1997 Challenger - gas smell

[AZMike123]

I am getting quite a bit of gas fumes from my boat that i store in my garage. I just got the boat, so I am not sure if a 2 stroke engine just emits a lot of smell.

Anyone have any advice on how to minimize or if it's an actual problem i need to solve?

Thanks!

 

[Dr Honda]

It's kind of normal. The vents on the tank are open, and the air box will get a ton of fuel "Spit back" in it... so after a day of play... it will stink in your garage. Normally, the stink will go away after a couple days.

 

[AZMike123]

It's significant enough to my my house smell like gas with the garage door shut. Is there some preventive medicine I can use after a boating trip to minimize or stop this (I hear laundry detergent in the bilge area with water will help a lot)? Also, it's still giving out quite a lot of odor after 5 days...I guess I'll check all the lines?

The hard part for me is that I don't know the difference from normal odor emmission and to where something is wrong.

 

[Dr Honda]

Cleaning the bilge will help reduce the oder. Also... before putting it away, leave the hatches open for a few hours. Then when you put it away, most of the left over fuel smell will be gone.

If it's as bad as you are saying... I would add a vent fan to the garage, and seal the door between the garage and the house better.


Oh... one last thing... if you get a good fitting cover (like one from Poppy) that will contain the stink. I know when I open the cover on my boat when it's sleeping for the winter... the fuel smell is overwhelming, but the cover contains it.

 

[AZMike123]

Vent fan and seal door sounds like wise advise....though the other measures hopefully will do the trick.

I did have someone tell me reduce the smell I should close off the fuel shut off valves, have the engine run for about a minute to use up fuel left in lines and then there should be no fuel left to create the odor. I am weary if that is bad for the boat's engine in general. What do you think?

THanks,
Mike

 

[Dr Honda]

Since the fuel transports the oil into the engine... it's not the best idea... but if the engine isn't hot... and you let it run out at an idle... it's not going to kill the engine.

But honisly... I don't know how much of a reduction that would give you. The engine will stop running, and there would still some fuel in the air box. It doesn't take much fuel to make the garage stink.