Fuel smell in cockpit

[Lee A.]

The other day it was cold.  In the cockpit I thought I could smell fuel.  I think it was coming from the fuel selector.  

 

A few days later it is warm.  I sniffed the fuel selector and didn’t not smell fuel. 

My theory is the fuel selector O rings are wearing out and contract with cold, leaking a fuel odor.  

Anyone have experience with this?

could it be the gascolator drain?

 

Lee

[mooniac15u]

My J did that the first winter after I brought it north.  It had been living in warmer climates.  Replacing the gasket on the gascolator fixed the problem.

[Mark89114]

If you are lucky.....could be fuel senders or the infamous leaky tanks.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Mark89114

[Marauder]

Fuel smells can pool in areas. When my fuel senders leaked, I could smell it in different areas along the floor. The senders are the usual culprits. No signs of leaking, just a bit of odor being noted.

Fuel Sender:



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[EricJ]

Pull up the carpet in front of the rear seat and see if either side has any fuel stain, and/or sniff around back there.   If the sender is leaking it may show up there.   If it is the sender it's an easy fix, just tighten the screws a little bit.    Mine was leaking from the center terminal for the sender signal and tightening that up (carefully, it's a double-lock nut on mine), fixed it.

[bradp]

And then you’ll have to decide between cork and  silicone.  

Anyone with 64 gal tanks know approximately at what fuel level the fuel sits below the inboard senders?  It would be nice to do that project after a flight rather than having to drain tanks.  

I also noted a slight fuel smell but only on final.  Thinking about the gas colator o rings.  

[glenn reynolds]

I was flying cross country to san francisco last week and about mid country i noticed a slight fuel odor on take off and sometimes landing.  it wasn't a very strong smell of gas but is was noticeable, but just on landing and departure.  I thought that the tanks might be seeping into the cabin, but couldn't really put a finger on the source.  Arrived on west coast and went to attach the fuel ground clamp prior to refuel and observed fuel dripping onto the nose wheel.  Towed the plane to hanger, uncowled engine and turned on booster pump. fuel sprayed out of loose engine fuel pump return hose fitting.  I torqued all fuel lines and applied torque seal to all fittings.  Good luck with your leak.  

[N6758N]

The OP is flying a 2008 Acclaim, I would hope an airplane that new isn't suffering from leaks yet...

[carusoam]

Put that in the file of it could be anything...

But the list of leaks that occur during a flight are aparantly endless...

A quick review of all the fuel drains and vent tubes under the nose is a good place to start looking for obvious leaks...

Fuel pumps have a tendency to drop fuel out their drains with age...

Best regards,

-a-

[rpcc]

A word of caution.  I would not want to have fuel in or below my cabin where a short could ignite the vapor.  This could be an issue durring preflight as your electrical system is energized. 

 

[Dream to fly]

Do those Acclaims use the same fuel selector valves the older planes use? 

[peevee]

that's just that mooney smell. It either smells of gas or it's empty.

[Cody Stallings]

On 12/1/2017 at 11:28 AM, peevee said:

that's just that mooney smell. It either smells of gas or it's empty.

I was thinking the same thing.

every one I have been in smell like that.

some worse than others ,but the smell is still in the air.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Cody Stallings

[mike_elliott]

Lee, You might take that fire breathing monster to JD at SWTA and have it checked out. If you smell fuel, it is leaking it or has leaked it, and it wont fix itself. It could be something very simple like an O ring for the fuel selector, or it could be a fitting on the fuel pump coming loose. In any event, it shouldnt be too hard to trace and rectify before it becomes a bigger issue.

[Bob_Belville]

14 hours ago, Cody Stallings said:

I was thinking the same thing.

everyone I have been in smell like that.

some wore others better, but the smell is still in the air.

When my M20E had a smell of gas in the cabin when I opened the door it was because there was a leak at the level sensor below the door. I do not smell fuel just because it's a Mooney. Fumes come from somewhere and she's trying to tell you something. 

[Zulee]

I've been through my share of fuel smell..first it was the tanks leaking (no longer - sealed by Weep No More) and shortly after the tank seal I smelled fuel again.  I did some research on MooneySpace and read a post on the fuel tube like the pictured posted above in this thread.

So I pulled up the carpet and sure enough, blue goo was abundant.

I no longer have any fuel smell