Left ignition on by accident, was round back with engine running, just playing with throttle linkage trying to get it to idle for longer and not stall. Anyway it stalled out. Got my screwdriver out and prized the ball joint linkage arm off the carb and it ended up resting on the auto choke spade. Heard some fizzling and the spring just below it was bubbling from the oil/grease heating up on it. Just after i realised what was going on i turned off the ignition, and went back round to the engine. I was checking out the linkage and noticed the bottom of the carb was now wet with petrol. Just wondering, if i could have damaged the carb by doing this? and if i may have caused this leak too. I will be rebuilding these carbs anyway (once i find a kit) and wont be able to startit anyway now due to the leak.
it's possible....but unlikely....the autochoke element is designed to get hot, and takes a 12v feed so any o rings, diphragms or gaskets nearby shouldn't be affected.
And as you were levering the arm off you will possibly have "operated" the throttle and the pump jet squirting fuel down the carb a few times?
Not sure why it would just leak out onto the manifold though. I had it running for a few mins before this. I'm sure a rebuild will sort it.
Perhaps you don't have a good carb/manifold seal. Check the bottom of the carb is flat? And the top of the manifold. Over-tightening them can and does bend them producing leaks between.
It's one of those situations where I could be chasing my tail wracking up the costs. Unknown blockages inside the carb etc. If I rebuilt carbs for a living it would all even out, I'd have an ultra-sonic cleaner with a dozen carbs in it, spares etc etc.
My version of a rebuild is very basic compared to yours. I'm talking just diaphragms and gaskets and a good clean out. They work ok for now no reason to change out yet. Apart from the leak.
as a temp fix if you can't find a service kit in time, why not just fix the leak with Permatex (the permashield stuff is good)
I have some gasket sheet actually. Maybe I could just cut a new one for now. The leak is right round the back of the carb and showing on the manifold below the float chamber. So I can't even see where it is coming from. Hopefully it is just gasket. Once I have the bus on the road with a safe engine, then I would like the thought of getting some meaty carbs to power up a bit.
Mine HAS to be successful or I couldn't charge could I? If yours isn't you've lost the cost of the kit, not hours of labour you might rather be charging for? Is the inlet pipe loose in the carb? or rubber pipe leak?
I didn't know you did rebuilds on carbs. I'm not sure what it is. I will have an investigate tomorrow. I do have a loose brass inlet pipe on the other side. So what do you charge for a rebuild on my two and how quickly can you do it? Or are you saying it's not worth it? I'm confused mate sorry.
Ha-ha! No I don't do that though I would my own - I have the buggers apart every day at the moment. I have been explaining why I and probably most other small specialist all-round restorer mechanics wouldn't either. Add to that full engine rebuilds (I don't have a machine shop). I do paint though but you can't do everything.
But if you spluttered to my workshop and you had OG carbs or other that you wanted rebuilding and then setting up I would remove them, send them away to be refurbished at cost, then refit and set them up for you. Comes to the same but someone who refurbishes carbs all day does that bit which makes sense to me. Obviously if cost was the main driver you wouldn't be spluttering to my workshop in the first place - waste of petrol for starters.
You mean was new . The ignition supply isn't fused, so worth checking for any damage to loom or ignition switch.
