Gas pouring out from underneath engine

bruin27 · Jul 30, 2016

So all of a sudden I notice a big pool of gas and an active drip coming from underneath my truck. It looks like it's coming from in between the engine and tranny, under the air cleaner was covered in gas a pooled in all the crevices.. I cleaned it all off and it's not pooling on top of the engine anymore but still actively dripping.

Tried starting it and it gives 1 click and doesn't even try to start.. Does anyone have any idea what this could be before I take it to the shop?

crazzywolfie · Jul 31, 2016

DO NOT TRY STARTING YOUR TRUCK AGAIN AS IS!!!! you can possibly damage stuff if you do. it sounds like someone has blocked your fuel tanks vent line which flooded your engine. first check your oil level to see how much gas has seeped down there. you will most likely need to change the oil. to get the engine turning again you will need to pull all the plugs and use the starter to turn the engine over. you may want to stand clear as gas will come out of the cylinders. if you don't know where the gas tank vent is plugged i would recommend removing the gas cap until you can find it. that way you will not have pressure build up in the tank again

bruin27 · Jul 31, 2016

I don't think anyone has tampered with my truck, what else could have caused this?.. It wasn't even driven the day this happened. It was just sitting and out of no where happened, I thought it might have something to do with the weather, it's been 100+ for the last couple of weeks..

crazzywolfie · Jul 31, 2016

something in the emissions system could have gone bad and be preventing the gas tank from venting. during the day if the fuel tank is not venting like it should to the charcoal canister, pressure builds up in the tank and forces fuel through the fuel line into the carb. this is part of why i got my 81 so cheap. they ran it out of gas most likely caused by the vent line that they blocked off.

bruin27 · Jul 31, 2016

What do you think this will cost me to get fixed?

crazzywolfie · Jul 31, 2016

i have no idea. i think it would depend on where exactly your issue is. can only do so much over the internet. did you try opening the gas cap on your truck to see if there was any pressure in there? you will hear air rushing out if there is pressure. if there is not too much gas in the oil it might be safe to drive once you get the gas out of the cylinders but it would still be advisable to get an oil change done.

bruin27 · Jul 31, 2016

Just opened the gas cap and air did come rushing out...

crazzywolfie · Jul 31, 2016

till you can get it fixed i would recommend keeping the cap off. i am not 100% sure how the charcoal canisters work but that is what the gas tank vents to. you could try disconnecting the vent at both the charcoal canister and tank and blow through it to see if there is any blockages in the line but i have a feeling the issue is most likely with the charcoal canister itself. with how old it is it is bound to have issues like that. most people usually just throw that crap out when it starts acting up but since you are in California you got to see about fixing it. i have seen replacement filters for the charcoal canister on rockauto but i have no idea how they would be installed.

bruin27 · Jul 31, 2016

Don't think it's the canister, ran air through it and it's coming clean out of the other end

bruin27 · Jul 31, 2016

Also sorry if this is a newbie question but How do I use the starter to turn the engine over with the plugs out?

sbarron · Jul 31, 2016

bruin27 said:
Also sorry if this is a newbie question but How do I use the starter to turn the engine over with the plugs out?

By turning the key.

Rustycowl69 · Jul 31, 2016

sbarron said:
By turning the key.

that was my first thought, too. Plus a "duh". But if someone is asking this type of question, perhaps that is a dangerous instruction. If you have gas laying in puddles on the engine, and if you have raw fuel shooting out of the spark plug holes, what about errant sparks? At the very least, you need to pull the secondary wire from the dist. cap and ground it solidly. But, in this case, the OP should go one step further and disconnect the positive terminal either from the coil or the ballast resistor, so there is little or no chance of a spark while your cranking the engine.

crazzywolfie · Jul 31, 2016

bruin27 said:
Don't think it's the canister, ran air through it and it's coming clean out of the other end

I don't know. There could be a blockage in the vent line between the tank and vent. Ya it would be a good idea to disconnect the main coil wire or unplug the ballast resisted before using the key to turn the engine over. You can try covering the cylinders with some rags to cut down on spray but I can already tell you it will shoot gas right out from under the hood

sbarron · Jul 31, 2016

Rustycowl69 said:
that was my first thought, too. Plus a "duh". But if someone is asking this type of question, perhaps that is a dangerous instruction. If you have gas laying in puddles on the engine, and if you have raw fuel shooting out of the spark plug holes, what about errant sparks? At the very least, you need to pull the secondary wire from the dist. cap and ground it solidly. But, in this case, the OP should go one step further and disconnect the positive terminal either from the coil or the ballast resistor, so there is little or no chance of a spark while your cranking the engine.

Good advice.... My thought was that all gas would be cleaned up and gone before he attempted to turn the motor over. That and have a fire extinguisher close.

bruin27 · Jul 31, 2016

Thanks for the advice guys, I was reading it like I needed to do some special kind of start since all the plugs were disconnected.. Didn't see these posts until I started it up to get the gas out of the cylinders, gas did fly everywhere but I think I got it all out, just a side note, I did start a small fire under the hood on the last crank I did.. Shoulda read the advice of disconnecting everything beforehand but I put it out quickly and nothing looks to be effected visually.. I'm gonna get the plugs back in shortly and see if I can get her to start... Thanks again everyone

bruin27 · Jul 31, 2016

Getting closer, everything hooked back up, it started for a second... Any other suggestions? It just cranks trying to start when before I just clicked once and that was it...

crazzywolfie · Jul 31, 2016

you can try holding the throttle while cranking the engine. the engine could still be "flooded" with what is left of the gas from the intake

Rustycowl69 · Jul 31, 2016

when the plugs get that soaked with fuel, you at the least, should blow them dry with compressed air, or better yet, brake cleaner. There are many people who claim after hard flooding like that, they will never work as well as they did before.
I never saw any post on what year we are talking about. If we are talking about a carbureted vehicle, it might be advisable to pull the top off of the carb, and make sure the needle and seat are clean, and the float bowl is clean of debris.
I know someone mentioned it before, but I'll second his advice of changing the oil and filter, before you drive it.

crazzywolfie · Jul 31, 2016

you must be on a mobile devise. he has a 84. i can vouch for plugs not working right or at all after hard flooding like that. i think i had a couple plugs completely die all together after my engine flooded. luckily i never throw out the old ones if there is nothing wrong with them so i tossed them back in.

Gas pouring out from underneath engine

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