[jchrisvaughn]

I've got a 66 Mustang with a 200 6 cylinder in it. I've had it on the road for about a year now and overall it runs and handles fine.

My issue is an intermittent gas smell inside the vehicle. I can drive sometimes for a day or two, and there is no smell of gas, and all of a sudden there it is. With it being intermittent its hard to know where to start. Occassionally when I stop, I'll smell in the trunk and there seems to be some gas vapors there, but not all the time. I hate intermittent issues... lol.

When it was getting ready to be painted we cleaned the tank out, checked the sending unit etc.

Are there additional gaskets that need/could be replaced on the tank?

Does anyone have any ideas where to start looking?

Thanks for any help!

Chris Vaughn

[Cobra6]

a couple of suggestions......

1. Make sure you don't have exhaust leaks, holes in your muffler, etc.

2. The most likely culprit for the leaks is an old dried-out and cracked trunk seal. Check out the rubber gasket that goes around the trunk lid - if it is old - replace it.

You can usually get a trunk seal from most vendors for around $10. You do not need to mess around with this - CO is bad news in the car and can be fatal.

[jchrisvaughn]

Well the trunk seal is new and I even added extra to make sure.

I did have an exhaust leak, and as far as I can tell its all fixed.

I've read about a gasket on the tank but I'm not sure where it is, unless there is a pin hole leak on the top of the tank.

Is there a gasket on the tank other than the rubber hose from the gas inlet on the trunk to the tank?

Thanks!

Chris Vaughn

[67sustang]

Hello Chris and welcome to the forum,

Being a 6 cyl. Do you have the Autolite 1100 carb on it?, if so, probably there may be a small leak on the fuel filter attached to the carb. I used to have the same problem and the real problem was that the fuel filter was bottoming down to the carb top housing, this should not occurr, I contacted Pony Carburetors (www.ponycarburetors.com) and they restored my carb to like-new conditions and now I get a lot more power than before and guess what: no more fuel smells inside my Pony!!!

Hope it helps

[RSALSUP]

Hello, I had the same issue. One day while I was filling it up I opened the trunk and saw gas coming out from the rubber filler neck inside the trunk. I just tightened the clamp and replaced another clamp. Problem solved. GOOD LUCK

[jchrisvaughn]

Originally Posted by 67sustang

Hello Chris and welcome to the forum,

Being a 6 cyl. Do you have the Autolite 1100 carb on it?, if so, probably there may be a small leak on the fuel filter attached to the carb. I used to have the same problem and the real problem was that the fuel filter was bottoming down to the carb top housing, this should not occurr, I contacted Pony Carburetors (www.ponycarburetors.com) and they restored my carb to like-new conditions and now I get a lot more power than before and guess what: no more fuel smells inside my Pony!!!

Hope it helps

I have no idea what type of carb is on the car. I've still got the origional engine, but replaced it with a 1972 mav 200 engine/transmission. The newer carb seemed to be flooding more (although I was told it had been rebuilt), so I put the origional carb on the engine. I'm not sure what type carb it is but this week I'll be using the ponycarburetor site to figure it out. Although this carb had a inline water heater attachment and I don't have it on now, this carb does much better.

What do you mean by the fuel filter is bottoming out?

Originally Posted by RSALSUP

Hello, I had the same issue. One day while I was filling it up I opened the trunk and saw gas coming out from the rubber filler neck inside the trunk. I just tightened the clamp and replaced another clamp. Problem solved. GOOD LUCK

They were initally extremely loose but were tightened up last year.

Heres a question: again the smell came yesterday, and I stopped to smell (it looks really wierd....) and it seemed the smell was coming from the trunk. Well I couldn't see anything, but I didn't like the was the spare tire was sitting in the trunk, so I moved it and the smell seemed to go away. Today I was driving home again from church and when I smelled it again, the tire was sitting directly on top of the tank, so I moved it off again.

Could the weight of the tire upon the tank have anything to do with it, or am I just grasping at straws after breathing gas fumes...

Thanks!

Chris

[66GT305PS]

If it is the original fuel tank it might need replacement. I have gone through a couple of original gas tanks because they got pin holes on the top. Hard to see. Smell the bottom of the trunk carpet. For a more thorough check, remove trunk carpet and tape a clear plastic sheet (painters drop cloth is good). After a drive around. As soon as you get home, check for signs of moisture. Remove the plastic and smell it. Epoxy patchings are only a temporary fix. Best to consider a new tank if that is the source.

[jchrisvaughn]

Originally Posted by 66GT305PS

If it is the original fuel tank it might need replacement. I have gone through a couple of original gas tanks because they got pin holes on the top. Hard to see. Smell the bottom of the trunk carpet. For a more thorough check, remove trunk carpet and tape a clear plastic sheet (painters drop cloth is good). After a drive around. As soon as you get home, check for signs of moisture. Remove the plastic and smell it. Epoxy patchings are only a temporary fix. Best to consider a new tank if that is the source.

I'll try that. I've wondered about that, but figured that probably wasn't an issue.

THANKS for a great test!

chris