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Heavy fuel odor in car

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Randy Harris

Randy Harris

Jedi Warrior
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68 BJ8. Drove top up today, a very rare occurrence. I was almost knocked out by the intense gas smell in the car. I immediately suspected carb overflow. Checked and no odor or fuel leaks from the engine. Scooted under the car expecting to see a drip or a puddle or something - nothing! I wasn't in a place that I could easily check the fuel pump for a leak but I would have expected to find some gas on the ground if it was leaking - nope. Looked in the boot thinking maybe a leak from the fuel filler area - again, nothing. But it does smell of fuel.
I'm open to ideas. What should I look for?
Thanks
Randy
 
Randy -

It could very well mean you have a hole in the bottom of your gas tank, which you may not be able to see the fuel spillage anywhere, depending on the amount of fuel. The only way to tell is to take it out and have it pressure tested.

Taking the tank out of the car is pretty easy ~ 1 hour of work. Makes it easier if the tank is empty.

The other thing to look at on your BJ8 is the bottom of your carburettors (not the float chambers but the actual bottom of the carb). If the bottom of the carbs are wet with fuel it means your throttle jets have a torn diaphram and need to be replaced.

Good Luck!
 
I noticed that when I put a reply in this post a little while ago, it created two identical posts. this is the " new " copy. Look for more comments in the " other " copy of this topic.
 
Thank you for the help fellas. I guess I'm going to get to know my fuel delivery system better than I wanted to.
I suspect the fuel filler neck connection is the culprit. I'll let you know.
Best
Randy
 
randy, the sending unit for your fuel gage has a paper gasket that is known to dry up and give the fuel smell problem your having, just pull your trunk liner up and look at the top of your tank. you may see a wet spot around the sending unit and it may be leaking into your boot/trunk
 
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