Stuck float?

[Rusty Dawg]

Howdy,

 

I had my ride shut off today while making a turn and couldn't get her to start back up(she was missing a little like it was starving for fuel just before).  Upon opening the hood I saw that the carb was leaking fuel below the bowl.  Upon let her sit for 10 minutes, I was able to limp it back home.  I have a Hitachi carb and I would assume that it has an overflow valve/tube leaking that allows the fuel to spill out if the bowl is stuck.  I drained the bowl which gave me what looks like clean fuel.  Next, I will look inside the bowl to see if there is any foreign material on the bottom of the bowl.  If so, I will clean, blow out any outgoing lines and replace the in-line fuel filter.  I cleaned the fuel tank, replaced the fuel line and installed a fuel filter while the carb was being rebuilt by a pro 18 months ago.  The only item that has not been replaced is the fuel pump which I left alone after doing a pressure test 18 months ago when I bought the truck.  Am I going about this the correct way?

 

Cheers!

Edited January 26, 2022 by Rusty Dawg

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

In the future, the easiest way to diagnose a stuck float is by smacking the carb near the needle and seat, with the blunt handle of a screwdriver. This usually jars the float enough to unstick the needle valve.

 

There may not be any grit causing it to stick. It could just be from the additives in modern fuel. I have noticed over the past couple years sticking floats becoming more of a problem, even on vehicles that I use regularly.

[Rusty Dawg]

38 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

In the future, the easiest way to diagnose a stuck float is by smacking the carb near the needle and seat, with the blunt handle of a screwdriver. This usually jars the float enough to unstick the needle valve.

 

There may not be any grit causing it to stick. It could just be from the additives in modern fuel. I have noticed over the past couple years sticking floats becoming more of a problem, even on vehicles that I use regularly.

I was told that it could be the fuel.  Is there any additives that would alleviate this issue?

[datzenmike]

Not unless maybe it sat for years and the gas evaporated and left a varnish coating. Unlikely if rebuilt 18 months ago.

 

Does the front of the carburetor have a glass window???? Where's the fuel level? at the line? or over filled to the top or lower not showing?

 

The float is made of brass? Has it maybe got a leak and filled with gas and sunk to the bottom of the bowl leaving the needle valve open to flood?

[banzai510(hainz)]

I had a leaky accel pump diaphram that would squirt out gas when you hit the pedal.  truck still ran fine but stunk of gas

[bilzbobaggins]

My weber has marks on it where I tap it before starting if I let it set more than 3 or 4 days.  Use the butt end of my pig sticker.

[jagman]

As to additives, the best thing to do if the gas is being stored over a 3-4 month period is Stabil.  We used this in the race car.  We use SeaFoam as a fuel cleaner for mower carbs.  It softens and removes the shellac from the carbs.  Some of these sit for years!

[difrangia]

All our older engines get a little shot of Marvel Mystery Oil in the fuel; about an ounce per two gallons on about every other refuel. If they just get infrequent use, I also give them a little shot of Marine Grade Stabil (blue Stabil).

[Rusty Dawg]

10 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Not unless maybe it sat for years and the gas evaporated and left a varnish coating. Unlikely if rebuilt 18 months ago.

 

Does the front of the carburetor have a glass window???? Where's the fuel level? at the line? or over filled to the top or lower not showing?

 

The float is made of brass? Has it maybe got a leak and filled with gas and sunk to the bottom of the bowl leaving the needle valve open to flood?

Have yet to take it apart, so will advise.  This Hitachi carb has a small glass tube on the side of the bowl.  All I've done so far was to remove the drain plug and the fuel didn't look too bad.

[wayno]

My 1963 would flood out and die or try to die when I went around a corner, the needle/seat was sticking in the open position, the carb had been rebuilt the year before, so I assumed they used the wrong needle/seat as I only supplied a gasket kit for that rebuild, I did not want to deal with it so I put a Weber on it, my 1963 has the stock carb with the large window with 3 screws holding it on, and my float got a hole in it and sunk once.

 

All my classics have non-ethanol fuel in them, it does not seem to spoil like the crap fuel they sell now, I get it at gas stations that sell it for classic autos and farm and garden things like rototillers, lawn mowers, blowers, any small engine with a metal carb and metal tank as that crap they sell eats metal, that is why they had to change all the metal tanks in gas stations with plastic tanks, it eats metal, only my work truck gets that crap pump gas, but it does not sit for long periods of time like my other Datsuns do, I used to have 2 tanks in that work truck but I did not use it enough and it rusted the inside so bad that the new fuel went bad right away, when I drained it a few days later the fuel came out very orange and the truck would not run on it.

