TR4/4A Gas tank leak on TR4

[TR4CB]

When I put my TR4 to bed for the winter I topped off the fuel tank. I havent checked on it until recently when I was almost knocked over from gas fumes. The tank is still pretty much full and no signs of fuel on the floor, so I removed the trunk bulkhead and the cardboard behind the rear seats to get a look at the tank and found the paint all buckled and soggy on the metal floor under the tank and part of the carpeting behind the rear seat. It seems to be concentrated on the side where the overflow vent is located on the tank but still there is no tell tale sign that that is where it came from. Any ideas on how I can pinpoint this leak/spill and clean the affected areas? Thanks

 

[jsneddon]

if it is leaking from the supply pipe or the drain it would probably drip under the car not on the floor... Even if you find the leak with the tank in the car you're going to need to pull it to fix it. Once it is out it is usally pretty obvious where the leak is.

In the car I guess you could dry everything up and then dust some baby powder around in there and see if you can see where it is coming from.

 

[TR4CB]

Thanks, I did notice that the vent fitting on the top of the tank was slightly loose but only a little, so I'm hoping that when I topped off the tank it leaked from there. The affected area seems to be dry now so I dont think it is still leaking. Ive tightened down the vent fitting but I dont want to pull the tank if I dont have to, but I dont want to blow myself to Kingdom Come yet either, **** it, its always something with these friggin cars.

 

[TR4CB]

Ive pulled up the crumpled paint and washed out the area and the leak has not returned in the last two days, leading me to believe the leak was at the top of the tank at the vent or at the filling hose from over filling. I hope...

 

[Tomster]

If your storing in a heated space the gas will expand and will leak if it can & will find a way out

 

[trfourtune]

suggestion,
there are people out there that rubber line gas tanks so they never leak again. they sand blast the entire inside of the tank in order for the liner to stick. they have to drill access holes in the tank to blast it properly (then weld up patches). there are kits to do this but if you do not blast properly then the liner will come off(very bad). i would suggest this to anyone who has their tank out.
rob