My 65 roadster L-79 and my friend's 67 L-79 have the same problem: After shutting the car off in the garage there is a strong gas smell for the first half hour or so that then dissipates in time. Neither car has a detectable leak. In fact my entire fuel system from gas tank to carbeurator is new. My wife can always tell when I've been out for a ride because I smell like fuel!! Both cars run fine. Any ideas, or is this just indigenous to the breed?
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Re: gas smell
Paul---
That's how things were in the 60s and previously. Folks today are not used to it since most cars since the early 70s have had evaporative emissions control. 60s and earlier cars still act like 60s and earlier cars, though.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: gas smell
Paul---
That's how things were in the 60s and previously. Folks today are not used to it since most cars since the early 70s have had evaporative emissions control. 60s and earlier cars still act like 60s and earlier cars, though.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: gas smell
Paul, I had the same experience with my '66 L-79, especially when I drove into the garage and closed the door behind me. Attribute it to Holley carbs and open element air cleaners. This was the time before the EPA got involved in automobile emissions, even in your own garage! MarkComment
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Re: gas smell
Paul, I had the same experience with my '66 L-79, especially when I drove into the garage and closed the door behind me. Attribute it to Holley carbs and open element air cleaners. This was the time before the EPA got involved in automobile emissions, even in your own garage! MarkComment
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Re: gas smell
I once read to check the powervalve if you have a Holley and you smell gas after driving it...
I think I read that if they backfire, they can destroy the powervalve and you then have "Holley-itus" or something like that. I don't know if that's very good advice, and I have no idea how to "check" a power valve. Maybe someone else has heard that "folklore" before?Comment
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Re: gas smell
I once read to check the powervalve if you have a Holley and you smell gas after driving it...
I think I read that if they backfire, they can destroy the powervalve and you then have "Holley-itus" or something like that. I don't know if that's very good advice, and I have no idea how to "check" a power valve. Maybe someone else has heard that "folklore" before?Comment
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Re: gas smell
Can be true of early Shark cars with sealed tanks and evaporative recovery system (charcoal cannister). If you fill tank FULL ('topping off' at the gas station), you tax the liquid fuel separator on the tank as well as the charcoal cannister's ability to hold/contain.
Things have improved so much with modern automotive technology that we tend to forget how things really were in the 'good ole days' and assess performance using benchmarks that are too harsh. Wives are gifted--they have a wonderful nose for stray fuel vapor and let us know FREQUENTLY there's something awry....
Add to this modern home construction. When these cars were built, the concept of an attached garage was 'new fangled'.... Typically, the garage was detached (out back) and 'minor' evaporative odors went un-noticed. So, there's a combination of change(s) at work. Welcome to the world of classic car!Comment
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Re: gas smell
Can be true of early Shark cars with sealed tanks and evaporative recovery system (charcoal cannister). If you fill tank FULL ('topping off' at the gas station), you tax the liquid fuel separator on the tank as well as the charcoal cannister's ability to hold/contain.
Things have improved so much with modern automotive technology that we tend to forget how things really were in the 'good ole days' and assess performance using benchmarks that are too harsh. Wives are gifted--they have a wonderful nose for stray fuel vapor and let us know FREQUENTLY there's something awry....
Add to this modern home construction. When these cars were built, the concept of an attached garage was 'new fangled'.... Typically, the garage was detached (out back) and 'minor' evaporative odors went un-noticed. So, there's a combination of change(s) at work. Welcome to the world of classic car!Comment
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Re: gas smell
Dwayne----
I don't know if a bad power valve on a Holley carburetor will cause excessive fuel vapors or not. However, assuming that it does, if you have a bad power valve, the vapor issue will be the LEAST of your problems.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: gas smell
Dwayne----
I don't know if a bad power valve on a Holley carburetor will cause excessive fuel vapors or not. However, assuming that it does, if you have a bad power valve, the vapor issue will be the LEAST of your problems.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: gas smell
In my attached garage, I decided to pull off my air cleaner and fix a leaky fuel line, I let the car idle in between tweaks to monitor the repair (with the garage door open, of course). PCV was disconnected. 90 minutes passed.
As I was wrapping things up, the Fire Truck pulls up to follow up on my neighbor's call about the fire at my house. I assured them there was nothing but fuel burning, they laughed. Eye's watering, I went into the house and noticed the kitchen smelled like the inside of an engine. Opened the windows, the fresh smell returned in about 2 hours. The headache went away with 3 tylenols after about one hour.
Welcome to the hobby!Comment
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Re: gas smell
In my attached garage, I decided to pull off my air cleaner and fix a leaky fuel line, I let the car idle in between tweaks to monitor the repair (with the garage door open, of course). PCV was disconnected. 90 minutes passed.
As I was wrapping things up, the Fire Truck pulls up to follow up on my neighbor's call about the fire at my house. I assured them there was nothing but fuel burning, they laughed. Eye's watering, I went into the house and noticed the kitchen smelled like the inside of an engine. Opened the windows, the fresh smell returned in about 2 hours. The headache went away with 3 tylenols after about one hour.
Welcome to the hobby!Comment
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Re: gas smell
Check your carb after about five minutes after you have parked the car in the garage. Look for obvious extenal leaks and then look into the carb and see if the throttle valves are wet with fuel.
I have experienced the smell and lowered my float level in my Holley and stopped it.Comment
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Re: gas smell
Check your carb after about five minutes after you have parked the car in the garage. Look for obvious extenal leaks and then look into the carb and see if the throttle valves are wet with fuel.
I have experienced the smell and lowered my float level in my Holley and stopped it.Comment
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