Strong gas smell after fill up

Well.........it's snowing here in northeast CT. In anticipation of this MG season ending event I filled up my 73B roadster this morning and put it away for the winter. Sad day but spring will come along eventually !

Over the past few weeks I've been trying to figure out a gas smell coming from the car. First I found the bottom of the rear carb was wet with gas so replaced the HIF4 bowl gasket. I thought I'd solved the problem but alas the odor continued.

This afternoon after the car had been parked inside for a few hours I went into the carriage shed (that's a small barn for you city dwellers) and found there was a very strong gas smell in the building. Given that I'd just filled up the tank, and the fact that there are no gas puddles anywhere on the floor, I'm thinking I have a gas tank issue, complicated of course by the fact that the tank is now full.

The gas tank is another place I've never messed around so am looking for a few suggestions on what to look at first. And.......can I get to any potential problem areas without first emptying and dropping the tank?

Thanks,
BH

- I would start off by replacing any old fuel line hoses with the correct fuel line clamps - they are probably old and in need of replacement for good measure anyway.

That smell is how you know there is gas in the tank...

Seriously though is the smell in the boot or just everywhere? I know how fumes build up in a carriage house.

Worst case would be that the top of the tank has rust holes....allowing some fuel to escape as fuel in the full tank sloshed around. I'd check everything else first though. It only takes a small amount of gas to make quite a smell....

Thanks everyone.

All hoses under the hood have been replaced already plus I've checked pretty much everything under the hood. The bottom of both carbs are now dry, there are no leaks from any hoses or gas smell coming from the overflow tube, and I can't smell gas from any specific point under the hood. Pollution control has been removed and there is no gas smell coming out of the line that would have gone to the charcoal canister.

Also there is no gas smell in the trunk. It just seems to come from nowhere but really stinks. That's why I'm thinking the tank. I have not replaced any of the steel gas lines but I'd think if there were a leak in one of them I'd have a pool of gas somewhere under the car.

BH

Did you check the condition of the flex lines from the tank to the fuel pump or from the pump to the lines that go forward? You can see them with a pocket mirror through the battery access panel or from underneath behind the right rear wheel. I always hear people say they replaced all the fuel lines uder the hood but the ones back there get hit by sand stone water and grease. check them and see if they are ok.

The good news is..on a '73 you have a drain plug if you need to drain the tank.
Since it is put up for winter, clamp off the overflow tube to the carbs. If that doesnt do it, I'd say you have some of the dreaded pinholes on top of tank. 1 other thing, did you drill the tank cap to vent????
RS

take a air hose, put it in filler tube a little ways but not enough to get into gas. put a plastic wrap over the rest of filler tube and turn air hose on. see if air comes out other places than filler tube... DONT pressurize tank by completely sealing off filler tube, allow some air to escape but try to listen or feel front portion of tank or even put baby powder and around there and look for a cloud of it to show air leaking. My tank leaked at the front passenger side on the top and I didnt find it til I filled it up. You can ciphon some out into a gas can and wait til spring also.... chances are, it is really full and the top is leaking if you have checked all the lines.

BH I had the same problem...my sender unit was wet as was one of the Banjo connections to my pump...they werent drippping gas but wet..fixed this then found wet areas at base of my tank...replaced the tank and all smell has gone

I'm pretty sure my tank was replaced by the previous owner, and I think they went aftermarket instead of Heritage so there probably isn't a drain plug. Just to be sure can someone tell me where it would be located? Pretty obvious on the bottom of the tank sort of like the oil pan drain plug? I don't see anything like that on the bottom of the tank.

BH

Yup, bottom center.