Curious about your fuel smell problem... Let the forum know what you find.

I'm sure there are many on this forum with much more experience than I.
that being said I'll add my two cents. I've found the key to removing screws is to not mess up the phillips head in the process. Start with a professional quality screwdriver with an unworn tip. Follow up by removing the paint in the phillips head. Get in a position where you can down load the screwdriver with your body weight and gently begin to turn. If the screw begins to turn, you're not home yet as the threaded portion below the nutplate may be corroded and can cause you misery as it is driven into the nutplate. If you can get a little clearance between the head of the screw and the wing panel, spritz the screw with penetrating oil and leave it for a day. On your return remove the screw the rest of the way.

If the screw shows any resistance to your initial attempt to remove it, DON"T tear out the head. Get a screw knocker which is a device which attaches to a rivet gun. It has a phillips head driver attached to a handle which is perpindicular to the driver. The way it works is that you impact the screw with the gun as you rotate the driver with the handle. The combination will loosen the most difficult screw.

I found a leak in my 62 Skyhawk located at the fuel guage sending unit. Right below the nut is a phenolic washer were the fuel would weep out of. The only difference is, I didn't smell it in the cabin, but it did cause stains near the cabin at the wing root. My mechanic put a good coating of epoxy around the washer and that was over 18 years ago and it's been fine ever since.

Well, I topped off the tanks Saturday and took off...not a hint of fuel smell so the loose vent was definitely the culprit...thanks again to you guys who gave suggestions. Safe skies to you all.