[PonchoTom6062]

I drove the '62 Tempest a few miles and the gas gauge said 1/4 tank. Went to put more gas in and when I opened the gas cap, up it came. Soaked to the bone in gas. Could this be a cap problem or something else? Thanks...

[mechanickeith]

Make sure you have a vented cap on it. Have seen this happen before.

[elefantrider]

Went through this recently as well.
Took my car out of a cold garage, parked it in the sun with slight lean towards the drivers side.
10 min later, I look outside and gas is dripping from the tank.
Opened the door and cap and here it comes gushing out.

I wonder how many of these cars were lost to fire due to that.

[63Banshee]

Gas can, gas tank, same physics.

[GaryK]

This only happened to me driving home from the Charleston, WV POCI convention, driving through the mountains in 100 degree heat. I got into the habit of opening the cap very slow. My gas gauge wasn't working right either until I got out of the mountains.

[beemergary]

This has happened to me with the 61 wagon. The gas must have been leaking and then running back down and leaking all over the place.First thing you think is the tanks leaking at the seam so I siphon some gas out. Along comes my friend and tells me your problem is a 61 thing. He has a 61 and the same thing happened to him before at a car cruise. He thought the same thing. Leaking tank. We get lucky sometimes.

[Radman]

2 possible things. 1. Expansion of the gas in the tank. 2. Your vent tube is plugged. It starts at the top of the tank on the drivers side (close to the gas pick-up exit). Then a short rubber hose to a small pipe that goes around the frame by the rear tire and up to the filler neck. Then another short hose to the filler neck, just below the cap. If that vent path is plugged there will be a gas plug forced up in the filler neck. It is pushed out when you take the cap off.
How does it act when you are filling the tank? If the vent tube is plugged it will shut off the gas pump very quickly and you will not have put much gas in. It is more of the air expanding than the gas.

[elefantrider]

Thanks. Will check the vent tube. Fills up fine at the pump.

[mechanickeith]

If my tank is full & I put the right side tires up on the curb, it will drip out the filler. I only have the tank completely full when I an heading out of town on a trip. If I am staying in town, a max of 3/4 full.

[GaryK]

How often are the right side tires up on the curb?

[Txbobcat]

This is all new to me.

[mechanickeith]

Originally Posted by GaryK

How often are the right side tires up on the curb?

Every night! I live on a buisy street & my front door faces 6 lanes wide. There is an access road along the street that the city took 1/3 of to put in a bus stop. If I park with all wheels in the street, there isnt room for cars to go by safely. Only room in the driveway for the wifes car & my Catalina. So, the daily driver is in the street each night.

[elefantrider]

Are plugged-up vent tubes a common problem on these cars? I do not see how they can plug up on their own.

[mechanickeith]

No.

[TempestFugit]

I have seen filler necks with a internal vent tube and some without it... Hmmm.

All my cars with filler tubes behind the license plate (especially the Bonneville) burp up some gas on a hot day unless the tank is below half or I park it with the back end higher than the front.

[elefantrider]

Might try to get a shot of compressed air in the filler's vent tube, although I highly doubt it is plugged. Probably just a fact of life with these cars.........hot sunny day and it is going to leak gas.

[GaryK]

61-2 have the filler neck on the side and I have seen the rubber hoses dry rot away and leak.

[Radman]

If you bought one of the reproduction gas caps MAKE SURE IT IS VENTED! The sellers keep saying that the non-vented cap is correct. It is not, it will spit gas at you every time you take it off of the tank.