Model A Making My Garage Smells Like Gas

S

Slseacrist

Junior Member
In my old home, I stored my 1930 Coupe in a one car detached garage/workshop . I never had a fuel smell. I recently moved to a three car attached garage were I am storing my coupe. Ever since I move the coupe in I have had a distinct fuel smell in the garage. I have moved ever gas burning peace of equipment (lawn movers, blowers, ect) outside except the A and my wife newer Honda. The smell has persisted. I am almost positive it is coming from the A. Every time I drive that Coupe I burn the gas out of the crab, I replaced the gas cap, I am not leaving the fuel shut off on. I am currently running a fan out a vent, and it seams to have removed the smell , but if I do not run it overnight, it comes right back. The main concern is my water heater is in the garage and I do not want to blow me new house up. Does anyone have an ideas were this fuel issue may be coming from?
 
Look for leaks coming from any pinholes in the gas tank even close to the top. Look under the steering column, if you use the steering wheel to assist in entering or exiting the car it can cause a leak there. after the car has sat a few days without running try to start it like usual with the exception of turning on the gas valve and see if the valve is not fully stopping the flow. The gas cap is vented so there may be some vapor from there. Make sure you have a good gasket under the cap. Check for leaks around the gas gauge, sometimes it runs down inside the tunnel under the dash and evaporates there. good luck and keep that garage ventilated. Most garages in the thirties were not closed up as tight as they build today and most were detached for a specific reason
 
Last edited:
I have a few thoughts on this...1, do you use a new, quality, gas shut off valve? An old one may leak a tiny bit and if you have a less than perfect seal at your fuel bowl, gas could leak down bowl whereas it evaporates before you see it actually drip from the filter bowl. 2; is your carb filled with gas the next morning? 3; After driving your A in sunny, warm Calif., the firewall heats up, in turn heating gas tank, whereas fumes may radiate through gas cap, as they are "vented" caps. You could try removing cap and using a piece of cellophane, secured with an elastic around filler neck, block the fumes.
 
Do you shut the fuel off with the "A" running to allow it to empty the carb when parking it?
 
Mine did the same thing . I rebuilt the carb with a new type float valve that did no good still had the smell . I tried turning off the shutoff valve and running it out of gas ten tried starting it the next morning without turning the gshutoff ON .Yep it started right up ran a couple of minutes on gas that had trickled past the old gas shutoff valve overnight . Next I installed a new "won't leak" shutoff valve under the dash got it at Snyders . THAT DID THE JOB ! no more gas smell in the garage .
You know it only takes a tiny amount of gas to make a smell and my wife has a very good nose !

B0B in Michigan
 
I agree with Mike. If there was no smell in the old single car garage, and now there is with no modifications on the "A", I would suspect the Honda. Put it outside for a couple of days and see if the smell goes away.
 
The problem is NOT with a good (non-defective) gas cap, or every Model A owner would be experiencing the same problem. You have a small leak somewhere. Clean all the dirty areas around the tank, fuel lines, and carburetor and I am sure you will find the problem area. Some good advice above.
 
If you have ethanol enriched gas in your area, check to see if you have a cork seal for the sediment bowl. I had a similar problem and I replaced the cork with a neoprene seal, no more gas odor.
 
i smell mothers where there isnt any !

you must have a seeper somewhere in the system . shut off & float bowl would be where i would look first ........... steve
 
Get that thing away from the water heater and keep it outside until it's repaired! (advice from an old fire-fighter)
 
Thanks for all the advice. I have not driven my A since saturday, and yes i aways run all the gas out of the carb before parking it. Came home from work today tried to start without turning the gas on sure enought she fired right up for two or three. Even though the shut off valve is less the two year old I will replace it tomorrow with a spair I have at work. Currently letting all the gas out into a gas can to store it out side. I had ruled out the Honda after my wife was on a business trip at it was at the airport for a few days and the smell persisted. Will report back soon with an update.
 
I have NO gas leaks on my A but I do have a relatively tight garage, warm ambient temperatures, and a sensitive snoot. I swap a radiator cap for the gas cap when the A is not in use and voila, zero gas smell. I leave the gas cap on the driver's seat so I have never driven off with the radiator cap on the gas tank...
 
Ba shut off valve. I put a ball valve from home depot on mine before the stock valve and no more gas smell.

Now whenever I smell gas it is the car telling me that I forgot to shut off the fuel valve.
 
if your home has a forced air unit in the garage, as i'd seen many newer now are.
you will also be asphyxiating your selves. open some windows and investigate.
inclosing it in drywall and having a service door and an outside vent to pull in only fresh air. regardless of where the return air grill is, the unit builds pressure and so pulls air through the connections of the sheet metal.
maybe this has been discussed on the garage journal. maybe it should.
keep it safe.
 
The shut-off valves can be lapped and put back into good service. I just did that yesterday with mine, because it's a repro and you almost always have to work on repro stuff, regardless. Now it works right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top