atmosphere vent to gas tank plugged?

[tigeraid]

Alright here's the deal... a month ago (as I posted in the Carb section), the car suddenly stalled coming to a stop and never started again... it was revealed that there was a ton of water in the fuel filter... changed it, ran gasline antifreeze through it, and it ran great for a month.

Tonight, driving home, without warning the motor stutters and almost dies, kicks back up, almost dies, then dies ... definete lack of fuel, doesn't smell or feel like flooding. Came to a stop, cranked and started, kept going, after a couple minutes same thing, dies again. Repeated this x3 and then it just wouldn't start at all. Lack of fuel for sure, I'm thinking.

So I'm thinking all over again, more water in the gas somehow, gonna hafta change the filter etc etc (gotta drive to work, nowhere to work on it, fun) ...

The area around the filler neck, a common rust problem for these cars, was filled in with that shitty instant-hardening foam crap by the previous owner, prolly cuz it was so rotten.

So just for the hell of it, I take the gas cap off. BOOM starts almost immediately, seems to run fine, I drive it around the parking lot for about 3 minutes, no stalling no problem. I towed it home just to be safe, but multiple times I shut it off and started it back up--works well.

I notice an ever-so-slight miss now but that may only be temporary, I haven't driven it around a lot for obvious reasons. My question is, is a 3g gas tank supposed to have a vent to atmosphere? I know all the older carbureted cars I've ever worked on do, but some carb'd systems are sealed with a return line ... anyone had a similar problem? If so, my solution will just be to drill a small hole in the gas cap pointed downward, and hopefully all this bullshit will be over with. Appreciate a response ASAP

[pimp86LX]

sounds like you gottta dirty case of vapour lock.

From my understanding the tank needs some pressure. my book doesn't mention anything about it, but be sure before you drill your cap!

[tigeraid]

thanks but I highly doubt it's vapour lock, the very nature of vapour lock is heat causing vapourization of the fuel... I live in Canada. It's most definetely not overheating the fuel.

[pimp86LX]

also in canada, i didn't know it was caused by heat i thought vapour lock was simply bubbles blocking the flow in fuel

[AccordEpicenter]

i believe these cars arent supposed to vent (look at the cap, no vent holes!) and it has somthing to do with the emissions system (charcoal canister or somthing with vapors)

[2old_honda]

the tank is vented through the charcoal canister (black cylinder on firewall)

[ACCORD EX]

a small question ! does your tank make a wooooooooosh sound when you open the cap ! it should do it !

MIKE

[tigeraid]

ya I was thinking that myself later, but I wasn't paying attention when I opened the cap... NORMALLY, I don't notice a large escape of air, but I never really payed attention... it just seemed like too much of a coincidence not to have something to do with it. I pulled the cap off, and it started RIGHT away. I just fired it up this morning, gonna risk driving it to work, it fired up as normal and is idling as we speak (no miss either) ... I'd really like to find out what's causing this, I have to take it out of town on wednesday. I'm gonna change both fuel filters today either way, but I'd rather that not be a temporary solution. Could the charcoal canister get plugged in some way?

[CoAsTeR]

I had an intermittent problem just like what you're having now. I fought with it untill I just gave in and bought a fuel pump. And it never did it since.

It would surge up and down and then stall, then not start, then start then run fine, then stall over and over... then I could drive for a few days at a time..... anyways, it was the pump.
Mine is carb'd btw.