What's the best way to locate where my gas smell is coming from? : ) It really wasn't bad before, but for the past week it's been pretty strong. I can smell it usually right off the bat when I start it, and really pretty much any other time, too. I noticed the lower part of my egr valve (that's what the thing is at the very back passenger side of my head, right?) is wet looking, but I touched where it looked wet and smelled it and I didn't think it smelled like gas. I just had the carb checked out and was told it was fine, but hadn't smelled the gas before then so I didn't ask to have that checked out, just asked to check the carb to make sure that wasn't what was causing my bad gas mileage. I guess my timing was off, and I haven't been driving it enough since then to see if I'm getting better mileage.

 

Good question, that same thing leaks on mine too (egr?)... Plus mine smells quite gassy while parked, but I assumed all that was a bad carb, I will be curious to know what you find out. I don't got any suggestions.

 

Check the fuel pump. I developed a small leak and I could smell gas and my mileage dropped off. I first thought it was a bad hose but after replacing all of the hoses it still leaked, new fuel pump and all is better now.

 

Ok, thanks. I guess another question: do you use any RTV on the pump? I just used new gaskets, but no RTV. I'll check into what a new pump would cost, too, although I don't know yet if that's what's causing my smell.

 

If it an Mech pump off the cam then the gaskets just keep oil from leaking out from the head, no gas gets there. Double check all your hoses even the return line back to the tank from the pump. I had a few cracks and holes in my rubber lines from vibrations and rubbing under my cab. What about your Charcoal Canister?

 

Hmm...yeah could be any of those things. I checked most of my hoses but I didn't actually crawl around under the truck. Can the canister be R&R'ed or would it need to be replaced if it's bad? Seems like it'd be a cheap part, but...
It wouldn't suprise me if it had issues, plus my rubber lines. They are a little cracked in places I can see, but just where they go onto metal parts (like the mechanical pump), and it's at the ends so I've got the hose clamps behind those cracks, but if there are cracks there, it wouldn't surprise me if there are some in other places. I haven't been able to make time to really check everything over, and I've got a coolant leak to fix too, and as of this Sunday it's hunting season....so we'll see when I find time, but I'll report back what it was when I find out, and if anyone else has ideas of what to look at, let me know! Thanks.

 

Still haven't really crawled around under the truck...but the gas smell kind of comes & goes, although it seems to smell pretty reliably right when I start it and first get moving.

I also have an idle that is really high when I first start the truck. It may just be at 1100 or 1200, then go down after I drive it a bit, but sometimes, especially if I drive it for a bit, then park it for maybe 15-30 minutes and start it again, it may shoot all the way up to 2000rpms. I can usually get it to come down by tapping the gas. Related? Or separate issues?