[adriancowgill]

Hello,

Please can you point me in the direction of a solution to the below issue I’m having with my Silver Shadow II.

There’s an intense petrol smell when the car is being driven. It doesn’t smell inside the car when the window is closed. There are no visible leaks or drips. There’s no smell when it’s jacked up and run in gear with light loads on the breaks. The smell is worse if the near side front window is open. We’ve checked all breathers around the fuel filter neck. New needle valves, new non syncable floats in carburettors (HIF 7’s). All fuel pipes are secured with stainless steel clips and bleed off from carb floats to a relief valve near side front off the engine. The petrol smell can also be detected in the boot.

Thank you.

 

[Jim Walters]

Have you removed the trim panel in the boot and checked all hose connections to the tank? That is where I would be looking if you can detect the smell in there.

 

[adriancowgill]

Yes Jim, the hose connections have been replaced. Many thanks for your response.

 

[Jim Walters]

Has the carbon canister under the left front fender been checked? If the carbs were previously flooding it could be full of fuel. Is your Shadow a home market car with the fuel tank under the boot floor on the right side or in the front of the boot behind a trim panel as with other world markets? If in the front there may be fuel pooled under it from a previous leak. Fuel under the tank will soften the tar there and the smell will never go away unless the tank is removed and the tar cleaned up.

 

[guyslp]

Have you checked to see whether you might have a leak of the ultra-little, ultra-fine spray type at one of the carb fuel filter caps?

The worst fuel leak I've ever experienced was when the seal on one of these caps decided it was time to fail and there was a veritable fountain of fuel being pushed out at great volume. I can envision, though, a similar situation where just the smallest amount of fuel would be leaking and being atomized at this point and where an even slightly warm-ish engine would start causing the fragrance to waft about very strongly.

Just a thought.