I had a very strong gas smell from the front, was using more gas than normal, idling like crap, and would get hotter than normal at times. Gas smell got worse recently so I had to look at it.

1989 350 TPI in a 91 bird. ALL emissions still there and functioning (well, they are now), 15,000 miles on a rebuild with flattops and a slightly more aggressive cam. Daily driver work car.

I had always attributed the horrible idle to the valve overlap on the cam I put in when I rebuilt it. In the last month the smell of gas and the mpg going down caused me to get under the hood to find the smell problem. Found the hoses to the charcoal canister had degraded. The hoses from the valve to the vent near the "Y" were also shot.

So I changed out about a foot of the 3/8 hose and a couple inches of the 1/4 inch hose. cleaned out that valve there with carb cleaner.

"Wow" is the only word I can think of. I can't believe how much better the car runs. Idles absolutely smooth now and it was all over the place before. Noticeably more power now. I would not have thought it would have made that much difference. Temperature holds better - must have been the ecm adjusting the timing and fuel trying to make up for the vac leak at the canister.