In hot weather, my car stinks like gas in the garage

[1949plymouthdeluxe]

For the first few months I owned this car it sat outside. And then I decided to bring it into the garage as its easier to work on there and its out of the sun. It wasn't a big deal until the last week. It got HOT. As in close to 100 degrees. All during the heat wave the car started to really stink like gas. As in the smell of raw, evaporating gasoline.  I don't see any leaks. I checked the fuel lines and they are dry. The carb DOES look a little "wet" along the bottom so I suspect its leaking some gas. But still- it does stink. My Mercury, which has lived in the garage for years- doesn't stink hardly at all. We'll see what happens when it cools down. Just seeing what your all's cars are like in hot weather.

[Plymouthy Adams]

you forgetting to put on the suntan lotion and sunglasses...at the elevated temps it is often hard to denote a leak as the evaporation process is rather rapid if just a very small seepage...gas fumes are heavy and tend to stay closer to ground level.  Never think your tank is intact either, these cars often have rusted out places at the very top of the tank...unless it sloshes when shaken left to right.....the fumes will be plentiful, no apparent liquid seen.

[1949plymouthdeluxe]

I just went out and crawled under the car. I think its all coming out of the carb, which has always been leaky and needs a rebuild. It is still pretty " wet" looking so that is probably the source of the smell. I have a rebuild kit on the way. Could be that the float is leaking. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

your cars fuel pump would have to continue to run for a constant flow from a float leak...where as these fumes could be the sign of too high a float level and in conjunction of heat saturation on parking inside with a hot engine...this would cause for an excessive amount of raw gasoline.   The fuel will continue to expand with the heat soak and result in chamber overflow.

[1949plymouthdeluxe]

That would make sense. Makes me wonder if I should just unloosen the gas cap a smidge to release pressure. When I worked on tractors and small engines they too would sometimes do this, where the sun or heat would cause pressure to build up and if the needle wasn't seating and sealing right it would do that same thing- overflow. Anyway, I found a used carb on eBay. I will rebuild it and install as the one on it looks like its been "weeping" for awhile. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

the gas cap should be vented...unloosen is to tighten, but really if you have pressure, check the vent hole, this however is usually found when you are unable to draw fuel while driving....Hope the carb you found is not in worse condition than that of what you have on there now....there  is just the slim chance you have nothing wrong outside of high float level given the likelihood you are running ethanol blend fuel.  Suggest you visit this, can be done on the car in a matter of minutes.  The idea of having a good spare carb built and stored away is good idea.  Check the throttle shaft and bushing close.  

[1949plymouthdeluxe]

Went and checked and its not pressurized at all so no issue there. The plan is to overhaul both carbs and have one set aside. These don't to be much more than a glorified lawn mower carb. That way I'll also learn to familiarize with these carbs. I will check the rubber hoses attaching to the steel lines later. Years ago my Mercury started mysteriously losing gas and a short length of rubber hose was rotten and gas was slowly leaking and evaporating from it.

[Tom Skinner]

I run a Big Fan with the hood up for an hour after a ride takes away the stink.

[soth122003]

If you have the access cove for the fuel sender, I would pull it and check the gasket for the sender. Mine was bad and after every fill up my car would smell like gas for a while until the level went down. With the temp increase, fuel vapors might be escaping from that route.

 

Joe Lee

[1949plymouthdeluxe]

Not a bad idea. Its pretty easy to get at the sender on this one. But it also doesn't really stink in the trunk. I've been rewiring the tail lights and its not really stinking in there. Don't you just love these old cars...

[1949plymouthdeluxe]

Well I feel like a dumbass. The reason it stank like gas was because it was indeed leaking gasoline. I jacked up the car a little bit this evening and looked a little closer and there was a little bit of gas occasionally dripping off of a bolt on the bottom of the fuel pump. So I just gave it a little bit of a snug with a wrench and it stopped. I'm guessing all the hot weather probably made stuff expand or contract. Anyway I just turned on the fans and now the garage smells regular again so yay.

 

I'll go ahead and rebuild the carburetor that arrives. It'll be good to learn how to work on it. And then I'll have a spare if the other one craps out

 

I was getting a little bit worried. My wife comes back in approximately 4 days. She would not be happy if the garage stank like raw gasoline.

Edited October 9 by 1949plymouthdeluxe

[andyd]

Another reason to have another carby is that if one is good, two is always better.....well twin carbys look better IMHO.....lol........andyd  

[Plymouthy Adams]

yes tell her it was fine before she got there.........tell us when the bandages are removed...

[1949plymouthdeluxe]

I'm going to try to run the car out of gas or almost out if gas because there's some stuff I saw while I was under there that I did not like.

 

 One length of steel gas line looks kind of corroded. It's in the area that goes under the radiator which for years has had overflow coolant run all over it. So that probably explains the corrosion And then one length of the rubber tubing looks kind of ratty too. I'd like to replace those. But that's going to be awhile because this car gets surprisingly much better fuel economy than my other old car. 

 

Now that I think of it with it dripping a drop of gasoline every 45 seconds or so over the course of several days I wonder how many gallons of gasoline just evaporated in my garage? It's a good thing it's been hot and I've had the ventilation fan going 24 hours a day...

 

 

[Sam Buchanan]

Might be a good excuse for pulling the tank drain and dumping whatever sediment has collected.

[Cannuck]

I don't think it will leak much gas when you replace the lines .

That flex line is one spot where mine was leaking it took me forever to find it .