Pull my hair out?! $@$_&- carburetor.

Joseph James

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Took a friend from work home as his motorcycle was in the shop. Car sat 30 minutes. Had to floor it to get it to crank. It took 30 minutes of dying and cranking before it would run. We looked under the air cleaner at one point when it died idling. Gas out the vent, gas from accelerator pump linkage, gas from bowl vent gasket.

Two miles from my house to his. It died a dozen times. Had to floor it each time to get it to crank.

Mixture screws are out 1 turn. Curb idle is backed all the way out. Idles 1000 like that. I'm ready to put the carb in the trash.
 
Took a friend from work home as his motorcycle was in the shop. Car sat 30 minutes. Had to floor it to get it to crank. It took 30 minutes of dying and cranking before it would run. We looked under the air cleaner at one point when it died idling. Gas out the vent, gas from accelerator pump linkage, gas from bowl vent gasket.

Two miles from my house to his. It died a dozen times. Had to floor it each time to get it to crank.

Mixture screws are out 1 turn. Curb idle is backed all the way out. Idles 1000 like that. I'm ready to put the carb in the trash.

You have a bad float or a bad needle valve, mixture screws have nothing to do with the carb pissing gas out the top and sides. Take the carb apart and check for fuel logged floats or a piece of junk under the needle valve(s).

Dave
 
You need new floats and needle and seats.

No, he needs to find the problem. Replacing parts may not fix it.

Is the fuel pressure too high? Is dirt or a bit of rubber hose stuck in the needle & seat?

Please tell us what pump and carb you have! And the history. When was the last time you worked on anything fuel related on this car?
 
Well that sucks since it is a remanufactured carb.

It only acts up when hot. If I drive straight home I can make it. If I stop for any reason, I'm screwed.
 
No, he needs to find the problem. Replacing parts may not fix it.

Is the fuel pressure too high? Is dirt or a bit of rubber hose stuck in the needle & seat?

Please tell us what pump and carb you have! And the history. When was the last time you worked on anything fuel related on this car?

I have a whole thread about this train wreck.

I had the carb apart three times. Last time I set floats. It was clean as a whistle. Float level was 7/16 instead of 5/16.

I wonder if this could be vapor lock?
 
Well that sucks since it is a remanufactured carb.

It only acts up when hot. If I drive straight home I can make it. If I stop for any reason, I'm screwed.

My best guess is either the float level is set too high by the rebuilder or the is a piece of dirt under the needle valve, either way, it needs to come apart.

Dave
 
ah...vaporlock or boiling fuel in the bowl. remedy for me years ago was electric fuel pump and a phenolic spacer.
 
I have a whole thread about this train wreck.

I had the carb apart three times. Last time I set floats. It was clean as a whistle. Float level was 7/16 instead of 5/16.

I wonder if this could be vapor lock?

Vapor lock will not cause the carb to piss fuel. While you have it apart, check to be sure the brass part of the needle valve assembly has a gasket on it and that it is screwed in tight.

Dave
 
Well that sucks since it is a remanufactured carb.

It only acts up when hot. If I drive straight home I can make it. If I stop for any reason, I'm screwed.

Have you checked the heat riser, if it is stuck shut it can cause fuel to boil in the carb.

Dave
 
sounds like a bad vapour lock happening if you shut down but it's hard to diagnose from here without seeing the car in person...
 
does it only happen after you heatsoak the engine and want to restart or lets say if you drive for a while will it be fine and then starting to act up?
 
If you are getting 1000rpms with the curb idle all the way out, the fast idle screw on the choke cam is probably not set properly.

Dave
 
So, if I drive to work no problem. Drive home is ok.

If I stop for gas or anything and try to restart, it goes all to hell.
 
does it only happen after you heatsoak the engine and want to restart or lets say if you drive for a while will it be fine and then starting to act up?
Yes

I'll add that the carb has a needle with a flat, rubber type end. Never seen one that wasn't pointed.

I have cleaned this carb several times. It has always done this puking of fuel.
 
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A CARBURETOR WITH FUEL COMING OUT THE TOP IS A FLOAT, AND OR NEEDLE AND SEAT PROBLEM.
Read that three times and then go fix it. Don't dream **** up that is not the problem.
You reman, carb cleaner in a can rebuild is no good. Get a good kit from a reputable supplier (not authorized zone etc.) Or send it to member here carb shop.
It is notbecause your tank is too full, or you pump is pumping too much, or because you parked facing downhill. If you don't understand fluid dynamics then STFU.
 
Obviously, the car wants to "drive". When you stop it, after driving, it's just telling you it doesn't like to sit still.

Better get an OIL CHANGE SOON, if not SOONER! Gasoline is a solvent to motor oil.

It's not even summer yet, and you've having these problems???

When you do the carb rebuild, make sure that the air bleeds on the top of the venture cluster (or, if a Holley 4bbl, the air bleeds on the primary side, just inside of the air cleaner "circle") are OPEN and clear. When they get plugged or decrease in size, that makes that particular fuel circuit go full rich. Even to the point that fuel will pour out of the venture when the car is running. DO make sure that the related gaskets don't block these holes, either!

On the float setting, if there is a "range" of dimensions, aim toward the lower level rather than otherwise. Won't affect performance, but it might help decrease any fuel percolation issues that might be happening. IF that's what is happening.

BUT, get that oil changed sooner than sooner!

CBODY67 .
 
I ran into a problem very similar to yours on a 52 buick roadmaster. It was that style N/S. Some of those do not have the windows cut in the side of the brass seat, so the fuel can only enter around the needle and out the end of the tube. (The tube being the end of the seat.) So, with the backpressure of the fuel only having one direction to go, it lifts the needle off the seat intermittently. The intermitten stuff is always the hardest to diagnose. I machined 2 small windows in the brass tube, and WALA. Anyway, just a thought. if you get it apart, post some pics.
 
what is it a HOLLEY? it sounds like it .u have a flooding problem try changing the needle & seats if they r good then the float is out of adjustment .I had the same problem we put everything new in it & it would still flood sometimes I talked to a shop recommended by holley Daytona parts . the uy there told me to set the floats 1/16-1/8" lower (0.0625-0.125") that fixed it they also rebuild carbs too Daytona Parts Home



Took a friend from work home as his motorcycle was in the shop. Car sat 30 minutes. Had to floor it to get it to crank. It took 30 minutes of dying and cranking before it would run. We looked under the air cleaner at one point when it died idling. Gas out the vent, gas from accelerator pump linkage, gas from bowl vent gasket.

Two miles from my house to his. It died a dozen times. Had to floor it each time to get it to crank.

Mixture screws are out 1 turn. Curb idle is backed all the way out. Idles 1000 like that. I'm ready to put the carb in the trash.
 
Joseph,

You may be experiencing heat-soak; that is when heat saturates the carburetor and the fuel boils in the bowl. This occurs due to the use of gasohol (which boils at a lower temp) and/or due to the engine temperature getting too high. Try lifting the hood when you park your car and see if that helps; if so, it is heat-soak.

My suggestions to actually remedy the problem: use ethanol-free gasoline and get the engine temp down as much as possible. Ethanol-free may be found here: Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

Engine temp can be lowered by many means, including lower temp thermostat (160 deg.), fan with more blades and a fan clutch, use of a fan shroud, larger radiator, lower heat range spark plugs and backflushing the cooling system.

Best of luck with your problem.

Jeff Dreibus
The Old Carb Doctor
Old Carb Doctor
 
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