1968 Carburtor leaking...

[PonyGal]

I know this has nothing to do with my Cal Special, but I also have a beautiful '68 coupe. It has been sitting for several weeks, actually since Clubpro drove it at the end of April.

Well today I started it up and I could not get it to idle at all. I pulled it out into the driveway and when I took the air cleaner off, there was gas all over the place. It was leaking gas like crazy from the carburetor. There was gas all over the manifold and it was coming out of the top of the carburetor. Any help would be appreciated...

 

[Ruppstang]

Renee I think you have a stuck float, It may have some debris in it. You need Dr. Rob
Marty

 

[dalorzo_f]

Yep, or a piece of crud keeping the needle from seating. Replace the needle and seat and reset the float, should be good to go...

 

[robert campbell]

Renee'
An old trick that sometimes will get you back on the road. Marty and DF are right on it. Me thinks Tim will come to the rescue. Slop up all the gas on the intake and such with paper towels.

With the air cleaner off: You have a rubber line that attaches to the carb fuel filter on an Autolite 2100, 2 barrel carb. The passenger side lower left facing forward. Kinda behind and to the left of the distributer cap as you are looking over the radiator from the front.

Your float needle has some junk on it. Take a vice grip (if you have one) and clamp this hose gently closed. Firmly, but not over killed enough to damage the hose. You can cut a short piece of fuel hose and spilt it so it will slip over the jaws. This will allow a good clamp

Have someone else start the car while you watch. If you clamped the hose closed it will not spill gas out the top. Let the engine run if it is ok. Any sign of fuel spilling out, stop the engine immediately.

Let the engine run (3 to 5 minutes) until starts to die. Be ready and immediately let the vice grip loose. The engine running with an empty float bowl will "blast" fuel back into the carb and blow the offending icky off the needle.

The above old trick is an "along the highway thing", but can be ok. The piece of crud will not be able to get back in unless you won the lottery or have been struck by lightening.

Or have Tim come down (highly recommended) and take the top off and put in a new needle and seat, brass float, and fuel filter like DF and Marty said. Carb should not need to be removed. He can wipe out the float bowl area. Good as new!

Carb should not need a total rebuild.

A cannot say enough to all on the site that our sparsely driven cars should have the highest attention to the gas. Store them full with gas stabilizer and ethanol balancers. If you are really paranoid like I am, I go the local boat store and get some of their stuff.

Don't be afraid to run water absorbers like Heet and so on. I store my cars with full tanks and lots of stabilizers. And if they move in the winter I keep them full and use even more stabilizers. Cheap insurance!!

Rob

 

[franklinair]

OR...use 100 octane AVIATION FUEL like someone I know.:lipsseal:

Neil

 

[robert campbell]

Dad,
bragger!!!

Rob

 

[Midnight Special]

...Hey Rob! I went down & replaced the condenser. Runs great!! (kidding ;-)

I finally caught up to Renee on the phone & reasoned that it sat in her barn for two months with a couple of 110-degree days since our last "drive". I simply asked her to place some paper towels under the carb, start it up & run for a few seconds, shut it off when it leaks... Go inside, fry up some bacon & catch about a half hour of NASCAR on TV, then go start it again. She did. No leaks, ran great and she drove it to her hula performance with no problems I then asked her to make it a routine of starting and/ or driving at least once per week.

My Holley equipped cars tend to do the same thing if I let them sit in hot weather for a few weeks. Gaskets, O-rings and some connecting lines dry up while the bowl evaporates, temporarily fouling the float needle until fresh fluid comes in... Bottom line - we need (as you say) to drive them more

 

[robert campbell]

Tim,
YOU CRACK ME UP!!! God I miss you!!! Soon I will be retired and come down and live with you if you let me pretend to help you with your cars!!! You need zero help, but you can placate and old fat guy!

Steve may be my bother, (ya, we are short of stature and he is way fitter than me) but you are a best friend!

Rob

 

[Midnight Special]

...'Can't wait Rob! and between you & me, our brother Steve is flighty! I once loaned him 325 horses and he abruptly tried to leave town!!!!

Thank Gawd Renee's carb wasn't leaking on that day!

P.S. Where's that gawddam Sheriff/ Registrar when you need him???

 

[somethingspecial]

...'Can't wait Rob! and between you & me, our brother Steve is flighty! I once loaned him 325 horses and he abruptly tried to leave town!!!!

Thank Gawd Renee's carb wasn't leaking on that day!

P.S. Where's that gawddam Sheriff/ Registrar when you need him???

You never know when I am watching from the shadows. I don't get involved in family disputes, unless it turns violent. You loaned him the car, therefor it can't be reported stolen. All you can hope for is you have more fuel than he does, or get better mileage. With a 390, it should be out of fuel soon. Since I am retired now, can't do anything anyways, just keep the peace.

 

[rvrtrash]

That was a loan? All I heard was "Here are the keys.Have fun". I thought you jjust wanted it to go to a good home. :grin:

Steve

 

[Midnight Special]

That was a loan? All I heard was "Here are the keys.Have fun". I thought you jjust wanted it to go to a good home. :grin:

Steve

...Naw, that was the other red one, Steve. It was a 2bbl small block that made it a few hundred miles on a tank vs the 15 or so you did (thankfully)... ;-)

 

[somethingspecial]

See what I mean

Another bitter custody dispute. The only ones you hurt are the cars. They feel abandoned and neglected, Oh, I forgot, not at the O'Brien farm!!!!!!!! LOL

 

[PonyGal]

:grin:

...Hey Rob! I went down & replaced the condenser. Runs great!! (kidding ;-)

I finally caught up to Renee on the phone & reasoned that it sat in her barn for two months with a couple of 110-degree days since our last "drive". I simply asked her to place some paper towels under the carb, start it up & run for a few seconds, shut it off when it leaks... Go inside, fry up some bacon & catch about a half hour of NASCAR on TV, then go start it again. She did. No leaks, ran great and she drove it to her hula performance with no problems I then asked her to make it a routine of starting and/ or driving at least once per week.

My Holley equipped cars tend to do the same thing if I let them sit in hot weather for a few weeks. Gaskets, O-rings and some connecting lines dry up while the bowl evaporates, temporarily fouling the float needle until fresh fluid comes in... Bottom line - we need (as you say) to drive them more

Tim, thank you so much for helping me with the problem. I took your advice, shut it off and went inside to watch NASCAR -forget the bacon, the NASCAR was too exciting!! :icon_ecst

When I went back out, she purred like a kitten! Drove her around for the rest of the day. You're the best :wink:

That was a loan? All I heard was "Here are the keys. Have fun". I thought you just wanted it to go to a good home. :grin:

Steve

Steve, you're right, I did hear Tim say "Here are the keys. Have fun" (Sorry Tim) :grin: