bottle at top of o/s/r wheel arch

[hairypete]

guys, what the hell is this? its a bottle with three pipes going to the fuelk tank, is it like the reserve? cause all i can smell is fuel around the arch and i think i might have a leaky pipe going back to the tank. was just trying to figure if it was a reserve or an expansion tank, and if so is it ok to remove and plug up the holes out the tank?

[tbmw]

believe it's something to do with the cat system or lack thereoff

[hairypete]

hmm, not following seeing as i have no cat, but dude, who the hell is that picture of???

[Brianmoooore]

It's part of the fuel vent system, and your fuel smell isn't coming from there.
You probably have a small leak and it's coming from:
a) The metal pipe from the fuel filler down to the tank, or
b) The area on the fuel tank immediately aqround where the fuel goes into it, or
c) The short rubber hose connecting the above two together, or
d) The large O ring gasket for the fuel pump, or
e) One of the high pressure rubber fuel hoses perished or leaking connection.

The only case of a leaking vent bottle I've come across has been due to someone with a death wish welding the inner wing directly inside of it and melting it.

[kjard_us]

What if the smell is variable? If I let my 86 idle I will never smell a thing. However, sometimes when I come to a stop it just comes flooding up from outside and I suspect behind me (I have replaced all the hoses past the fuel filter in the engine compartment). This is on an almost empty tank. I have not been able to really play around with all the variables but if it were a leaking hose would the smell be constant?

[Brianmoooore]

a, b, c, and d are usually associated with petrol tanks that are not nearly empty. If you can smell petrol with a near empty tank, there's a leak somewhere, probably as in e.
It's just a matter of checking out all the hoses and their joints to find it.
There are hoses under the oval inspection cover under the back seat base, and more hoses in front of the rear left wheel arch.

[hairypete]

ok guys, will get to pulling everything apart again in a bit, and let you know if i find anything, right now im still broken from last night!