fuel smell with full tank on 77 bus

Hi, wannabe VW mechanic here with a question about a fuel smell on my '77 bus. With the tank full the cabin reeks with a fuel smell that goes away when the gas level goes down to about 1/2. Any idea what this might be? Also, looking towards the tank in the engine compartment, I see wet areas at the bottom seam of the hatch covering the tank. I've been driving around with 1/2 tank and no problems but I'm about to park it this week and break into it to fix it. Any suggestions on what to look for?

Thanks

-Noah

Reply to
noah.hicks
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I have that problem myself. But, I think I know what caused it. When I put in a new heater channel and pan, I removed the gas tank because I would be doing some welding. When I unscrewed the filler hose from the tank I noticed there was a thin lining of sealant there. When I replaced the tank, I didn't bother putting fresh gasket junk on it.

Ever since then when I fill my tank, I get a pretty strong smell in the cabin. Of course, our situations are a bit diferent. I drive a 68' bug. In my case, there are some fumes escaping, and entering the cabin pretty quickly since I am missing some of the tubing that connects the outside to the vents.

I would fix this, but hell ... I love the smell of gasoline in the morning (and I don't smoke).

-Ray

Reply to
Ray Dios Haque

Well, it might be different on a bus but with my bug I had two problems - the original tank rusted through making a very small hole right next to the outlet tube (any water in the tank collects there) and the filler tube hose gets old and cracks. I replaced the tank to fix the first problem and replaced the filler tube (be sure to use the inner seals assuming those are on buses) to fix the other. Kind of scary to think of a hole in the bottom of the gas tank. It never did seem to leak much except for the smell.

Reply to
Michael Cecil

We have a '77 bus and the previous owner had gas gauge problem/ they cut a flap above the fuel tank to get to the sender unit. it has a rubber O-ring that might be leaking in your set-up. I can give you the location of where to cut. let me know. snipped-for-privacy@humboldt1.com

and good luck.

g adds. MONEY , what a concept

Reply to
smokin'

Thanks all for the comments! Ray, do you know if that rubber O-ring can be accessed without removing the tank? Is that a seal for the sender unit?. Where exactly was the flap cut? Are you suggesting I cut a flap in mine?

Thanks alot

-Noah

Reply to
noah.hicks

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