leakin' carb

More likely the float needle valve wasn't closing and the carb was flooding.

I thought of that while hitching a ride from a work buddy. Maybe next time I should sit and think longer instead of rushing out and making a usenet post while I wait for a ride.

Still likely to involve a rebuild, right? If done the "right" way that is.

My inline filter is new, replaced in the maintenence I mentioned in the original post. I don't see how it could get stuck open without some kind of built up crud in there.

My needle stuck open and gas dripped out. Replaced the needle valve (as part of a carb rebuild kit) and all is OK. Won't need to 'rebuild' past that.

Sometimes with age, the needle gets stuck...without necessarily crud.

Tom

So I got some time to open things up and take stock of the situation.

There were some faint score marks on the needle valve, but it otherwise appeared to be doing its thing without obstruction. Put 'er all back together and the engine still flooded.

So I opened things back up and examined what happened when I wiggled the throttle back and forth. Little squirt of fuel comes out, and after a few sprays I felt dampness at the bottom of the linkage to the gas pedal. Peek closer, and I see fuel seeping out of the gap between the linkage and the carb.

I'm not asking if this makes the resolution to the problem any different, I just want to know if I've identified the problem accurately. Me, being a total ameteur, am I going to be able to sufficiently rebuild the carb so that not only does the problem get solved, but the engine will actually run? I don't wanna paint myself into a corner doing a precise task that a veteran should be doing.. but I also want to learn how to do it. ;)

I ordered a rebuild kit off wolfsburgwest, it should be here in a couple days. They say it's for "1300 on" which matches my car. Safe to assume I got the right thing?

Link:

That's the correct "kit". It includes parts for all the common carb sizes.

But the kits don't include throttle shaft bushings, which is where the fuel is leaking out ..."I see fuel seeping out of the gap between the linkage and the carb."

But it does include the needle valve, which may cure any flooding problem (if there was one...).

If the shaft bushings are indeed badly worn, that may be a problem beyond ordinary DIY measures.

Usually, worn bushings cause erratic idling.

I'm afraid of a red herring in this case, but go ahead and put the kit in and see what happens.

Thanks for the help. I'll see where the kit gets me.

Car was idling like a champ up until it started pissing gas all over itself, only hesitation was a very low idle if I didn't keep my foot on the gas just after starting in the afternoons, for a few days prior. After a few seconds it was fine.

It was quite hot last week, which is what I attributed the hesitation to.

I've been able to trace it to a leaky float, when I was reassembling everything I happened to notice the float still had a fresh fuel stench on it. Squeezed it a tiny bit and a bunch of fuel squirted out.

Emptied it out as best I could, no flooding, engine ran fine. Let it sit overnight and checked it out next morning, the float was full of fuel again. Engine flooded seconds after starting.

Any breeds of glue or sealant I could use to fix things up? Scanning the usual parts websites I couldn't find a replacement float.

One thing I don't understand is why fuel leaks out of the throttle linkage when the bowl floods. I understand it's a bushing so it can't be airtight, but is it supposed to be loose enough that fuel dribbling down the throat will seep out?

Or is this simply revealing a second worn out part that hasn't yet worn enough to fail on its own.

Well, got a day of driving before the thing started flooding again, leaking quite a lot of fuel from the throttle linkage.

It was after an hour or so stuck in traffic on a hot day, was a big wreck that took me a while to get past. I'd been cruising around town for quite some time with no problems.

Float was dry, new needle valve, don't know what else to try except a new carb.

aircooled.net says they have a single 30 pict-1 available. Will I be able to fit it in without major modifications, that is, will it fit around the alternator?

If I'm unable to get that 30 pict-1, what are my other options?