1987 cherokee smells gassy, & vacuum reservoir

[SeniorGustas]

hey guys, my cherokee has been smelling extra gassy lately and i just noticed today that my relocation of the vacuume resvior didnt hold up.. the hose is still there but the plastic ball is gone. Not sure exactly what this ball does.. hah should it be replaced asap and is it bad to drive without it? And any ideas why my cherokee could be smelling so i gassy? its probably about time for new spark plugs but im not sure if that would cause it to smell so gassy. I know i dont have a gas leak because i park in the garage every day and never have seen anything on the ground, and its been smelling for the past two weeks or so! truely appreciate all your guys help. Realized how great you guys are today when looking at all the arguements and sarcasm on the other forums!! THANKS!! :D

[4.3LXJ]

Not sure on the gassy part, maybe cut down on the beans. :D

Find yourself an 80s ford. They have sealed tin cans for reservoirs with nice brackets attached.

[SeniorGustas]

for the time being is it going to effect anything? it just controlls my airflow in the car right?

[4.3LXJ]

Yeah, mostly and the CAD. You won't have 4WD until it is fixed

[Jeeplover88]

The gassy smell could be a leaky injector.
It may just be leaking drops and burning off (hence the smell) but not so much that it would leave a puddle on the floor.
I had a gassy smell for a while till I replaced 1 really bad injector and 2 that were getting just as bad. I figured since I was going to have to change out 3, I just replaced all 6.
She runs good as new, and the petrol lasts a but longer too :-)
Hope this helps. :-)

[SeniorGustas]

^^ what do you mean by injector. and screw 4 wheel drive right? i didnt buy my jeep to go off road.. pshh :P

[XJ Wheeler]

Fuel injector. There are six of them on top of the engine. Look for liquid around them while its running.

[Jeeplover88]

Fuel injector. There are six of them on top of the engine. Look for liquid around them while its running.

Yes, what Mr XJ W said! There is a fuel rail to the right of the engine and all 6 injectors are lined up. Good luck!


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[bulrid8]

Stick a bolt in the line that went to vacuum ball. With it open, you have a vacuum leak. This can cause engine to run rich.

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[JeepFreak]

The problem with gas leaks is that with a small leak you won't see much because once the gasoline comes into contact with a certain temperature solid ground or windy enough area, the gas evaporates the moment it hits the ground. So unless you have a huge gas leak you wouldn't notice it. Check out the drops of gas you spill at the pump and see how long it takes to evaporate. It never takes longer than 10 seconds per drop. My Cherokee has a gas leak as well and I never thought it might be a leaky injector. I'll have to replace those as well now that I know about it. If it smells like gas, you've got a leak (most likely). I know my Jeep doesn't smell like gas at all when it isn't leaking.

[SeniorGustas]

i had figured out that it was a vaccume leak which i do believe caused my engine to run rich. it was a small black hose with a 90 degree bend in it that had just become brittle and cracked. it was like 3 bucks at schucks. i will try to post some pictures when i get the chance it may be different sense i only have the 2.5L but i appreciate all the advice you guys were giving!