Help! Gas smell

[najar28]

I just purchased my first corvette, 1972 and once I got it home the car filled my whole garage up with a gas smell. I looked underneath and I could not see any leaking gas, but the gas smell is there. Any suggestions?

 

[Ripp 73]

The good ole' smell of the Quadrajet. I would check around your carb first and keep your nose open. If you find nothing out of the ordinary, work your way back to the gas tank and just take a look. If you still don't find any leaks or drips or anything, hopefully someone else on here can help you out.

 

[jrzvette]

You're probably used to the newer cars with their fuel injection and sealed fuel systems. Your 72 has a large carburator sitting on top of the engine that holds quite a bit of raw gas and is far from air tight. Check the car carefully for leaks (also, sometimes the gas cap doesn't fit tight) but my guess is what you're smelling is nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[minifridge1138]

With a carbureted car parked in your garage it will smell like gasoline.

Here are some things to look for:
1) puddles at the base of the carb.
2) loose hose clamps where the fuel line attaches.
3) old fuel pump. When the stock AC-Delco fuel pumps go bad, they leak gasoline. When mine went it dumped more than 1/4 of a tank onto the floor of my garage. If this is the problem, you'll definitely notice.
4) clean spots. As gasoline leaks, it will often remove dirt and grease. If you see an unusual clean spot near a fuel line that would be a suspect area.
5) start the car and look around for leaks. With it running there will be pressure in the fuel line and you may be able to spot a small leak.

Personally, my garage always has a gasoline odor. That is just a result of the raw gas sitting in the Carburetor.

Good Luck!

 

[Booie]

Search C3 Technical and Performance (Gas Odor)

Hey Search This C3 Technical and Performance (Gas Odor) I posted the same question maybe some of this replies will help you I changed my Fuel pump That seemed to help my problem. Good luck Bruce

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Bubba may have removed or disabled the charcoal cannister located in the drivers side fender. That's a big contributor to eliminating odours, my '73 smells more of hot engine and brakes than of gasoline.

 

[minifridge1138]

How should that be hooked up?
My canister is there, but I'm pretty sure it isn't doing anything.

Thanks!

 

[Vette79]

As Mike said, Fuel Vapor Canister. I replaced mine this past year. Work from the bottom to replace.

 

[Whiplash]

Also check the top of the tank. On my 71 I had a bad gas smell forever and couldn't find any leaks, puddles, etc. It turned out the gasket at the base of the filler neck had rotted a long time ago and the gas would splash and leak at the base of the neck and sit on top of the tank.

It ate the tank sticker pretty bad which made me mad but in the end that was the problem. Not sure if you have the vents on the rear deck but if you do shine a flashlight through them and look around the base of the filler neck. If you see brown sticky dirt there's your problem.

Good luck.

Whiplash

 

[duke94]

I have a 71' and a 78' in the same garage both with Quadrajets and I don't get a gasoline smell. If the charcoal canister and its associated hoses are correct and functional, you should not get a gas smell.