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TECH TIP

Mike got tied up and was unable to meet the deadline. So I am filling in this month and sharing a couple of tidbits. - Bill Conkel

Gas Odor

You just filled up your 10 gallon tank, spending half a week’s paycheck in the process. You even have a nice, new gas cap to protect your valuable liquid cargo. You make a hard right turn and… Pee-yuwe! Fresh gasoline odors flush through your V’dub. But wait a minute? The gas cap is on the right! So it can’t be spilling out from the filler on a right turn!? What could this mean?

SCENARIO: If you own a "late model" non-bus (bug, Ghia, square-back, etc.), which includes post-1970 VWs, you probably have noticed a plastic box with 4 hose connectors on the rear wall of your front trunk (see author’s attempt at Drawing-101 below).

This box is part of the fuel vapor recovery system, intended at reducing emissions of gasoline vapors. The hoses, connected on the driver’s side (left) of this box, feed from the top of the gas tank.

PROBLEM: It could be any or all of the following:

  1. The hoses leading to this box, on the driver’s side, are routed over the top of the trunk hinge. After several years, the tubes become brittle and can be broken by the hinge.
  2. One or both of these hoses may have been pulled off the canister-box.
  3. The canister box has a plastic tab on each end, used to mount it to the wall. Either of these 2 tabs can crack where they mate to the box, causing gas and fumes to leak out.

(Approximately 12-18" long)

FIX:

  1. &2(above) Replace the hoses.
  2. I have been unable to locate NEW canister boxes. Any used ones you find would be of questionable quality (could crack tomorrow). I have had good luck removing the canister and GLUEING the crack with a brand of glue called "GOOP" (sold at most K-Mart stores). It is part silicone and part model cement. Let it set up over night and re-install canister and hoses.

Exhaust Leaks at Muffler O-Rings

Your V’dub has stopped smelling like Gas, but now the exhaust is "chugging", indicating a leak at one of the muffler or header connections. Upon inspection, you can see the telltale carbon stains around one (or both) of the j-tube connections to the muffler. This is a very common problem, once the j-tubes are old, rusty and pitted. It becomes increasingly difficult to get a good seal at the o-rings.

PROBLEM: The old-timers may already know about this one, but it could be one of the following:

  1. You are using CHEAP muffler clamps that do not have 2 different sized arcs (one for the j-tube and a larger one for the header or muffler).
    2.

  2. You are using GOOD (German?) clamps, but you have installed them BACKWARDS (see illustration below).

FIX: for:

  1. Purchase the better clamps that have the 2 different sized arcs. Then install them as explained in #2 below.
  2. Install the clamps with the SMALL opening (created by the small arc) over the j-tube and the LARGE opening over the muffler or header tube.

Your VW Dummy who knows NOTHING about quiet V’dubs,
Bill C. –