Every time I get in the car i smell gas......no leak from the tank. It still has the rubber fuel lines........Would it be the lines and how difficult are these to replace?

..have you check if the hoses venting to the charcoal canister are connected?

Me too. Haven't tried to trace it yet so I'll be interested in suggestions of where to smell first!

Have you checked the lines under the tank from the access hole underneath? I did have to replace one of the fuel lines through the tunnel on mine. I replaced it with a new OEM line and it wasn't that difficult. The problem is you have to pull them both out to check which one is leaking. You'll also have to pull out the fuel tank to disconnect and reconnect the lines. You should then put long fuel lines beneath the tank if you haven't already. From what I understand, the original lines through the tunnel rarely fail. One of mine developed a hole due to a body shop not knowing there were plastic lines running through the tunnel. The welder burned some holes right through.

There are only so many places where gasoline can escape. I've replaced every fuel line on my car, from the tank to the fuel rails, so I know it's not too hard to track down. The thought of the process is worse than the actual work. Good luck!

Bryan

well,
In this order.
First off, the entire gas tank is under the hood, so any vapor leak will work into the passenger compartment...

Check gas cap gasket
check expansion tank vent lines
Check overflow line (must exit under car)
check evaporator lines.

then, under the car
Up front
Take off the skid plate.
Look at the rubber lines that connect to the tank, those are thirty years old now...replace them...but you can see them from under the car.
If those are leaking, the vapors are coming in through the firewall again..

Then in the rear
lines exit the tunnel, under passenger side of car.
they are now rubber again...and thirty years old, replace them
Then look op top of the engine, follow all the lines and replace all of those if they are original..

Pelican sells all the correct sized metric lines, in kit form to do the whole car, or you can go to the local VW shop....it needs to be metric, and you need high quality stainless clamps (mcmaster carr) to replace your clamps...the Ace hardware clamps dig into the rubber lines and wreck the ends...

THE FIRST THING I do is replace all the rubber fuel lines in a 914....the engine bay heat, and thirty years of vibration makes them all at risk.
Total cost of job is less than 30 bucks, but it saves the car.

Rich

Within the lines under the tank, you should probably also check the fuel filer and pump. I had a leak exactly like the one being described and it was caused by the filter and the connections on it.

I printed your post and will keep it with my repair books. Very directional.

Thank you Bryan, Rich and Charles. Now to get off my duff and do it!

Pull the carpet away from the gas pedal and check for seepage from the tunnel. The tar on the floor may look wet , or shiny, or soft. There is also an access cover on the very front of the tunnel. You can use a mirror and flashlight to look down the inside of the tunnel for signs of leakage where the metal line meets the plastic line. If you are smelling gas, then I strongly advise replacing ALL the lines. Use metal in the tunnel.

Good day and good luck. Curt

I recently had a fuel smell with no obvious leak. I finally traced it to a sort of leaky fuel hose going to the fuel filter. It was leaking on the heater hose which was how the smell was entering the car.

Thanks everybody......I'll use your advice and get to it tonight.

I am sure that Crusty will chime in eventually.
In many years, he has seen little if zero failure of the plastic lines in the tunnel.

All the failures I have seen also are just old rubber lines, wrong clamps...basic basic stuff, easy and cheap to fix.

Rich

I've seen and fixed three in the last two years. One of them was mine. Maybe the Oklahoma summers are just hard on them.

Here is a great thread to look at regarding the clamps.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=38393&hl=

then, under the car
Up front
Take off the skid plate.
Look at the rubber lines that connect to the tank, those are thirty years old now...replace them...but you can see them from under the car.
If those are leaking, the vapors are coming in through the firewall again..



So finally got around to this - The problem was the lines connecting to the tank - appreciate the help

Andrew

I had the small problem. Checked all the hoses. They were new. Opened up the center tunnel and looked and sniffed inside couldn't see or smell anything. Finally I started the car and looked under it. Surprise, the fuel pump was leaking! But only with the car running. By the way do the obvious-brake on, gear shift in nuetral, and block the wheels. Also, make sure the work area is well ventilated. Changed the fuel pump (that's what spare parts car is for). No smell.

The '73 I've been working on had been sitting for several years without being started. When I finally got to a point where pouring gasoline into the tank and starting the engine was the next step, several problems made themselves apparent.

First, I had a body shop patch a couple of rusty spots on the floor. One of them was under the tunnel. The welder burned a hole in one of the fuel lines, so the little bit of gas I poured in leaked right back out, around the poorly-sealed patch. Pulled both lines out, found the bad one, bought a new one and put them both back in.

Second, the fuel pump was leaking, so I replaced that.

Third - what's that gasoline all over the engine - while it's running!?! Oh S**t, the injector elbows are all cracked. Had to replace all of those too.

I was amazed that the engine actually started and ran pretty well, after all these things were fixed, since it sat for so long.

So I ended up replacing every fuel related line on this car except the one original line in the tunnel that looked fine when I took it out.