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I bought a new gas tank from Kanter late last year for my 56 400 and had it installed. After about a month on the car it started leaking pretty badly from the seams and fittings, about a cup of gas/day. Talked to Stuart at Kanter and he was great. They replaced it free of charge.

I took the car out today for a test drive prior to a Packard tour next week and smelled gas. When I got home I checked the gas tank and found gas leaking around the cap. It seems there is an indentation in the lip of the filler neck that prevents the gas cap from getting a good seal. You can see it clearly in the picture at about the 7:00 position.

I had my shop check the first tank I bought from Kanter and it also has the indentation. The picture posted to this forum from Kanter also has the indentation (search new gas tank). The original tank from Packard does not have this indentation.

I contacted Stuart at Kanter and sent him a photo to see what he thinks. I hope to follow-up with him Monday. In the meantime:

1. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

2. Any one know why there would be an indentation in the new tanks but not on the original?

3. Any idea how to fix this problem short of removing the tank and filling and then filing smooth the indentation?

Stuart said no one else has complained of this issue. Perhaps it's because I use a rubber paint protector from Griot's Garage. It was soaked with gas otherwise I wouldn't have found it. And once you stop the car the gas evaporates within a few minutes.

Maybe people who have bought these tanks have experienced the gas smell but couldn't find the source?

Jed

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Wonder if the depression is for use with an unvented cap. I know there have been several who have bought new caps not knowing there is a difference and original tanks need vented. When they used the new caps on the original tanks they quickly find out there is a problem but don't correlate the new cap is what doesn't work and has caused the problem. Maybe this tank is supposed to have an unvented cap or maybe the depression is extra insurance that there will be a vent??

Howard,

Thanks for the reply and making a good point.

I have two gas caps, a lockable after market cap and the original cap. Both leak with the new tank while neither leaked with the original tank. If it's for ensuring a vent if they had put the indentation at the top of the filler neck I doubt if it would leak.

I also would bet others with this tank have a gas smell but don't realize where it's coming from.

Jed

Looks like a good place for a dab of solder.
Do you suppose the reason that Packard did not dimple the neck like that is because it would leak?

Yup, a little dab will do ya. The solder would have been a simple fix before installing the tank and filling it with gas. I don't think I want to try soldering it now unless I drain it, remove it and then fill it with water first. What a pain.

Know of any metal filler that will work without causing an explosion?

You know, maybe a dab of JB Weld Stick would work. It's supposed to cure even immersed in gasoline. Thanks for the idea.

Anyone have any experience with JB Weld or something similar?

JB Weld has been used for repairs to carburetor float bowls, don't know how long it might last for in a gasoline environment but I've seen it last in those situations for quite a few years, so really nothing much to loose to give it a try as long as you're using a vented cap.

My '54 has the original tank without the dimple. It also leaks gas from the top of the filler if I fill the tank and do not drive it for 10 miles or more after the fill-up. I believe it is due to the expansion of the gasoline in the tank due to the warmer temperature of the tank versus the cooler temperature of the gas station's underground storage tank. I have filled it and made sure that there was no visible gasoline as far down the filler pipe as can be seen at the station, drove it home just over a mile and within 20 minutes gas will start to drip because it has backed up inside the filler pipe. I've been able to stop the drip by jacking the left side of the car up, raising the level of the filler pipe. I've even heard the tank "burp" some air that must have been trapped at the top of the tank when jacking it up, but it still would drip if I lowered the car.

Based on my experience, I wouldn't bother trying to fill in the dimple. I think it's there to allow an exit for the expanding gasoline that will cause it to drip down the outside of the filler pipe to the ground. Mine can drip out in such a way that it gets outside the filler door and drips down the outside of the quarter panel, making a mess and leaving a stain when it dries. Driving the car for at least 10 miles after a fill-up or not filling the tank completely are ways to prevent the dripping.

Don, The reason I found the issue was that I could smell gas in the passenger compartment for the entire 2 1/2 hour drive and with only half a tank of gas. Maybe you don't have gas fumes getting inside your 54 so it's not an issue for you. Old cars have a lot of smells that new cars don't and are enjoyable for a lot of folks in the hobby, including me. Smelling gasoline fumes while driving is not one of them.

If you have the original gas cap I'm not surprised it leaks. The gasket on mine looks like a piece of hard, cardboard-like fiber. I don't know how it can get a seal, even on an original tank w/o the indent.

The cap I've been using is an after market lockable cap with a thick rubber-like gasket. I also could smell gas right after filling up but just like you said, it was gone after about 10 miles. But never for 2 1/2 hours driving after fill up.

I never had this issue with the original tank.

Hi Jed,
The gas cap I have is relatively new, as I bought it to hopefully stop the dripping after filling up; it didn't. It too has a glorified cardboard gasket. Keep in mind that these tanks need to be vented, with air able to get into the tank as the fuel pump sucks the gasoline out. Otherwise the pump would fail due to the vacuum it would cause in the tank.

If you're constantly smelling raw gas in the passenger compartment while driving I can't help but think there's a line leaking somewhere underneath or in front of the compartment. It could be the tiniest pinhole in a line, a crack in a hose or even a loose fitting somewhere. It doesn't take much to cause that unpleasant odor. So I'd check the line from the tank to the carburetor and see if something is leaking gas.