1987 F 150 4.9 liter with duel tanks. Strong smell of gasoline in and about F 150 when I fill front tank.

A little background: purchased truck this past July from original owner. He told me front tank leaked if you filled to top. He said keep at half tank and I'll be ok. Well I did that until today. But before I tried filling tank i kept track of mileage (EPA 15 city / 17 highway). That's exactly the mileage I'm getting. I also keep checking for leaks; none I can see. So today I filled tank. I see no leaks, I see no puddles or wet spots under tank. But I do have a very strong smell of gasoline in and about truck.

I have seen something about a gas vapor filter and I see some sort of steel line that runs to a charcoal filter in engine compartment. May be that is source of problem. Anyway just starting to study this problem and would appreciate any input or help. Thanks

 

Any chance you could ask the PO? He apparently knows the story.

It could be a slow leak and it's obviously on the top half of the tank. If it leaks slowly it could be hard to find as fuel evaporates quickly. We'll see how much it leaks when you check your mileage...

In any event you should either fix it or stop filling it. If someone flicks a cig butt your way the leak might be the least of your worries.

 

replaced steel line that runs from gas tank to charcoal filter in engine compartment. I think that fixed it. Line was rusted up pretty good. I used a section of brake line and just cut off ends. Slipped new rubber fuel line on either end.