Fuel leaking from carburetor bowl

I have an 87 V6 Dakota with a Holley 6280 carb, similar to the 2280 except it has an O2 feedback solenoid operating the supplemental fuel jet rather than vacuum control.

Here is the problem. The fuel escapes from the float bowl after the engine has been shut down and allowed to sit for period of time. The fuel level sinks down to the top of the main jets, about 3/8" from the bottom of the bowl. I am not sure how long this takes, but overnight will do it.

Is this normal? Would the heat of the engine after it is shut down cause the fuel in the bowl to evaporate out the bowl vent?

I just removed the top of the carb and cranked the engine without starting it to raise the fuel level to where it shuts off the inlet valve. I covered the bowl with plastic and I am waiting to see if the fuel escapes from the bowl when the engine is cool. Temperature outside is about 60 F.

While I am waiting to see what happens, I thought I would check with anyone who might know if it is normal for the fuel level in the float bowl to drop after a hot engine is shut down and allowed to cool off.

Thanks, Jack

Reply to
jack6128
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There were indeed engines where the carb would get heat soaked when the engine is turned off in the summer, and boil away some gas. Frequently what happened is that the pressure was raised in the float chamber, and that pressure was high enough to exceed the pressure head between the bowl and the jets, and the fuel was forced into the manifold, causing hard starting when the engine was hot.

This was after the float chambers were sealed from the atmosphere. With earlier carbs, the pressure in the float bowl could not build up because it was vented directly to the atmosphere, and hence was at same ambient pressure as throat where jets were.

Reply to
Don Stauffer in Minnesota

That would be normal and can happen in my Jeep engine according to the book and experience. (couldn't find a 2 outlet filter when on a trip once)

They call it vapor lock and put in a fuel return line from the filter to the tank to prevent it. This way when the vapor appears, it can blow back to the gas tank leaving the float bowl full.

If you don't have a return line to address, you might want to reroute the gas line away from heat or insulate it.

You also should have an air vent for the float bowl. This is likely a charcoal canister that has a $2.00 air filter on the bottom of it that most folks forget to change with every tune up... Changing the first one is a bear to dig it out, but then they just tuck in and out.

I have also heard of cracked bowls...

Mike

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Reply to
Mike Romain

Thanks for the feedback, Don and Mike. I think it might just be heat related. With the engine cold, I popped the top off the carb and cranked til the bowl was full and then covered it with a plastic bag. The next morning, the gas level was down some, but not nearly as much as sitting overnight after the engine was fully warmed up. I have a spare carb with a loose throttle shaft, but the bowl and top look okay. I'll rebuild the carb and use the throttle section of the one and the bowl/venturi section and the top from the other and see what happens.

Thanks again guys.

Jack

Reply to
jack6128

It's normal. Due to the volatility index of contemporary fuel, the evap. system will adsorb (NOT "absorb") a lot of the fuel in the bowl overnight into the charcoal cannister. That's why, after you crank for awhile to get fuel up to where it'll hit the venturis, then you get a momentary "run rich" condition after the coolant temp allows the cannister to purge. Very common on any 6280 equipped V6 or 318. If your vent solenoid plunger is stuck to the air horn casting, you'll wind up with the fuel boiling over into the manifold, getting the same symptom, but a "rich" start.

Carburetors are obsolete. Get used to it. Now that gasoline is on its way out, it'll get worse, not better.

Reply to
DeserTBoB

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