Common candidates for fuel smell

[mfemenel]

Last year I felt like I smelled fuel when I filled up. Last week I just did an oil change and belt replacement and filled up for the first time this year. Today I smell fuel much more strongly when I'm in the driveway. Passenger right, I see a small puddle of what I think is fuel. What are the common candidates and what are the tricks for getting a light into the right areas to tell? I'm thinking fuel filler neck.
I drove it to the gym this morning and that's when I really realized I had an issue. I got a light in the engine bay when I got home from the top and rear and I didn't see anything wet so i don't think it's fuel rail, fuel line incoming. With the small puddle on the ground I don't think it's dependent on the bus being running.

79 Westy, FI, not Carb.
_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!

[Jetfxr69]

Vent hoses either at tank vents or up around the corner from tank area into engine bay. Does it only drip or smell when closer to full?
_________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[mfemenel]

Last year, yes, it only was when I filled up. I filled up on saturday, I'm down to just over 1/2 tank now and it smells still and stronger.
_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!

[aeromech]

The vents will leak when you top off
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Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
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Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
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VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
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[mfemenel]

What's interesting here is it's gotten worse since I filled up though. If it was day of fill up or even a little after, fine. Half a tank down and I'm still smelling fuel and saw some on the ground. That's concerning.
_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!

[aeromech]

The fuel might pool behind the firewall.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[mfemenel]

Well that sounds like a recipe for a nice cookout. I'll see what I can see after work. I wasn't going to poke around too much when I got home and it was hot.
_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!

[Jetfxr69]

Its tight quarters up around each corner on both sides where the air vent channels are, and in each corner there is a piece of fuel hose connecting steel vent lines together. They would leak after a full tank, if cracked or broke. The real pissah, is if the two vents directly off the tank are broke. That requires the tank wall/ firewall if you will, to come off. On a fuel injected engine, a lot of stuff needs to come out in order to get that wall down. If you need to do some engine refresher work anyways, just drop the motor/trans.

Just dropped mine today in about 2 hours. Not bragging, just saying its not that difficult. You will spend that much time undoing your plenum and pipes if you go the other route.
_________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[Jetfxr69]

Left side next to spare tire well.

Right side behind pie plate coming into tank. Little yellow tip.

Left side coming around corner into tank. Little yellow tip.

Obviously, the tank. The two outlets have cross pipes that go to opposite connections above.
_________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[jtauxe]

I'm putting my money on a cracked filler neck.
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[aeromech]

It just occurred to me that since yours is a late bay you might pop off the pie plate and sniff around
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Wildthings]

You might as well get a new filler neck and a new filler boot (Mercede or Dodge). You also want to replace all the short hose sections in the tank ventilation with either 30r9 or 30r14 hose. If you haven't replaced all your fuel lines yet with 30r9 fuel line, you are all too close to having a barbecue bus, so do it now.

Many think it is easier to drop the engine to the ground, get the hoses, elbow, and boot replacement done and then reinstall the engine than to fight the poor access with the engine in place.

[ToolBox]

Parts 1, 6 and all the ones labeled 24. If you have not replaced the fuel lines do those too. Add injector seals and the fuel lines on the injectors too.

[mfemenel]

Unfortunately work and motivation kicked my butt last night. I did stick my head in there again and it's definitely coming from the right hand side. The smell is much more prevalent. Because I have FI, my ECU is dead center in my pie plate line of site so I need to unbracket it and slide it forward so I can see in there. All my fuel lines were replaced 5 years ago so as far as fuel flow lines I think I'm in good shape. I was just doing a visual of all my vac & fuel lines last weekend. Just my C breather hose was showing some signs of starting to get cracks. I was going to do some other work to clean up a little rust starting around the battery and a new engine compartment seal. may as well take a few things out of the way and do all my jobs while I'm in there.
_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!

[aeromech]

The computer comes out by removing two M6 bolts and the engine harness connector. Takes about 5 minutes although you would have to have previously removed the air box to get to the pie plate.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[mfemenel]

Until I started looking at pictures for this issue I never knew there was supposed to be something over that opening. There's no pie plate, since I've owned it (7 years). I should probably cut a circle or buy a steel circle to cover it when I'm done.
_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!

[Jetfxr69]

too bad i didnt see this until this morning. im driving through charlotte this morning and could have frisbee’d one to ya on the fly-by.
_________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[mfemenel]

Feel free any other time. If you go to high country bus festival I’m always there.
_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!

[mfemenel]

Got everything out of the way. To me it looks like fuel is dripping down the filler neck when I refill. I got a look in by the tank as well and the rubber there looks like it's in good shape all the way around. Not the best pics here but you can see that line on the underside of the pipe, assuming it's dripping due to the neck leak and has gotten worse over time. I'm going to start with that and see if it improves. Should be done anyway. Also that whole side by the air cleaner and battery needed a good clean out and some rust spots touched up. Might as well while I'm in there. Ryobi shop light is the best light ever btw.

Top photo tank to hose to filler
Bottom photo, filler neck just inside pie plate hole. Bottom side shows the leak from the neck.

_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!

[mfemenel]

Other than the small piece of rubber from the tank to the pipe, it's all metal up until the filler neck elbow. (photo attached). I thought that bend was a rubber line. A little scared how degraded that piece was. I'm sure I was dumping a good bit of fuel every time I filled up.

edit: If anyone has tips/tricks to getting that firewall to budge, I'm all ears. I have everything out of the way, took all the screws out (3 on each side) bent the tabs up (3 across the top) and it's not wanting to move. All the relays are off as well so I can pull it up and out. Can't get it to move off the back wall. Pry from top?side? bottom? Did I miss any other screws?

_________________
'79 Westy FI/AC/Auto
'78 Tin Top FI/Manual
'71 Ghia Coupe Project - FOR SALE!