230 SL Gas Tank Issues

[martyd]

Some advice please. My 1964 230 SL has smell of gas in the garage. No visible leakage. Then, the other day I filled the tank "full" and in the garage I saw gas dripping. It appeared almost to come from the top of the tank?? Is this possible? I took 5 gallons out and no leakage. is there a vent that may be leaking? A seal leaking? Also, the "gas trap" in the trunk, could that be involved? Does one need to "service" this gas trap?? Thank so much for your thoughts!!!

[rwmastel]

Hi Marty,

Fuel dripping just after you get home, or after sitting over night?  Regardless, you don't want fuel vapor building up in your garage!!

I see you only have a few posts on the forums.  Do you have much knowledge or experience with the fuel system on these cars?

You could simply have a rust hole near the top of the tank.  How long have you owned the car, and do you know if the tank is factory original or was replaced at any point?

The fuel hose at the station should stop before "over filling".  There is a hole in the top of the tank where the "sender" is mounted.  It reads and sends the fuel level in the tank to the fuel gauge.  It has a cork seal.  If that's really old, and the tank is over full, then I suppose it might leak some and create a drip.

There is a venting system for the fuel tank - the gas cap is not a venting cap.  I don't know if vapor would condensate and drip from a faulty venting system.

If you like looking up info and learning on your own, our search function works great.  See attached.  It would be best to search in the sub-forum pertaining to fuel system.

Are you a handy mechanical person who tries to fix things yourself?  Removing the fuel tank is not the hardest job on this car.  We can advise and help.  As with anything on these cars, once you start to dig into an area to fix one problem, you might find three additional problems.  If you pull the tank, you might end up replacing fuel lines, vent lines, the filler neck seal, etc.

[kampala]

most common reason for gas smell in garage or in cabin are the flex vent lines - these are located under the hump in the trunk by the filler.  Remove the screws on the hump and you will see the flex lines - replace flex lines  - use clamps with new lines.   You will find lots of info on these as its a very common issue.

Of course replace gasket on fuel sender.

[rwmastel]

most common reason for gas smell in garage or ...

He said he had drips as well, which is a "next level" issue.

[martyd]

Thank you everyone. RWMastel, to answer your questions. The leaking was discovered quickly on my garage floor after filling the tank and actively dripping appeared to come from the top of the tank.  I do only have a few posts.  I actually just got this car.  Long story, family car, was in LA for several years getting restored, I live in KC and managing that restoration from 1500 miles away was not ideal. I got the car in KC in August. I don't have a lot of knowledge or experience with these cars. But it is the original tank. I have a friend and we are going to tackle removing the tank our and examining it. Kampala, thank you as well!
Again, I appreciate your thoughts and I will report my "work"
Thanks.
Marty

[Bonnyboy]

Tanks come out fairly easily but be careful with the fuel -   it goes everywhere if not careful.

Drain the tank with a siphon hose first -  then you can unscrew the big bung on the bottom to remove what's left -  get a big container as it could come out in a real hurry - then remove the filler neck and the vent hoses and the fuel line to the pump (more gas to spill)  -  support the tank with a couple floor jacks and then undo the bolts around the outside of the tank and the tank comes out fairly easily -  you may have rust holes near the top or on the top. 

[rwmastel]

I live in KC.

I have a cousin in KC.  Her and her husband are big Fiat fans, having a classic 124 Spider as well as a modern Abarth one (sharing chassis w/ Miata).  Through me, they gave another KC member here advice on where to get cylinder head work done.  I hope you've found some good Classic MB resources locally.  You're a Full Member, so you can view/sort the Member List and find other members in your area and plan a small meet-up.  It's a blessing to see a number of other Pagodas and talk specifics with the owners while seeing/touching the cars.

Oh, and another connection I have to KC is buying my C43 from a fellow MBCA member in the Loch Lloyd development, south of KC.