Carbs - how fuel tight / sealed are they?

[Boombang]

Been a long time since I played with carbs, sounds like an odd question perhaps but here goes:

 

Are they sealed or over time does fuel evaporate from the bowls?

 

[Martin Keene]

IIRC they do have a vent at the top and the fuel will evaporate over time.

[Boombang]

Thanks for that, was pretty sure they had to have a vent to work.

 

The reasoning behind my question, apart from satisfying my curiosity, is I live in a town house - the garage is directly below my living room and has a standard interior ceiling.

 

If you put something stinky in the garage it seeps up into the living room.  Methinks a carbed car probably isn't the best purchase...

[stu999]

Petrol (fumes) are heavier than air, so unless there is a huge leak, I doubt it will ever cause a problem...   

[Boombang]

Didn't think of that...  When I stripped my last Saxo spares car at my parents you could smell the fuel in the house however - there garage is on the side with a door and a utility room between.

 

Make any difference if it has a sealed garage door (as airtight as an insulated section door gets) with a door into the hallway?

 

When I painted a few bits in there it absolutely stank in the living room, but guessing the paint solvent was lighter than air.

[Terry Everall]

My car is in the double garage beneath my bedroom

No problems

[JOCKER]

My car is on carbs and used to stink the house out for an hour or two after a run. By chance I was checking something with the engine running and I spotted a leak when revving the engine. The pipe had split under the jubillee clip. Fixed the leak and no more smells.

[carbon-nv]

Ahhh, but to me there's no better smell than opening up the garage to that aroma of fuel and oil in the morning (more so when I had the Pinto engine)

 

Smells like...victory!   

[Norman Verona]

Normal evaporation shouldn't cause a problem. If you smell petrol in the house check for leaks. Another option is to fit a switch to the pump and switch it off and let the engine empty the carbs,

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

I thought integral garages had to have highly rated for fire penetration ceilings at least. Half of my garage is under my sitting room but it has a Bison beam type of (concrete) ceiling.

[SootySport]

I have an integral garage, after driving the car I let it sit on the drive for an hour then push it in the garage. No petrol fumes at all using this method.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Great! Mine's uphill...  

 

 

[Boombang]

I thought integral garages had to have highly rated for fire penetration ceilings at least. Half of my garage is under my sitting room but it has a Bison beam type of (concrete) ceiling.

 

Built in 1978 so might not be quite to the same standards as now.  Could always drop a smoke bomb in it and see if anything seeps through.

 

Great! Mines uphill...  

 

 

 

Ditto, a nice steep one too!

[Terry Everall]

My garage ceiling is fireproofed 

[Hammy]

When you drive home, turn the fuel

Pump off about 200 yards from home , carbs will be virtually empty and no smell !