VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1958-1960 fuel smell

Hi, My wife and I are new owners of a 58 Yeoman, in driving the car we have noticed a strong fuel odor. I am guessing its a fuel pump issue (either connections or pump itself). Anyway I think I am going to go ahead and do a pump replacment rather than overhaul. My question is however what type of line should be running form the pump to the carb, it appears that I have some sort of rubber housed metal line there now that has been spliced in a couple of spots. Any ideas what i should have and any insight on the replacment would be great or any other things I should inspect or replace while I am in there? Its a stock 283, for those who need to know

The line is all steel, one piece and flared ends. Replacement pre-bent line can be purchased from various vendors ... correctly bent as it sounds like you will have no old correct line to use as a pattern. Sounds as if you have a rather dangerous fire bomb at the present time. Line available from www.finelinesinc.com or Inline-Tube.com..........

Thanks so much, I do appriciate it. Another question, should there be a in line filter near the pump? I can see what looks like one however I cannot tell from my service manual if that is what it is. It too is spliced on with rubber tubing (this keeps getting better and better).

No filter was in the carb.

John

Question, does the engine have a Rochester or Carter Qudra Jet four barrel carb or a two barrel and have you checked to see if there is gasoline on the manifold after it has been running? Sometimes the bottom of the Q-Jet bowl will leak, there are some with small welch plugs in the bottom and others have a thin bottom that corrodes and leaks. As John said the only fuel filter is the one in the carb inlet where the fuel line attaches (there will be a large hex fitting that houses the filter). These are known to leak when installed in-correctly.

its a two barrel carb, I have not checked the manifold, however the line leaving the fuel pump is not clamped at the pump like the one going in so I suspect that may be my culprit. As well the fuel smell seems to be concetrated in that vicinity.
So if its not a fuel filter does someone have an idea what I might be looking at? Let me try to describe what it is I am seeing, on the fuel line coming from the gas tank someone has spliced in a rubber tube to the metal and attached to that is a small canister (about the size of a large white out bottle) from there the line continues to the pump. What does the canister do?

From the description and the location it sounds like you have an inline fuel filter.

Today I visited a fellow who has a highly modified 1956 Convertible. He mentioned he had settled the claim with the insurance company. The engine had been fitted with a GLASS fuel filter in the engine compartment. The glass had broken and sprayed the engine and compartment and caught fire. The repair cost; $50,000. The insurance company paid the full claim. (The car was insured for $100,000).

The 1958 8 Cyl. engines had an AC brand glass bowl fuel filter just ahead of the carburetor. This info. is from the parts book, assembly manual and 1958 Facts Book. This filter is still available today. The steel line was in one piece from the pump to the filter. The line from the tank to the fuel pump had a rubber hose (gas resistant) between the fuel pump and the steel line. The hose connecting to the "inlet" side of the pump with a special fitting. The hose was clamped to the fitting and to the line with clamps, fittings were not used as the 1955-57 had. The rubber hose was used to allow for engine movement. The wagon also had a rubber hose used as a connector back near the gas tank....this is from the asembly manual.
Its common to find in-line filters spliced into the fuel lines on older cars. The previous owners usually had problems with dirt in the tank and rather than having the tank cleaned they hung on extra filters. You may have dirt in the bottom of the tank which will be causing futureproblems.
The Assembly manual shows the proper fuel line routings from the tank to the pump and pump to the carb.
It is also possible that your wagon had a 6 Cyl. engine originally and the 8 was a later transplant. The serial number would verify if was "built" as a V8.

serial #B58S 259974. I had been debating the assembly manual, Think I will go ahead and get it. All of yor help has been great. Should I look intoo having the tank cleaned? Who would do that kind of service?

B = DelRay car or Yeoman wagon (the lowest priced series) with a V8 engine. :)

58 = the year

S = Car assembled in StLouis.

Wagon bodies were made in Cleveland and shipped to the assembly plants....other body styles were made at the assembly plant EXCEPT convertibles.

Most radiator shops will cook out gas tanks.

cool, thanks.