[DeTomaso] gas tank question

Sat Sep 1 20:48:13 EDT 2007

Chris,
     Make sure you blow on the vent line and not the fuel pick up line as 
that could start a siphon effect which could be very bad indeed!

Art


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Art Stephens To: List-Subscribe:" 
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Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 5:38 PM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] gas tank question


> Chris,
>     You might want to make sure you don't have a leak in the fuel pick up
> line.  If you have a leak in the line going to the fuel pump, while the
> engine is running,  that would be bad!  I would keep a fire extinguisher
> handy whatever you do.  I would check to see that the tank vent is 
> working.
> you could probably do this by hooking up some clear tubing to the roll 
> over
> check valve.  You could blow on the tubing and see if air will flow into 
> the
> tank.  If you blow on it enough,  you should be able to feel air pressure
> come back thru the tube which would let you know that the vent is working.
> So,  you could blow on the tube then cover with your finger, then blow 
> again
> and continue till you feel pressure come out the tube.  The gas cap should
> be on when you do this.  It doesn't sound like you have done anything 
> wrong.
> The fuel probably expanded due to the heat,  and reached the level where 
> it
> started coming out the vent?  You may also want to check and see that the
> screws are snug that hold vent and fuel line assemblies at the top of the
> tank.  I would blow on the tubing with my lips and not compressed air, 
> you
> don't want to blow the tank up!  I would imagine it will stop leaking when
> it cool off this evening or when you run the fuel level down.  You should
> have tubing on the vent line,  running some where safe,  in case you ever
> overfill again.  You don't want that fuel dumping onto something hot! Let 
> me
> know if you have any questions and be careful!  I wouldn't start the car
> until the leaking has stopped and it has passed these tests.
>
> Art
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Christopher Kimball To: detomaso at realbig.com List-Subscribe:"
> <chrisvkimball at msn.comhttp://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso>;
> "Sender: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com"
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> Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 3:41 PM
> Subject: [DeTomaso] gas tank question
>
>
>>I have a recently coated and refurbished gas tank in my '72 which was
>> installed in January.  Today I filled the tank (probably more full than I
>> should have) and as I was dusting off my car in the warm sunshine, I
>> noticed
>> gas dripping onto the driveway.
>>
>> I checked, and I saw that gas was seeping out of the top of the tank both
>> where the fuel line comes out and where the air-vent is located.  On the
>> air
>> vent I have just a short tube with one of those "ball in tube" safety
>> deals
>> so air can go into the tank, but gas can't come out of it if I ever flip
>> over.
>>
>> It occurred to me the heat was obviously causing the gas to expand and
>> since
>> the fuel cap is sealed, there would be nowhere for the gas to go, other
>> than
>> force its way out via the path of least resistance.
>>
>> I put the car in the garage where it is much cooler, wiped the gas from
>> the
>> top of the tank, waited to be sure there would be no more seepage and ran
>> a
>> bead of gas-resistant silicone rubber around both the fuel line connector
>> and the air vent connector where they attach to the tank, to seal them.
>>
>> I then realized that if the same situation happens again, gas will, once
>> again want to go somewhere, and perhaps the new path of least resistance
>> will be something worse!
>>
>> Did I do the right thing by sealing the seepage, or have I done something
>> really dumb?  Is there some sort of gas cap that would help this
>> situation?
>>
>> I'm hoping to drive to Seattle tomorrow for a car show, about an hour 
>> each
>> way, and I don't want to go up in flames!!!
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> PS:  I also noticed the fuel line runs down the engine bay to the bottom
>> of
>> the engine, passing within inches of the headers, which get HOT, so I
>> covered the hose with that silver-on-one-side,
>> sticky-black-goo-on-the-other
>> side heat shield stuff.  It may not help, but I figure it couldn't hurt!
>>
>>
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