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carb problem

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dosedtoaster

dosedtoaster

Freshman Member
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hi all!

i drove the bug eye to the office today for the first time and noticed a really bad gas smell, along with a very poor idle. opened the hood and noticed gas dripping VERY fast out of the drain in this attached picture (see red arrow).

https://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o244/dosedtoaster/carbproblem.jpg

two questions:

1) is there a standard cause for this?

2) is it safe to drive 5 miles home from the office with this condition?

thanks mucho!

~J
 
If those SUs are anything like the ones on my 100-6, I'd say that you probably have a sticking float needle. Though it hasn't happened to me, I've read that you can rap on the top of the float bowl with the end of a screwdriver (for example); some dirt might have gotten lodged in the seat, preventing the needle from closing the valve.

It that doesn't work, I suppose the next step would be to remove the float bowl lid tops and investigate the float, needle, and all that.. I may be very wrong, so I'd wait for more advice.

And also, it's probably almost extremely unsafe to drive it with fuel leaking down..I'd imagine it'd be easy for it to come into contact with the hot manifolds.
 
You either have a sticky float needle valve, or the float is incorrectly set. If it is only dripping out of the overflow, 5 miles isn't too far to go (I have driven further), but still risky (carbs are on the same side as the exhaust manifold). You could try rapping the float chamber lid with a screwdriver handle which might free up a binding needle-valve. The poor idle is due to too much fuel i.e. flooding.

PS welcome to the club, you are now on the road to becoming a seasoned LBC owner!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
heh. All of the above. Is the fuel pump an SU? If so, it almost HAS to be sticking float needle. Whacking the chamber lid can sometimes dislodge the clog, but pulling the lid (all of three screws & a clamp) and clearing it by blowing into the supply side while working the float open/closed would be my answer.


...spit AWAY from the car, too /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
thanks --

i went and tapped around a bit, as much as i felt comfortable (not very hard). turned it over and it seems to be worse!

will try DrEntropy's recommendations next.

~J
 
We're on stand-by.
 
But while we are waiting... how many of you have a fire extinguisher in your car and check its charge with each oil change?
 
FIXED!

There was a bunch of junk in the bottom of the float bowl area, cleaned it up and runs nifty again.

thanks a ton everyone!

~J

good idea with the fire extinguisher trevor.
 
Trevor Jessie said:
But while we are waiting... how many of you have a fire extinguisher in your car and check its charge with each oil change?
Click to expand...

One on the pass side inside panel of the car always, one in the garage and one in the kitchen by the garage door.
Had them primed a couple of times, never pulled the trigger...
<touches wood>
 
Baz said:
Trevor Jessie said:
Had them primed a couple of times, never pulled the trigger... <touches wood>
Click to expand...

And then there was last summer as we were moving. I had the garage fire extinguisher in the trunk and I guess the pin vibrated its way out because when I picked it up to move it.. guess what happened. fortunately it only discharged in the trunk and not on luggage. However, somewhere in West Virginia there's a spent extinguisher in a hotel parking lot waiting to be refilled. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif

Come to think of it - every liquid I had in the trunk spilled or leaked that trip - which by the way is why I keep an empty cat litter box in the trunk. They sold them at the swimming pool store. Just fit the chlorine jugs.
Click to expand...
 
I have one in the house and garage, need one for Miss Agatha.
 
I've got one in kitchen, one in garage, and small on in the Tunebug. Fits nicely between the passenger seat and that cross brace right in front. Have to work up some sort of mounting strap some day.

Glad you got it worked out. Might be worth checking through the entire fuel system for other gunk. I had my fuel pump (mechanical) leak big time back in November. Turns out the pump was full of junk. Next big job is cleaning through all the lines and the tank.
 
WHAT?!!? No gasoline tongue?!?!

sheesh.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Glad ya got it sussed.
 
DosedToaster,
glad you got it fixed , wouldn't want to jeopardize such a clean-looking engine compartment.
 
As for the crud in the float bowl- looks like you NEED a fuel filter just ahead of your carburetors. I will guess that there is a lot of junk in your gas tank and you will continue to have problems if you don't. You may also check the rear carb for crud while you are there.
Bill
 
If the car has been sitting for a while (with gas in the tank) you may consider dropping the fuel tank and have it flushed out - I didn't do that with my Bugeye and it cost me, but then again I had real old gas in mine (stupid me).
cd
 
I would also recommend the addition of a "see-through", washable fuel filter with replacable elements to keep tabs on what is coming from the tank!
 
On the subject of fuel filters--I had a lot of problems with a huge vapor bubble settling in the fuel filter (plastic, see-through) which didn't blow through the filter element very well. The filter was in the usual place, between the pump and carbs. Eventually, I put in an electric pump with a filter ahead of it, so no more need for the one in the engine compartment. Presumably the one ahead of the electric pump, back by the tank, is cooler, so no problems with vapor bubbles. So far.

I wonder if a sediment bowl might not be a better idea. If I remember correctly, my 60s-era TR4A had one, but no filter. Just some screens at the carbs. Whattya think?
 
Any setup that will filter out any sediment from a tank that may have been sitting for a while is preferrable to none!!
 
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