I have a 71 cross dresser with a stock 1600 with an empi 34 p -3 carb. It’s been a little unreliable, I’ve had the carb out and the needle valve that sits above the float seems to stick.. I now have fuel in my oil.. the following article about beetles seems to be the same, is this right? How should I fix it please? The low flat engine places the carburettor a little lower than in most other cars, whilst the fuel tank is mounted a little higher than in most cars - the top of the tank is almost level with the carburettor with the car on level ground. If the float valve in the top of the carburettor gets a little sticky (not uncommon after 30+ years of use) and the car is parked nose high, it can allow petrol from the tank to leak continuously through the fuel pump into the float bowl, down through the carburettor, into the inlet manifold, into whichever cylinder has the inlet valve open and then past the rings into the sump. This results in the sump slowly filling with fuel and raising the level of the oil/fuel mixture. Behind the engine pulley there are slots in the engine case which are designed to draw air into the crankcase to mix with any gases in the sump, up through the breather attached to the oil filler neck, into the carburettor to be burnt, rather than having oil fumes etc venting to the atmosphere. Inside the case, just behind the slots is an oil slinger ring designed to keep oil from coming out through the slots when the engine is running. But with the front of the car higher than the rear, and the sump filling with petrol and mixing with the oil, it eventually seeps out through the ventilation slots and drips down under the engine pulley and out under the rear of the car.
A new float valve is called for. They come individually and in carb rebuild kits. Beware the disintegrating EM*I valves if poss. http://thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/rogues-gallery.73621/
Take the plugs out and turn it over first as well in case one of the cylinders is full of fuel, you can bend a con rod if it is !!
It is possible to fit an electronic fuel cut off valve in the system to prevent this also. You can take a feed from the positive side of the coil ( black wire). This means that it totally prevents fuel from running through the system when the van is parked on a steep incline. A new needle valve and float is definitely recommended. Get a genuine one as said above. http://www.carburettorspecialists.com/products.htm Also. Make sure you have the high metal loop pipe for your Vac take off for the distributor. This is there to prevent fuel syphoning into the vac canister on the side of the distributor. They are sometime missing but have an important job to do. https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/de/fuel-shut-off-valve. this one is expensive but you get the idea from this.
When you have changed the oil. Spin the engine over with the plugs out to get oil all around the engine with no load. The petrol will have washed oil out of places where it is vital. It also will blow remaining fuel out of the barrels.
When initialy removed the needle was stuck and felt like it had sand in it..it does not appear to be spring loaded, the needle drops down just with gravity. I think the spring must be broken.. thanks for responses
It doesent use a spring The float in the fuel chamber pushes it closed when the fuel rises and then when the fuel drops due to the engine using it The float drops and the needle moves allowing fuel past to refill the chamber
sometimes small rust particles from the tank are the culprit. always have a fuel filter fitted inline just below the fuel tank outlet and inspect it for crud and renew as often as necessary. parking on a slope with the front higher than the rear can cause fuel overflow through the needle valve.
I tried the carb doctor chap, whilst helpful he said he couldn’t supply anything for empi carbs, even a float needle valve as he has found the components are different from original solex..Shame was hoping to avoid putting another empi valve back on it..
check the float actually floats and no fuel inside it, and the needle valve should have a washer on the thread side to adjust the float/fuel level height. that sand feel you mentioned could well be rust particles, is the float bowl clean at the bottom, shouldn't be any rust there.
Clarification from the rogues gallery thread. The EMPI float valve that I had go wrong does have a spring in it but it’s to hold the ball bearing in place. It doesn’t affect the up and down movement of the valve. As you’ve no ball bearing, there won’t be a spring. Does anybody know why they added the ball bearing?
I’ve no idea why they added the spring and ball bearing as the original solex ones didn’t have them. I have seen a fair few over the years where the ball and spring have fallen out though.
It was however a Solex mod, not something EMPI introduced. I just took apart an old carb from my 2 litre engine and it has a genuine Solex float valve with ball and spring.
