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So now I know

FM Former Member
Seems like every time I really fill up my gas tank, I get gas fumes for the first few miles. I've always attributed it to fuel sloshing around in the tank and going out through my overflow tube - which exits into the wind, below the chassis. The odor always went away after a few miles, so I never paid a lot of attention to it. WRONG.

Earlier this week I filled up,drove straight home and parked. Had gas fumes in the garage, so I go investigating. Everything I checked was dry and had no odor. But those fumes presisted for days. Finally found the bugger. It's coming out of the seal under the gas gauge sender in the middle of the gas tank - UNDER THE DAMN CARPET. So now you know.

I have a 15 (16?) gallon tank, and the sender is probably two inches below the bottom of my filler neck. Off to Fibertech in the morning.
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FM Former Member
Seems like every time I really fill up my gas tank, I get gas fumes for the first few miles. I've always attributed it to fuel sloshing around in the tank and going out through my overflow tube - which exits into the wind, below the chassis. The odor always went away after a few miles, so I never paid a lot of attention to it. WRONG.

Earlier this week I filled up,drove straight home and parked. Had gas fumes in the garage, so I go investigating. Everything I checked was dry and had no odor. But those fumes presisted for days. Finally found the bugger. It's coming out of the seal under the gas gauge sender in the middle of the gas tank - UNDER THE DAMN CARPET. So now you know.

I have a 15 (16?) gallon tank, and the sender is probably two inches below the bottom of my filler neck. Off to Fibertech in the morning.
E ESFinWilton
Been thru it Dave, the whole 15 gallon tank drill..
I ended up with replacing the sending unit gasket and sealing it up with gas-proof goop.
The thing that continues to drive me crazy is that I can't seem to find a gas cap that does not leak when the tank is relatively full. The 15 ga. tank is obviously configured much flatter than any tank that I know of. Because of this fact the short filler neck puts real "slosh" pressure on the cap's gasket.
Anybody out there that can clue me in on where to find a cap that will REALLY seal? Trust me, I've tried many replacements........
FM Former Member
Correction on a technical point: Just looked at my new gasket kit with sender mounting screws. It seems that one of the five screws is supposed to NOT have a nylon sealing washer. That screw is for grounding one sensor wire to the gas tank and it seals with a copper crush washer. So it wasn't my bad that caused the leak after all.

Gee, I thought I was wrong, but I was wrong, again. Is that good or what?

The bad news is that no one has a sender unit with a longer than stock float arm. So I'm off to "modify" my old arm by extending it. What is anyone else doing?
W Williams
DAVID,

I fought the same battle with my JPS that had a larger tank and never complely solved the problem. I gunked up the sender plate with sealent, installed the nylon washers that were not installed by JPS and it still weeped a little gas when the tank was full. My solution was not to fill it up, kind of defeated the larger tank intent but at least the tank didn't leak!

Bruce
Gordon NicholsGordon NicholsMassachusetts 1993 CMC Supporting Member
We're all fakin' it......

I also thought that the smell of gasoline in my garage was some kind of "Man Scent" or something.......

I don't think I'm using a copper washer on the sender. I'll have to wander out there tomorrow and see, but I think I'm using nylon washers all around. I'll let you know, but mine doesn't seem to be leaking right now, either (but don't hold your breath).

I don't remember using any type of sealant - just put the gasket on, then the sender and the nylon washers. Besides, any RTV sealant would be eaten up by the gasoline, (ask me how I know...damn Stromberg 97's!)

Had to mess with the sender ground connection to make it transmit AND seal, but I'll report on that later, once I remember what the heck I had to do! (life's an adventure after 55!! (sure it is!))

gn
FM Former Member
Well, I just spent a useless hour in the garage trying to figure out how to extend the float arm on my standard sender to accomodate the extra tank depth. When my current (stock - but rebent) float arm reads "zero" the tank still has at least three inches of fuel in the bottom, and there is no more reach.

I'm just about convinced I'm gunna cut the float arm, sleeve it with stainless tubing, and extend the float about four inches. I guess a sudden "zero reading" will mean my sleeve has failed? Something to ponder as I fall asleep tonight. Who needs to count sheep?
E ESFinWilton
As for my (full tank) gas leak at the cap....... SOLVED!
The deal is that this moron (me) kept replacing gas caps thinking that the problem was the cap's seal at it's connection to the tank's SHORT filler pipe. WRONG!
The deal is that all of these replacement caps were "vented". I did an experiment where I used some fuel-proof Permatex gasket sealer to fill in the tank-side vent-hole of the cap. Let it cure overnight and test drove today.. Success,,, No leak! The 16 gal. tank snout has, of course, the 1/4" ventilation port which I, long ago, plumbed (with out the useless back-flow check valve that comes on a VS) down to breath and exit fumes out at the right rear wheel well.
Cheers, Ernie
D DaveTart
David , do you need a gescheft like this to lengthen/shorten the fuel sender arm?
http://wolfadventures.org/Ropes%20Course%20Standards/clamps.htm



Roundabout 1971 US EPA mandated vented TANK with hose to evap canister. Those tanks use UNVENTED caps.

If your tank has a VENT (hose nipple on the filler neck) then you want an UNVENTED CAP.
" " " " NO VENT, " " " " " " " " MUST HAVE A VENTED CAP.


OTHERWISE you'll restrict your gas flow(vacuum) while driving; and pressurize(explode?!) your gas tank on a hot day!
FM Former Member
Micheal - it is probably good you have NOT had gas in the tank yet. You gotta vent that puppy to the outside man! Listen to what they are telling you. Fumes is bad business around electrical stuff.

Float arm extended (not with a gescheft, at least I don't think so, but I did sneeze if that counts?) Used some wire of the same diameter and sleeved it. In and working today. Took pictures, but my wife is my computer system administrator and she's not here to download today - later.
FM Former Member
Ok, so it's ugly, but it works. Do you have a problem with esthetics inside your gas tank?

Extension wire is steel with some sort of nickel or tin based coating on it - the wire has been the garage for many, many years, and it ain't rusty yet, I took that to be a good sign!

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FM Former Member
OK, I can handle Rube. Form follows function. If it works - it works!

More "engineering" than might be visible at first glance. The swing angle and total drop of the float arm was done to careful measurements from inside the gas tank (still in process of calibrating on first tankful). The extension wire will NOT rotate, and has a bit of springload in it to "grip" the float, just like the original. The float will NOT rotate or move. If nothing rusts, I'm good for a long time. Need to inspect in six months to verify.
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