I have posted a couple of times about a fairly strong smell of petrol from time to time in my van and what’s the best way to identify where any leaks are because I don’t see much sign of petrol on the garage floor. Ive had a few family problems that have prevented me going after this petrol smell but am keen to get it sorted I’ve got next week off read a bit about leaks at filler nozzle is this a normal thing and does it mean engine and tank out to repair? is there anyway of exasperating a filler leak to see if it is that? many other pointers much appreciated cheers
check visible fuel lines in the engine bay is easiest place to start. check your breathers are all connected up. after i'd replaced my lines and re-connected all my breather pipes i still had a fuel smell but most often left hand bend after filling up the tank - my leak was only when the fuel sloshed back up the filler pipe. the elbow shaped pipe at the filler neck had split. on a type 1 motor yes i think the engine needs to come out to replace this. on mine (type 4) its difficult but do-able with the engine in place, just need to go in via the paint tin lid access hole and drop the firewall forwards. you'll curse and cut yourself a lot but still easier than pulling the motor.
thanks Rob.e I’ll maybe try a few tight left handers in the yard I store my van see if it gets worse Mines a T2 1600 so think the engine will need to be dropped to access the filler hose but I’m just away to check my manual “step by step procedures for the complete idiot” lol
If you do take your engine out it's a super time to change your small breather hoses above the tank check or change the seal for the fuel gauge sender . It doesn't have to be dripping on the floor for it to smell of fuel .
Just make your mind up to drop the engine, access to everything is so much easier and you’ll be able to do a thorough job. It’s a no brainer especially with a type1 !
I’ve actually got access to a workshop with 2 post ramp and all the tools a mechanic could want lol just not the experience YET
Not sure is there an easy way to check? Last time I looked at this there didn’t “appear” to be any fuel leaking
If If your oil has a whiff of petrol, your carbs could be leaking into the engine (not uncommon with ICTs).
Mine smelt of petrol, especially after filling up and I was sure it was the filler pipe but on investigation turned out to be the breather pipes not connected up correctly. once that was resolved, all has been good. I put an automatic fire extinguisher in though just in case..
I've had the same issue on my bus, after checking all the lines between the fuel tank outlet and pump/carbs. Turns out the filler elbow, metal filler pipe to tank hose and lots of the breather pipe connections were fooked... not sure how the fuel ever stayed in! That's these little buggers. I'd reccomend replacing with Bio hose as anything rated lower will eventually degrade and it's a pretty involved job having to drop the engine just to check these! Plus 1 for dropping the engine if everything else looks in order (including fuel smell in oil). If you have a removable rear valance it's a bit more straightforward, I sadly didn't but managed it with a helper, a jack, some wood, a broom stick handle cut into rollers and a bunch of bricks. Watch videos on YouTube to get an idea and there's plenty of threads on here detailing the process. If you have access to a post lift it should be pretty easy as the main thing I struggled with was getting the van high enough to clear the fan housing as you pull it out, because they stick up a fair way on a 1600. It's also a good time to have a peep inside your fuel tank to see if there's been a rust party going on...
I resolved a petrol smell when cornering, it was the filler elbow where you stick pump in, a fairly easy fix.
