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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Fuel smell in the boot

Hi all I have a bad fuel smell when I open the boot.
No obvious leaks.
Any suggestions?

Cheers Geoff
G Woodfield

Geoff,
the first thought that comes to my mind is possibly the fuel tank top/lid has perforated or sender gasket gone kaput but you might also have petrol vents in your boot? or pump fitted in the boot? or it could be something else of course.
Nigel Atkins

If you have a rear mounted electric fuel pump you should have a vent tube from it that goes to somewhere dry. Is fuel leaking into this vent?

Les
L B Rose

Hi Nigel

Going to start by changing the boot that joins the filler to the tank, then sender gasket.

Standard set up, so corrosion on top of the tank will be the next thing I guess to check.

Cheers Geoff
G Woodfield

My vote is for holes in the top of the tank.
Dave O'Neill 2

I will keep you all posted, if it is the tank are the ones from the usual sources any good or is used one the better option?

Cheers Geoff
G Woodfield

Hi Geoff,
if you're thinking of the replacing the rubber connecting pipe I'd thoroughly check it first as in the recent past I've found new rubber parts for our cars to sometimes be of very poor quality - this may or may not be the case for that part I don't know, or the quality of the rubber parts might have improved now, again I don't know.

I often fill my car until I can see the petrol lapping near the filler cap opening (not a good idea in hot weather) so I'd soon know if that rubber was leaking, you could do the same as a test, with an empty boot and boot lid open to check of course.

Or if your tank is pretty full you could try parking on a steep hill or jacking the front of the car up to get the fuel to the top of the tank at the filler end.

If you, as I have too (local bylaw) keep a spare petrol container in the boot that can sometimes be vented off (usually by me) and the petrol smell lingers for a while.

I don't know about the quality of new tanks but personally I'd be very wary of used tanks.

If it is the sender gasket at fault or you replace your tank be very careful about fitting the sender gasket to prevent possibly getting a leak - we saw on one of our pubs stop a big Healey that had had tens of thousands of pounds spent on sprucing it up by professional experts and as it had been filled with fuel and parked on a slope outside the pub fuel had leaked in to the boot totally soaking the boot carpet. You could clearly see the fuel was leaking from the sender, most probably from the new gasket, as the tank sits inside the boot.
Nigel Atkins

Here in Aust. years ago when unleaded fuel was introduced, there was a petrol/fume problem with Ford Falcon station wagons - The fuel tank was inside the car behind the rear seats - The fix was to replace the filler neck joining hose-
It was only about 100mm long and probably about70mm dia.
but the rubber material that it was made from was not compatible with the unleaded fuel and allowed petrol fumes to escape-- There was a big-urgent recall to get them all replaced---

willy
William Revit

Thanks for the responses, I've ordered a few bits and will drop the tank once they arrive.
Hope its a seal or gasket not the tank.
It is worse after refuelling so may be the joint but it could also mean the top of the tank, got to love these old cars

Cheers Geoff
G Woodfield

I had my tank repaired at West Mercia Radiators in Wednesbury.
Dave O'Neill 2

That is class Dave, I go past there every day on my way home from work.

Thanks for the heads up.

Cheers Geoff
G Woodfield

My new tank was made in Canada and was of excellent quality, but this was 8 years ago they could be of asian origin now.
Cheers
R W Bowers

This thread was discussed between 23/09/2016 and 25/09/2016

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