Fuel smell...wits end....

[captainchaos]

Hi
Having read a good few posts on here, I am trying to overcome the smell of fuel around the back end of my car.

Im just finishing a 2 yr mechanical restoration...Everything seemed oK...new fuel line installed....everything connected ok...I wanted to start the new engine so I dropped 20L of fuel into the tank...started the engine (thanks for the tips on priming the oil pump with vasaline!) and the following day my garage stank of fuel.

I checked for dampness in all the usual places (fuel pump, carbs, fuel tank banjo and vent pipes). I then took vent pipes off fuel tank, blocked holes and then waited a couple of days with garage window open. Still pongs!

I think the smell is at its strongest under the car near the diff so I decided to remove the tank (maybe the boss had fractured during tightening?). Now the tank is out of the car...seems fine (felt under tank dry) , fuel line/banjo not leaking, no dampness seen anywhere?

Any tips please....should I get the tank tested????

I currently have tank on axle stands, with 20l of fuel in wondering If I have tiny fracture, but no signs of leakage yet.

[mbell]

Elan or +2?

If +2 search for breather mod.

[billwill]

You can get seepage of fuel along the threads of the screws that hold the fuel gauge sender into the tank.

[billwill]

Try reading some of these:

http://www.lotuselan.net/cgi-bin/search ... oom_sort=0

[gav]

For what it's worth, my boot stank of fuel and I ended up replacing all of the rubber hosing with fuel injection rated hosing which seemed to solve it.
The hosing wasn't leaking anywhere but it seemed to release the vapour some how.
Good luck with the diagnosis
Gavin

[captainchaos]

Hi all

thanks for the replies... Ive replaced the filler hose as part of the rebuild, and in this exercise, I have disconnected the vent hoses on the tank and blocked the outlets but still the stick.

Because the smell is at its strongest under the back of the car..I'm thinking Bill may have a point. I have used new copper washers to fix the banjo onto the bottom of the tank but I might look for some fuel resistant sealant for the threads.

Im back on it today so lets see how it goes. Im also going to replace the olive at the end of the fuel line.

Thanks for the replies

[john.p.clegg]

The last lot of " copper " washers I bought were magnetic!!! and a quick file showed steel-copper plated....Bloody Chinese...

John