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I am away on a business trip and my wife reports a powerful gasoline smell filling the garage where we keep the '41 110. This happened once before, shortly after sending the gas tank out to a radiator shop for cleaning and turned out to be a crack where the filler neck joins the tank. The shop brazed it and it has been fine for over a year.

What's the best way to diagnose where it's coming from without the nightmare of draining and dropping the tank again? In the case of the first time this happened, it was immediately apparent the first time I filled the tank after getting it back but what could cause a car that has been sitting for the past 2 to 3 weeks (that was the last time it was driven) to suddenly fill the garage with gas fumes over night?

Thanks!!

If the smell is that strong I would think there would be a good possibility a damp spot on the floor or in the engine compt could be seen. It might be the tank again or perhaps something happened to a rubber hose or a fitting. If it is going to be awhile before you get home perhaps your wife or a friend could look things over and see if there is something obvious needing immediate attention.

If nothing is seen I wonder if applying a small amount of air pressure into the fill opening would result in the leak becoming evident without dropping the tank first.

She says there is no visible sign of gas under the car.

Could it be something as simple as the rubber seal on the gas cap (hopefully!) and, if so, what is a logical way of proceeding with troubleshooting?

How about anything visible in the engine compt around the pump or carb?

It could be a loose gas cap. Another question is how has the temperature been -- any sudden changes that would cause the gas to expand. The cap is vented so there is a possibility a change in temp caused the fumes - even more so if the tank is full. For the fill gasket to have failed it would seem that there would be a big split or missing chunk visible if the cap was taken off.

Thank you, will investigate those areas when I get home!

Good Evening...If you have a window in the garage that can be opened, it might be a good idea to leave it open until the source of the smell is discovered. Ernie

I too am suffering the effects of a woman with a sensitive nose. My added question for this topic is to ask what the best thread sealant is for fuel line connections? Teflon tape or some other snake oil lubricant...??

Teflon tape is not a good choice for fuel lines as often a sliver of it on the inside of the fitting comes free and plugs up things like fuel pump valves and carburetor needles and seats. With good fittings and proper technique, no sealant should be required on fuel lines.

Sometimes you do need a sealant like on my 47 Packard, where the line connects to a fitting that screwed into the tank and I'm using a Sealant to with stand Ethanol. See pictures below.
Wes

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Wesley, I assume you needed a sealant because you could not restore the original mechanical integrity of the fittings to the tank, no sealant was used on the car as built.