my brother has purchased a 911 1987 convertible today car drives nice but has a really strong smell of gas in the cabin and outside even when i was waxing it engine off i could smell it any ideas what this is had a general look around and no fuel is leaking from anywhere tank seems ok
i had a look at a few previous threads and concluded the fuel pump lines can start to leak but wouldnt there be a fuel puddle on the floor
could someone please put up a pic og where the fuel pump/ skid plate is on a 1987 911 convertible

 

The fuel pump is up front under the smugglers box. The skid plate is easy to remove. Once you have the car on jack stands or a ramp, remove the plate by removing the four bolts. The fuel pump is right there where the steering knuckle comes down in the smugglers box. Small leaks pool on the skid plate and wont leak to the floor unless on an incline or they are bad.

 

is the skid plate on the right hand driver side or left hand passenger side and do i need to start the car to check for the leak
what i cant understand is the fuel smell is very strong around the front side (uk spec) of the car and thats even if the car is off or has been switched off for a few hours

 

first make sure the gas cap is on tight, I had a customer who complained of this and his tank was full, cap loose so it would splash out the neck while driving.

 

The plate covers the entire front bottom on my '84 3.2, it is black and about 3 feet by 2 feet. It hides (or protects) the fuel pump, there is a 4 inch rubber hose from the gas tank to the fuel pump then a another one from the pump to the fuel line going into the front floor board and down through the center tunnel. Pray it is the small hose or crush washers on the banjo fitting on the fuel pump. If it is the fuel line in the tunnel it is a royal pain and a $200 part unless you want to go the hyraulic hose shop route.

 

thankyou will try and get it on a ramp tomorrow sounds a little clear now its definitely not the fuel cap that was the first thing i checked
what i cant understand is if it was one of these pipes why would the car mell hours after not having been started

 

Pull the trunk carpet away from the brake booster, toward the center of the trunk, until you can see the top rear corner of the fuel tank. You will see the fuel gauge sender (held on with 5 small nuts), make sure that is secure. If that's OK, after you've dropped the skid plate, start the car and watch for seepage near the fuel pump.
Pete

 

and have a fire extinguisher handy. Sure it's not coming from the rear? The Carrera Fuel line is known for it's leaking.... and catching on fire...

 

Todays gasolines don't smell as much so it could be bad- because fuel injection also bumps up the lines pressures. Once I was looking at, and and drove in, a CA car and then happened to notice a slight shimmering from the gas pouring down the side of the carburator. No smell, owner was relieved.
It could also be a cracked evap canister(?)-early cars have them next to the brake MC, under the FL wheelwell, and a carbon canister next to the L battery.