383 gas smell

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Darren

Darren

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Hey guys trying to reduce the gassy smell of my 68 383. I relize that old cars have some kind of smell, mine seams to have more. It is mainly stock rebuild using KB 400 pistons original intake and exhaust manifolds. I am running a MP electronic ignition and the original carter AVS 4426 carb witch I just rebuild. I set my 2 lower mixure screws at 2 3/4 out and the second upper single mixure screw at 1 1/4 turn out as per 1968 original service manual. (Got info online). I am pretty sure my timming is at 34deg total. Last night I fired up the car and the wife was complaining about how I stunk up the complete house. Can this be fixed or is it time fore a new wife? Thanks
 
are you using a vapor cannister?how is it vented?does it smell gassy not running?or just running?
 
What cam? It's hard to say without more details but what is your initial timing at idle? I bet it wants more! The wilder the cam the more initial it's gonna want. This will require recurving the dizzy and limiting mechanical advance.
 
Good god almighty..... the problem is.... new cars have NO fuel smell, wht you smell is just a good ole fashion carb.....best way to get rid of the smell from your street rod... is to sell it and buy a late model... they burn nice and lean... hell thats half the fun... kinda miss smelling that smell from carb cars everywhere...
 
tarvin890 said:
Good god almighty..... the problem is.... new cars have NO fuel smell, wht you smell is just a good ole fashion carb.....best way to get rid of the smell from your street rod... is to sell it and buy a late model... they burn nice and lean... hell thats half the fun... kinda miss smelling that smell from carb cars everywhere...
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not much good advise here.carb cars dont smell like gas unless there are issues.try and be helpfull
 
I have the same problem. On Saturday afternoon I might take my car out for a spin, pull it in the garage and shut it off then an hour later it smells like someone spilled a can of gas in the garage..... my wife hates it!! I don't know how true this is but I asked one of the old timers in the local car club and he told me it's the way they make gas today. Since most cars today use fuel injection they add chemicals to make gas atomize easier. In addition they add 10% ethanol and it just seems to vaporize while sitting in the carburetor bowl.
 
check out the carter on ebay.$2889.00. its nos for a hemi.now that is one bad *** pump
 
jdsduster said:
not much good advise here.carb cars dont smell like gas unless there are issues.try and be helpfull
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really......? my BB with nice healthy cam....750 carb...msd.... geez your gonna get fumes... is he talking gas smell as in raw fuel somewhere... or exhaust.... which we all know the carb and well tuned performance engine is going to "smell" of unburnt fuel atoms....thats why engines have evolved into burning and using every bit of fuel it can...and you dont smell squat from a new car...he may be running a bit "fat" or over carbed... or heck may be running it in the garage and trapping all that exhaust... but pull up to any stop light behind an old car or truck with a carb... your gonna instantly pick up on that smell....at least if your pure-bred you will
 
yes please do look into an EFI system for 4k....... it will run great and burn all the fuel for sure...or deal with the gasoline byproduct of the unefficient carbruator......................I wish i could afford EFI for 4k.... or hilborn stack injection EFI would be even better...so there are options out there that burn all the fuel and wont leave you in the doghouse with the wife.
 
tarvin890 said:
Good god almighty..... the problem is.... new cars have NO fuel smell, wht you smell is just a good ole fashion carb.....best way to get rid of the smell from your street rod... is to sell it and buy a late model... they burn nice and lean... hell thats half the fun... kinda miss smelling that smell from carb cars everywhere...
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That's what I was afraid about asking this question.
I have been around old cars, trucks, sleds, dirtbikes etc my whole life I don't mind the smell. But when you go for a nice ride and come home with a headache, that's when I can tell the smell is excesive and there is somthing wrong.
 
Yes it is not a pure "gas" smell. It is when it's running more of a unburt fuel smell. The cam is a 458 lift.
 
Hey Darren,

I get the same thing with my Duster. Don't know the grind, but have a very "lumpy/choppy" cam. Seems to be primarily at idle, i.e. you can damn near taste it LOL! But once the RPMs come up she seems to burn the fuel and the smell goes away. But YES, idling it in the garage will stink up my house. Fortunately my wife and daughters are little gear heads like me so all is good. :blob:
 
Spend a few dollars and send it through emisions. If you dont have any in your local, find a car buddy that can do it for you. It will tell you the amount of burnt and un burnt gas comming out of the pipes. You con guess wrong a thousand times, or be right once.
 
Darren said:
That's what I was afraid about asking this question.
I have been around old cars, trucks, sleds, dirtbikes etc my whole life I don't mind the smell. But when you go for a nice ride and come home with a headache, that's when I can tell the smell is excesive and there is somthing wrong.
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mine does the same.... i have been opening my vent window to clear the air... is your exhaust run under the car or all the way to the bumper... sometimes to the bumper will work wonders of getting that exhaust away from the front area under your seat if thats as far back as it goes...
 
Darren said:
Yes it is not a pure "gas" smell. It is when it's running more of a unburt fuel smell. The cam is a 458 lift.
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where is the exhaust run to..how far back?
if its not to the rear bumper........ you can def improve it by running it out the back totally...
 
New exhaust ran out rear bumper. Thanks
 
Let's see...
If it's a '68 and wasn't built for CA emissions, the gas tank vents to atmospohere, and the carb vents to atmosphere. That's where the gas smell comes from. Problem is exacerbated by today's fuels which in most places are at least 10% methanol. It just evaporates very fast, and stinks too.
 
Darren said:
It's also a California car...
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Then your car should have an evaporative emissions system to collect the vapors. But seeing as how your car is modified, it could be disconnected or just not working anymore.

Or... maybe the car is just running real rich and you need some carb work/tuning.
 
so much for the exhaust idea....lol mine is to the rear axle... need to go to back like yours...... thats odd that you get that much fumes in the car while driving with it out the back.....
 
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