Fuel Filter Question

[scubav20]

I have a clear fuel filter on my bronco and it's full to the max, is that normal? I thought I remembered it just being half full if that and now it smells very rich like raw gas and running like it is getting too much gas and wants to die.. Help a Houston girl out

 

[ugly74]

that in and of itself shouldn't be a problem (the full fuel filter). you ever checked the fuel pressure?

 

[scubav20]

no, how do i check it? A couple of days ago I got the spark plugs and wires changed, would that make it smell like gas? So its normal for the fuel to be completely full?

 

[Steve83]

How full it gets is only determined by how much air can escape. It has nothing to do with anything else. You should only worry if the filter housing is wet - that means the air leaked out, & is now being followed by fuel leaking out.

No, changning plugs & wires doesn't cause a fuel leak, but a clumsy mechanic could.

 

[DirtDonk]

Does it run funny now too? The fuel smell could also be incomplete burning of the fuel because something's now not quite right with the ignition.

I think too though, that you've got a good eye for detail. Like was said, your filter could go either way. I find it interesting though, that it wasn't that way before, but is now.
Like Steve just said, the air pocket could be gone now because air, which is a smaller molecule than the liquid gas, could be leaking now and although you're smelling the fuel vapor, it's not quite a full-blown leak yet.
Do what he suggested though and feel all around it for minor seepage. Most of them are screw-together affairs, so you might be able to tighten it up. You definitely don't want the leak, that's for sure.
If tightening it up doesn't get rid of the smell, you may need new o-rings for it. They should be availabe in kit form from most local auto parts stores still.

You can verify all this first though (maybe) by leaning closer and doing the sniff-test. MIght look funny to the neighbors to see you smelling the engine, but if the smell is stroinger near the filter, you've probably found your culprit.
If it is, change all the rubber lines while you're at it..

If it's not the problem, keep looking. These things are known fuel vapor emitters!

Good luck.

Paul

 

[scubav20]

Hey Paul,

I looked at it as soon as I woke up this morning and the fuel filter doesn't have leaks around it but is still plum full. I know for fact that the filter drains off after sitting all night and doesn't stay full. Could it be the fuel pump? I will tighten the clamps on the hose either way but I was afraid to drive it this morning and the weather was perfect! "Bummer". The fuel filter I replaced only a few months ago with a nice glass one so it's not old. I also smell gas on one of the mufflers and not the other. If it's running and I put my hand in front of the muffler if smells like raw gas and feels damp.

 

[Socal Tom]

I have a clear fuel filter on my bronco and it's full to the max, is that normal? I thought I remembered it just being half full if that and now it smells very rich like raw gas and running like it is getting too much gas and wants to die.. Help a Houston girl out

Its normal for fuel filters to be all the way from 1/2 full to full. Being full won't change how the engine runs. If they engine won't run and the filter is empty, they you have a problem.
Tom

 

[Socal Tom]

Hey Paul,

I looked at it as soon as I woke up this morning and the fuel filter doesn't have leaks around it but is still plum full. I know for fact that the filter drains off after sitting all night and doesn't stay full. Could it be the fuel pump? I will tighten the clamps on the hose either way but I was afraid to drive it this morning and the weather was perfect! "Bummer". The fuel filter I replaced only a few months ago with a nice glass one so it's not old. I also smell gas on one of the mufflers and not the other. If it's running and I put my hand in front of the muffler if smells like raw gas and feels damp.

Double check that the mechanic got the wires all the way back on all of the plugs. This sounds ( smells) like one cylinder isn't firing and the raw gas is coming out the tailpipe. If you don't see any leaks on the ground it should be safe to drive.
Tom

 

[BronCowie]

Check all of your hose clamps from the carb back to the rigid tubing from the tanks. I had one work its way loose over the years and had a slight drip, hard to notice, but I could smell it. The leak had nothing to do with any other work I did on it lately. Probably related to when I dropped the engine in a few years ago.

 

[scubav20]

I checked the hose clamps and the misfiring of the cylinder sounds like you are on to something... I looked at the new wires and it looks like some are not completely pushed down on the spark plugs, which I thought was weird. I am taking it to the shop tomorrow morning and they are saying its probably the carb clogged or not tuned properly.. I just don't want to get pushed around with unnecessary cost if it's the wires causing a miss fire.

 

[DirtDonk]

Do you have an aftermarket carb and/or intake manifold by any chance? If not, his diagnosis is suspect.

Reason I say that is that, although it's certainly common for a carb to be dumping excess fuel (usually just because it feels like messing with you) into the engine, if you have a discreet dual exhaust sytem (no corssover link from one side to the other) and you only smell unburned fuel out of one side (and you have a stock-type manifold) then it's more likely to be something other than your carb. Such as an spark issue.

Reason I say that, is that your intake manifold (whether stock, or the more common aftermarket ones) is of the "dual-plane" type. That means that one side of the carburetor actually feeds 2 cylinders on each side of the engine.
So if it was a carb issue, even with only one side going bad, you should be smelling fuel out of both exhaust tips.

How old is the engine? I suppose theres another possibility (there always is), that if 4 of your cylinders on one side are not up to snuff and your carb dumps just a little extra fuel, you could smell more out of one exhaust tip.
That's reaching way out into left field, but it's feasible.

If yours is a "single-plane" manifold with divided plenum, then it could be the carb.
Still, sounds like something else.

If you feel like you're getting the snowjob-two-step-runaround from them though, or feel something just sounds funny and makes you uncomfortable, tell us here and we can decipher it for you. Lots of mechanics are very honest, but there are always some that will take advantage of someone that doesn't know quite as much as they do. Or as much as they think they know!
And even the best mechanic can run afoul of a problem that has multiple possible causes. Takes up a lot of un-billable time.

What year is your Bronco? '70 maybe?
What other mods have been done to it and what is it's general condition?
That info might help at some point.

Good luck tomorrow.

Paul

 

[markperry]

I checked the hose clamps and the misfiring of the cylinder sounds like you are on to something... I looked at the new wires and it looks like some are not completely pushed down on the spark plugs, which I thought was weird. I am taking it to the shop tomorrow morning and they are saying its probably the carb clogged or not tuned properly.. I just don't want to get pushed around with unnecessary cost if it's the wires causing a miss fire.

Please don't take this wrong but if I were you I would stop taking it to the mechanic and start trying to fix some of these issues your self. These issues are going to happen allot and the more you try to fix them your self the more you will learn. You will go broke fast if you take it to the shop for everything that goes wrong with it. Working on your Bronco is one of best ways to know your ride inside and out. If you try fixing it and can't, Then take it to the shop. Look at it like you might as well try fixing it your self, if you figure it out Bonus. If you can't figure it out you were going to pay someone to fix it anyway.;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[Jeepster]

It really sounds like a plug not firing. Just reach in there and seat all the wires down. Think of this, It was running ok before the plugs was changed, so what is different? new wires? look to the wires. Also just because the wires are new does not mean they are good.
Heres a good test.....and easy for you to do yourself. remove the plugs yourself keeping them in order while noting where/what cyl they came from. they should look mostly the same color around the electrode. The one thats not firing will look quite different, black,wet. Thats the one thats the problem and check thats one wire.

but anyway check all the plug wires first and make sure they are all pushed down.