Okay guys I know alot of us have had problems with fuel smells
coming from trunk area, and I think this could be the culprit.I had
a leaking tank a few years back and thought it was from the rivet
under the tank pad,I removed it took it to my radiator shop and
they welded a pin hole leake in that area and coated the tank with
the renew lining product and gave me a lifetime warranty against
leaks.I had too much pressure on the tank then when opeimg the tank
after driving or setting in sun.I pulled the purge valves and
rochester vale back then and blew them out as they were stopped up
with rust.I recently started getting high pressure again and rough
idle sometimes.I decide to get to bottom of this.I started by
removing trunk metal plate that has to be removed to get to tank.I
was able to get to the rubber hose that connects the tank vent
line to metal line that runs along tank floor and dowwn through
body to underside.The line from tank itself was clear the 2 foot
line I just desribed that went from tank to underside of car was
completely plugged with rust,i bought some steel line and formed a
new one with tubing bender.I then took all purge valves and
rochester valve off up front all were stopped up with rust and
trash.I then checked the metal line from the cannister to the spot
were it connects by 6 inch rubber hose behind front wheel were it
connects to long section under the car,this too was completely
stopped up.I then checked the last and longest section that runs
the entire lenght of car it was stopped up could’t blow air through
it with air compressor,so I removed it by drilling through the
rivets and clips that fasten it to botttom of car took it out in
back yard and spent two hours and pb blaster and muratic acid,carb
cleaner and high prewssure air to clean it out.I could not beleive
how stopped up all of these lines were the good thing is the purge
valves and rochester or tank vent valve all worked fine with 2 psi
apllied with mighty vac after I cleaned them all out agin.I cant’t
wait for it to stop raining hear to check out the results but Im
sure the tank will vent as it should now and alot of the fuel odors
will dissapear from trunk area.There was a short section of hose
that connected the metal line from tank floor area to line over the
rear wheel that had cracks in it,when the excess tank pressure
would build alot of it was probably seeping out through the short
cracked hose section.I hope this helps someone.I never would have
thought the metal lines from one end to the other would all be
plugged up so badly.–
T Boy
Raleigh NC, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
Very interesting. I want to ask some probing questions to better
understand what you are saying.
I started by
removing trunk metal plate that has to be removed to get to tank.
Where is this plate? Right side? Left? Access from under the car?
Fore or aft of the axles?
I
was able to get to the rubber hose that connects the tank vent
line to metal line that runs along tank floor and down through
body to underside. The line from tank itself was clear the 2 foot
line I just described that went from tank to underside of car was
completely plugged with rust,
On my car the tank venting system goes through the vapor separator
(VS), high
in the RH rear wing. The line going forward is a hose from the VS
to a steel line that runs across the floor of the boot to the LH side,
then dives
down to what I presume is below the main floor pan of the body of the
car. Does this
describe your car. If so, where, exactly, is the line that was rusted?
In reply to a message from Ed Sowell sent Tue 29 Apr 2008:
Ed I have a 90 covertible when you open the trunk there is a metal
trusset or barrier that has about 14 or so bolts that has to be
removed and the metal strengthing plate/ tank barrier is what I am
speaking of it has to be removed to acess the tank through
trunk.The vapor seperator on the convertible tank is at the top
right as well but it is a small metal peice that is welded to top
of tank a line runs from this across top of tank and turns down at
filler neck where it ends,it is connected there by a short hose to
the 2 foot metal line that runs along tank floor area and turns
down and through to underside as you described.There are three
metal line sections in all one at front from cannister to backside
of frnt wheel, one under the entire length of car that stops at
front of rear wheel and one from this one to up in the tank trunk
floor area as I described earlier all of hte metal lines were badly
plugged with rust or varnish that was very hard.I hope this helps–
The original message included these comments:
Where is this plate? Right side? Left? Access from under the car?
to a steel line that runs across the floor of the boot to the LH side,
then dives
down to what I presume is below the main floor pan of the body of the
car. Does this
describe your car. If so, where, exactly, is the line that was rusted?
Thanks for the clarifications. I helped Gary Plotner R&R the tank in
his
XJ-SC which had a similar X-shaped cross-brace restraining the tank.
I don’t remember how the vent line was routed. There are some photos
in my write-up
called “Fuel Tank Issues” at my Web site.
Ed I have a 90 covertible when you open the trunk there is a metal
trusset or barrier that has about 14 or so bolts that has to be
removed and the metal strengthing plate/ tank barrier is what I am
speaking of it has to be removed to acess the tank through
trunk.The vapor seperator on the convertible tank is at the top
right as well but it is a small metal peice that is welded to top
of tank a line runs from this across top of tank and turns down at
filler neck where it ends,it is connected there by a short hose to
the 2 foot metal line that runs along tank floor area and turns
down and through to underside as you described.There are three
metal line sections in all one at front from cannister to backside
of frnt wheel, one under the entire length of car that stops at
front of rear wheel and one from this one to up in the tank trunk
floor area as I described earlier all of hte metal lines were badly
plugged with rust or varnish that was very hard.I hope this helps
Sorry to keep bugging you on this, but just got to wondering exactly
how
the plugged vent results in fuel odors in the trunk. What’s your
theory?
Is it the cracked hose section mentioned below? Isn’t that outside the
trunk? If so, how do the odors get into the trunk?
I’m also anxious to hear how it works out after you have a chance to
drive it
a bit.
There was a short section of hose
that connected the metal line from tank floor area to line over the
rear wheel that had cracks in it,when the excess tank pressure
would build alot of it was probably seeping out through the short
cracked hose section.
In reply to a message from Ed Sowell sent Thu 1 May 2008:
Exactlyt Ed, when the line is stopped up that far back and pressure
builds up in the tank it is going to seep out of any crack in a
hose or connections where the old rubber fule hose connects two
sections of the metal line.The one line that has the rubber hose
that is 3/8 at one end and1/8 at the other wich is basically a
reducer hose is directly over the left rear wheel and its the same
effect as with an overaxle fuel line that leaks it some how seeps
into the trunk.I also think that the rubber boot that fits around
the filler neck to spout that is shaped like the cruise control
bellow acordian shaped type hose, also is not air tight as it has a
large hose clamp around each end and under pressure vapors could
seep out.I have driven it several times and the tank preessure is
completly gone when car is running while opening lid and only a
very breif vacum sound when opening after shutdown,it even seeems
to run better idle wise.I am glad I took the time to go through the
entire system from front to back and that all of my purge valves
work fine after cleaning them out.I hope this helps.–
The original message included these comments:
Sorry to keep bugging you on this, but just got to wondering exactly
the plugged vent results in fuel odors in the trunk. What’s your
theory?
Is it the cracked hose section mentioned below? Isn’t that outside the
trunk? If so, how do the odors get into the trunk?