cabin fumes

General chat about the car goes in here.
User avatar
124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: cabin fumes

Post by 124JOE »

i had fumes coming up thru the shifter boot
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
mdrburchette
Posts: 5754
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:49 am
Your car is a: 1972 Fiat 124 Sport
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Re: cabin fumes

Post by mdrburchette »

jpstuckey wrote: I don't think that it is possible to seal the outside of the body well enough to block this path, but it is pretty easy to seal the actual cockpit. I have since used the same technique on many other vintage cars, especially those with aluminum bodies, as there are always a lot of little gaps where the outer skin meets the steel inner structure.
Ingenius. Sealing the inside should do the trick.
1972 124 Spider (Don)
1971 124 Spider (Juan)
1986 Bertone X19 (Blue)
1978 124 Spider Lemons racer
1974 X19 SCCA racer (Paul)
2012 500 Prima Edizione #19 (Mini Rossa)
Ever changing count of parts cars....It's a disease!
User avatar
RRoller123
Patron 2020
Patron 2020
Posts: 8179
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:04 pm
Your car is a: 1980 FI SPIDER 2000
Location: SAGAMORE BEACH, MA USA

Re: cabin fumes

Post by RRoller123 »

Here's a possible source for exhaust fumes to get into the passenger compartment. This is a pic from under my ashtray, with a significant size hole to the outside. Should probably be closed up.

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb4 ... Dsmall.jpg
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle
User avatar
RRoller123
Patron 2020
Patron 2020
Posts: 8179
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:04 pm
Your car is a: 1980 FI SPIDER 2000
Location: SAGAMORE BEACH, MA USA

Re: cabin fumes

Post by RRoller123 »

Hello jpstuckey: Where is your shop located?
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle
jpstuckey

Re: cabin fumes

Post by jpstuckey »

I left the shop many years ago, but it is still run by my former partner and best bud from college.
http://www.immautoservice.com/
User avatar
124spiderman
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 11:43 pm
Your car is a: 1973 CS Spider
Location: Sydney - Down Under

Re: cabin fumes

Post by 124spiderman »

Hi all.
Here is an update.
I've since blocked off the rear mounting holes with rubber flaps (where the bumper brackets are mounted) and yes, it's much much better.
I also deliberately left a cotton cloth inside the luggage compartment right side inner (where the wheel jack is located) and when I removed it after several weeks it smelled strongly of exhaust fumes. This indicates that the exhaust is drawn from the tailpipe and through those bumper mount holes and into the cabin via the gaps where the rear shock towers are.
Thanks for the tips. I like the one with the bent tailpipe on the road (similar to alfa gtv's).
As I mentioned, it's only during those winter months with the top up. Top down not a prob.
Cheers
owned: 850, 124S/AC/BC/CC,128SL, 125S, 600D, X1/9, 2300, 131, 132, Uno, Punto
I own: 124CS, 500F, Bravo Sport T-Jet
I want to own: 8V, DINO SPIDER/COUPE, ANY ABARTH, '54 FIAT-TURBINA
124cso

Re: cabin fumes

Post by 124cso »

FYI, presuming you are talking about the round bumper mounts for the 5Mph (tube) bumpers ? They are supposed to have a rubber flanged gromet to seal around them onto the body. Sort of a foamy rubber with a solid rubber skin/surface.

When I say 'supposed' I mean they did have them when new. I could load a pic, but always seem to have trouble with same.
User avatar
MrWampus
Posts: 207
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2011 11:55 am
Your car is a: 1981 Spider
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: cabin fumes

Post by MrWampus »

I had this same problem too. It started for me when the exhaust pipe broke right behind the rear axel and I removed the muffler and replaced it with a straight pipe to the rear with a straight twin tip. I suffered through it for a few months because it wasn't so bad with the top down. After reading these posts and considering that my problem didn't start until I removed the original muffler with a bent tip, I bought a single bent tip for the pipe and voila, the problem is gone. I think the airflow from under the car carries the exhaust away much better with the down-turned tip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981 Spider "The Mistress"
http://s1088.photobucket.com/albums/i329/mrwampus1/
"Because a 30-year-old sports car is cheaper than a 30-year-old blonde."
124cso

Re: cabin fumes

Post by 124cso »

I always thought that the trunk was fairly well sealed from the cabin/cockpit - fumes wise but found differently a couple of days ago. I took spider to fill her up and took a gallon plastic gas can to get gas for the mower, All was fine till on the way home, I saw a plot of land with a realtor's sign on it and did a U-ee to take another look. Within a 100 yards I smelt gas and wondered it had fallen over ? I had not screwed top on tight enough ! So fumes from perhaps 1/2 a cup of gas took 20 or 30 seconds to get into cab ?
Post Reply