal canister on the tank vent. That will remove the smell if that's the source point. Otherwise, you have a leak.
