Strong fuel smell in garage

[DavidW]

I am dealing with a strong fuel smell in the garage and hope to deal with it as others have with a charcoal canister to capture the fuel vapor at the vent hose coming from the tank. I did have a leak at the sender seal and fixed that so hopefully this canister will do it.

I have this fuel vapor canister and bracket and intend to mount it near the fill tube in the PS wheel well as high as I can. The two large ports in the center are going to be left open, the smaller one on the side will connect to the fuel tank vent tube, the other one a little larger on the side is normally connected to the manifold vacuum port but I'm going to leave it open.

Anything I'm missing, any suggestions?

[mike223]

If you're running a carburetor (as opposed to EFI), and you're parking it in the garage hot...

Then you're probably boiling some of the fuel out of the float bowls.

Putting a charcoal filter on the fuel tank vent won't do anything to change that.


I run an electric fuel pump, turn off the fuel pump and idle the engine until it drains the float bowls (runs out of fuel) before it goes in the garage.

No fuel smell.

[DavidW]

If you're running a carburetor (as opposed to EFI), and you're parking it in the garage hot...

Then you're probably boiling some of the fuel out of the float bowls.

Putting a charcoal filter on the fuel tank vent won't do anything to change that.


I run an electric fuel pump, turn off the fuel pump and idle the engine until it drains the float bowls (runs out of fuel) before it goes in the garage.

No fuel smell.

I was worried about the fuel in the carb, guess the problem will still be there after the fuel vapor canister install on the tank vent tube. Maybe an exhaust fan in the garage would be the key, if anyone can recommend a garage exhaust fan please send me the link.

[Itchief]

I have to use a fan to blow across the motor for a couple of hours and leave the garage door cracked and that clears the gas fumes out the car and the garage

Rick

[DadofThree]

I was worried about the fuel in the carb, guess the problem will still be there after the fuel vapor canister install on the tank vent tube. Maybe an exhaust fan in the garage would be the key, if anyone can recommend a garage exhaust fan please send me the link.

This is what I have done for an old car giving off fumes....Still in the garage.

Fan runs 15 minutes every 1.5 - 2hrs - depending on the Wife's sensitivity to the fumes

Fan


Duct


Timer

I have it elevated above the garage door height, and exits the soffit in the area above the garage door. I can't find the link for the exhaust port, but it came with a portable ac unit that I had purchased in the past.

[NAZ]

I do the same as mike223, even when loading the car in the trailer. It's the same procedure you use when shutting down an airplane -- stop the flow of fuel and let the engine idle until it stops running. No more fumes and I have an open fuel tank vent on my car.

[skidd]

Strange, I don't get any fuel smell in my garage. Perhaps a fain whiff at best. Carbed 302.. and one of those home made charcoal canisters on the vent tube. Oh... And a plastic 1/2" carb spacer. Perhaps limiting any float bowl evap.

[NAZ]

skidd, I've seen this before -- some carbs reek of gas fumes and some don't. Haven't a clue why some do and some don't but your carb spacer may not be the key. I have a Holley 4150 on a 2" plastic spacer mounted to an Edelbrock Victor Jr (that's an air gap style manifold) so there's not much heat transfer from the engine. If I leave fuel in the bowls it will stink up the shop even if all I do is run the fuel pump and don't start the car. But if I stop the pump and idle until I run out all the fuel in the bowls I don't get any fumes in the shop even with the open tank vent. Not sure what the fix is for OP's vapor issue but it would probably be a good start to try and track down the source -- tank vent or carb vent and go from there.

[KDubU]

I leave my garage doors open for a while after parking her.

[CdnCarNut]

If the hydrocarbon vapor is coming from the fuel tank, you'll need to hook up your canister properly. Attached is a general schematic.
EVAP System Schematic.jpg
The two large ports go to the fuel tank and fresh air. The small port is used for purging the canister and is attached to the canister purge valve (if you even have one). Without actively purging the canister when the engine is running, the canister may be of limited value, since one the carbon is saturated with HC vapor, additional HC vapor will release to the atmosphere. For sure, the canister will act as a buffer, but it may not solve the problem without the proper setup.

[DavidW]

If the hydrocarbon vapor is coming from the fuel tank, you'll need to hook up your canister properly. Attached is a general schematic.
Click image for larger version.

Name: EVAP System Schematic.jpg
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The two large ports go to the fuel tank and fresh air. The small port is used for purging the canister and is attached to the canister purge valve (if you even have one). Without actively purging the canister when the engine is running, the canister may be of limited value, since one the carbon is saturated with HC vapor, additional HC vapor will release to the atmosphere. For sure, the canister will act as a buffer, but it may not solve the problem without the proper setup.

Yeah, nope....I don't have any of that equipment in that diagram, the vapor canister I have is a simple version with the two larger in the center normally having a dust caps but they aren't needed and are left open to "vent", and the two smaller on the side, the smaller one connects to the tank vent and the larger of the two on the side being connected to the manifold vacuum source to capture the vapor and burn it....supposedly for emissions purposes.....I wont be running a line to the manifold or testing the manifold vacuum pressure or getting a solenoid to possibly control the timing of flow or any of that nonsense. I will simply be using it to capture the odor...hopefully like others have done with their charcoal canisters. I am familiar with the end of service life for charcoal filters, I guess if it works and the smell goes away then comes back that would be a sign it needs to be replaced.

Before I install the canister I'll be installing an exhaust vent in my garage...stay tuned.

[Straversi]

Check the thick rubber gasket between the tank and the fill pipe. In my early forum research I made note that it was recommended to replace the gasket supplied in the kit with a genuine Ford part. I ordered the part and had it on my to-do list. Today, since I was dropping the tank to do other work I figured I’d replace that gasket. Yep, the kit gasket was torn almost completely in half. Probably from go-carting with an unsupported fill pipe more than anything but the OEM part is more substantial. The OEM part number is F4ZZ-9072-DA.

-Steve