Edited January 27, 2022 by wayno

[difrangia]

True that, Wayno, on the ethanol/gasoline in older and small aircooled engines. The only mechanical device that we subject to ethanol-gas is the 2018 Ford Edge. 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

No, the new fuel here in CA is sticky. Even new fuel can cause things to jamb up. Disassemble a carb or fuel valve or even remove a fuel line and you'll see a white calcium-like residue. Motorcycle and other small engine carbs are the most affected because of the tiny orifices inside them, which don't take much to clog up.

[Rusty Dawg]

So Sta-Bil or SeaFoam are a waste of money I assume?

[wayno]

In my opinion if you drive your classic a lot like Ted does his Roadsters and I do my work truck your fine with pump gas, it does not sit long enough for the gas to spoil, I get not so great mileage in my work truck as it is a minimum of 6000lbs of rolling weight with the trailer that has all my equipment, an LZ23 will only get it rolling so fast and hold it there going up hills, so I always have fresh fuel in the tank.

 

The issue is when a partial tank of gas sits in the tank for long periods of time, sometimes after only a few months if there is only a little gas in the tank the gas can separate into 2 separate layers, the bottom layer will not run the engine, I have helped people that let their truck sit for 6 months outside which might have something to do with the gas spoiling, when the gas was drained out into a jar or clear container it immediately separated into 2 layers, the ratio of the layers is about 10 percent on the bottom, and 90 percent on the top, about the ratio of ethanol in the fuel they sell these days.

 

I have posted a photo of a semi clear container of bad fuel that has separated on Ratsun, but I do not remember where/in what thread, the photo is on my computer that has no internet so I cannot move it over to this laptop I am using at this time, read the link below, it talks about carb issues, float issues, fuel line issues, needle and seat issues, all sorts of issues.

 

The Ethanol Issue – Moss Motoring

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by wayno

[jagman]

The article that WAYNO included in his post mentions the MTBE additive that some states (NJ among them) required for over a year.  That S--- ate everything.  The alcohol is an additive that can be countered with the Stabil formulated for the alcohol laced fuels.  It works.  I use it in my Buick and my Jag because they sit for 1 or 2 months between uses.  I also top up the tanks before I get home to make sure that I minimize the ability of the alcohol to attract moisture.  

[datzenmike]

12 hours ago, Rusty Dawg said:

So Sta-Bil or SeaFoam are a waste of money I assume?

 

Certainly over hyped snake oil.

 

 

 

* look up the 'Italian Tune Up'. Do this once a week if you idle around town all the time and hardly on the highway.

 

Another is to rev up a hot engine and slowly dribble water down the carburetor. Ever seen how clean a combustion chamber is when you've had a blown head gasket and coolant has been leaking in? The hot combustion chamber and piston top will turn the water to steam. The deposits contract and flake off.

 

 

2 minutes ago, jagman said:

The article that WAYNO included in his post mentions the MTBE additive that some states (NJ among them) required for over a year.  That S--- ate everything.  The alcohol is an additive that can be countered with the Stabil formulated for the alcohol laced fuels.  It works.  I use it in my Buick and my Jag because they sit for 1 or 2 months between uses.  I also top up the tanks before I get home to make sure that I minimize the ability of the alcohol to attract moisture.  

 

We've had 10% ethanol up here for decades and no problems. I put my weed eater away every fall outside but under eves, and it starts up every spring on 3-4th pull. A gallon lasts me 3-5 years. Didn't drive my Datsun last year, sat from July till new year and just fired it up. I try to do this every 4 months or so. So what the fuck is in your gas???

 

wayno are you positive that the gas container is absolutely sealed. Alcohol will absorb water out of the air. At a critical point it will hold so much it falls out of suspension with the gasoline and settles.

[bilzbobaggins]

Ethanol Gas War VIII......Insert thriller eating popcorn gifs

[datzenmike]

Maybe this additive explains the politics down there....

[Rusty Dawg]

Now that I think about it, I used some gas from a container about a 6 weeks ago that had been sitting for around 8 months with Sta-Bil in it.  I wanted to refill the container with fresh gas.  It was around 2 gallons that I used, so maybe that is the culprit to my current issue.

[jagman]

No Mike,  The republicans haven"t figured out that Stabil is a cure for Covid yet!  But they may........

[difrangia]

Rpubs can handle china virus without Stabil.

 

How's the Freedom Convoy goin' down up there in CA ??

Edited January 28, 2022 by difrangia

[Thomas Perkins]

Biden put something in the gas.Will be a problem for 3 more years..Luckily,I will have enough Trump gas till he gets back in the White House.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Thomas Perkins

[wayno]

Great job Mike, you brought politics into the subsections of the forums instead of where they belong in the general section.

 

11 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Maybe this additive explains the politics down there....

Edited January 29, 2022 by wayno

[datzenmike]

Well maybe it's something in the water then.

[jagman]

In California does the water really turn to whine?