Gas Leak - 1972 Bronco

[SamOfPhila]

Hi All. I just received a 1972 Bronco as a birthday gift. I have admired them for a while. It seems to be in pretty good shape but certainly not perfect. I am new to auto work.

Yesterday I took it to the gas station to fill the tank. I brought it home and parked it...and when I came back out maybe 90 min later there was a puddle of gas from a leak. On investigation it appears that there are 5 points of connection to the tank. The fifth point is connected with a small (in diameter) hose coming off of the gas tank that leads nowhere. It appears that the hose had a clamp on it at one point. But at the moment it is an open end which is discharging gas.

Questions:

1) What is the purpose of this hose?
2) What was it connected to? Is there meant to be a breather vent or something connected to it?
3) What is a solution to prevent gas from leaking out of this hose?

Any other feedback is welcome.

 

[F1Jim64]

Hi All. I just received a 1972 Bronco as a birthday gift. I have admired them for a while. It seems to be in pretty good shape but certainly not perfect. I am new to auto work.

Yesterday I took it to the gas station to fill the tank. I brought it home and parked it...and when I came back out maybe 90 min later there was a puddle of gas from a leak. On investigation it appears that there are 5 points of connection to the tank. The fifth point is connected with a small (in diameter) hose coming off of the gas tank that leads nowhere. It appears that the hose had a clamp on it at one point. But at the moment it is an open end which is discharging gas.

Questions:

1) What is the purpose of this hose?
2) What was it connected to? Is there meant to be a breather vent or something connected to it?
3) What is a solution to prevent gas from leaking out of this hose?

Any other feedback is welcome.

View attachment 21688

I'm assuming that is an aftermarket tank because I see two braided stainless AN lines connecting to it on the left of your main filler hose. My guess is that line is either a vent - or was intended to connect to a charcoal canister - also a vent of sorts - but the canister traps the gas vapors. I think I would just extend it up above the top fuel level in the tank and put a small filter on it. You can also put a check valve in the line if you are worried about fuel spilling out if the Bronco is ever flipped upside down... (you will have bigger problems to worry about then - you don't need a puddle of gas under you)

The tank needs to be vented - either by a vented cap or by that line.

 

[chrlsful]

yeah - "going to nowhere" helps me think to the canister at ur L hip when sitting in the driver's seat (buried in the panel, rear of the door is a blk plastic triangular 'bottle" w/4 lines in it, as described by previous post)...
"How to solve?" well that's got may B 5 solutions - one is to learn a lill abt how to work w/those types of lines. Some 1 just complicated ur job by makin it fancy/pretty.
They probably did not assemble the end properly (where U see the red/blue metal). The fiting was not done properly underneath the silver braiding, I would (as a new person to this whole field) hope U have a spirit of learning & adventure. It is a long rd to expertiese as an automoblie is a system. Do something to 1 part, it effects others ie hydro systems, ele stytems (charging, ignition, run, etc) and so on. Most see it as a neanderthal, knuckle draggin endevor. It is actually highly technical (ever degree a cam shaft? figure our dynamic v static compression ratio, etc) one. So go slow, look for sources to do research (on system integration, sequence of operations, assemblies, tool and chemical use), and what has helped me w/the women who have learned is think of it a lill like being crafty (mixing compounds to do bondo body work, how a disc break system wrks, is maintained). Tis person did not take that orientation and simply slapped it together (o0OP, insufficient). Not sure this fits, give it a try:

get back to us. We're here to help. Ur 1st 'research'? Lots more ta go...

 

[chrlsful]

no, wrong lemmie try again:

yep, beddah. But
this guy is not under the rig, keepin the hose above the gas legel in the tank, "tryin to reach up in there". U may want to take off the non leaking end, take it to the bench, dissasemble, assure proper assembly, TEST !, bring back under & re-place...pretty routeen. But many steps to a simple problem. It's like that all over the rig !

 

[SamOfPhila]

So I think I figured out the solution (short term and longer term) and it was essentially identical to what you described.

The hose is meant to be a vent. I think we should assume that at some point in the past it was connected to a small filter or a charcoal canister. But the hose is short and I am not prepared to do any real work on it until the end of the summer (we are at the beach and the mechanic is back home (about 2 hours away).

Short term solution - I plugged the hose with a bold and a clamp. The cap is vented and I am hopeful that this will simply prevent any leaking. We dont do any real off roading so if I find myself upside down in this thing then something really bad just happened. But hopefully the bolt will keep the gas where it is supposed to be. I also just ordered a halcyon fire extinguisher and a seat mount.

Longer term solution - when I am back home I intend on installing either a small filter above the gas tank or a charcoal filter. Seems like the later will be better since the truck will live in a garage and the charcoal filter seems like it will eliminate the odors more effectively

 

[chrlsful]

/OR/
dump the whole thing.
I try e v e r y thing I can to elimanate sources of pollution. Ozone in Cali (LA area) is caused by this very thing, simple vapors released into the atmosphere. I use a closed PCV syst on a '69 i6, vent the tank into charcole, burn hot'n a lill lean, etc - I HATE it all and wish it would not B pumped onto the earth\s surface, placed into its air. Better stop, I'm headed toward a rant.
I like my DD, a 50 y/o multipurpose rig (not good at any thing, Ok @ 2).
Do whadja can Bra, soon as ya can, every X U can...