JupiterBandit
Member
It doesn't bolt to the tank.
Tank is vented and the vent is right on the cap itself -which is right in front of your windshield. Do you have your windshield open when you're smelling it?
You might try finding the vent hole and plugging it for a test. Your car will run for a while before a vacuum forms in the tank preventing the gas from going down to the carburetor.
Another leak that some don't think about is the bracket for the steering column. Don't know if you have the bracket that goes back to the dash rail, or the earlier bracket attached to the tank. Gas is wont to dribble down the steering column - right in your lap in effect - hence a strong smell.
I used to have a drip on the rubber mat directly below the inside shutoff valve. You have a compression fitting in a similar location but you may not see (or feel) a drip.
Gas gauge is always suspect. And given the right tools and gaskets (I like the original cork gaskets with some permatex to help seal) you can fix or re-do this easily to eliminate it from consideration.
Hairline cracks or rust throughs from the inside have happened before - but you'd see evidence at the lowest point of the tank - or directly below it. Bubbling paint usually precedes the rust throughs.
Keep checking around. A faint "Model A" odor is normal (I always assumed this a mix of the smell of quality along with some gas fume) but it should not be overpowering.
Joe K
It doesn't bolt to the tank.![]()