Carb overflowing

[davidvend]

My carb is overflowing I took off the air cleaner and started the engine. It started fine and after a few seconds the fuel was shooting up from the carb overflow vent tubes about 1 inch. The question is should I replace the carb or send it out for rebuilding or rebuild it myself? The carb is a Ford 4 bbl I would like to keep the car as original as possiable. When the flooding goes away the car runs fine this only happens when starting the engine after sitting all night. I have checked the floats and they seem to be at the right height. -David

[Astrowing]

If it were me, I'd get a good quality carb rebuild kit and rebuild it yourself. Take it completely apart except for the throttle plates and soak the parts in a Gunk or Berryman carb cleaner 1 gallon with the basket. Blow out everything with compressed air. I found that the carb cleaner cans don't get it very clean. Take pictures as you take it apart and keep the screws organized for ease of re-assembly. They come with a guage for setting up the floats.

[simplyconnected]

I agree with Astrowing. If you have never done a carb rebuild, it can be tricky and the instructions are usually written for a few different models. Careful attention must be practiced AND pictures are 'a must'.

Get a smooth-bottom box and put the carb inside while you disassemble. If parts fall out, at least you will contain them. Believe me, when the little steel ball comes rolling out you need to know where it came from after you find it.

Gushing gas is usually a sign of a bad float needle & seat. I try to get solid brass parts because neoprene is affected by alcohol in our gas.

BTW, what fuel pump are you using? Is it electric?

[jopizz]

Did you shake the floats to make sure they don't have gas in them. I would agree that it's most likely the needle valves if it goes away after a time. You used to be able to buy them separately but I think now you have to buy the whole kit. I bought one last year at Autozone for about $18.00. The Ford/Autolite 4100's are fairly simple to rebuild. As mentioned the hardest part is getting it clean.

[Penelope]

I had the exact same problem and it turned out to be a tiny pinprick in the float, which was replaced and alls well.

[Jimz Bird]

A question on Carb Cleaner.

I have not rebuilt a carb in years but from what I have read the newer formulations - especially those that are "Safe for Sale in California" are not much better than warm water.

@ Dave & others: What do you use that still seems to be potent enough to really clean them?

Not meant to be a slam on CA Legislators - Bless their hearts, they mean well. (As is said Down South)

Well, I have been digging and here are what seems to be some good results in some threads.

Several people have been using Pine-Sol with good results.

"I have been cleaning carbs in Pine sol for the last few months with very good results.

Soak in 75% to 100% PS for 24 to 48 hours, rinse well with water and then blow the carbs dry using the air gun.

The stuff is also great for degreasing a dirty engine. Put the PS in a spray bottle, spray onto the dirty area and let it soak un for a coupe hours. Come back and work the oily crap off using a nylon or other type brush and a hose.

I would suggest using both rubber gloves and eye protection!"

And here:

"No vibrating this soak. Mustang sat for long periods of time while my folks were storing it for me (I didn't have a garage for it). Once we purchased our house w/garage, I brought it to Tucson, but it never ran correctly. Surging, hesitation, sputtering, etc. Plus the accelerator pump cover was puking fuel on the hot manifold... needless to say, not good.

So this Saturday I removed the Stang's Autolite 4bbl and let it soak overnight in PineSol. Sprayed it clean on Sunday, disassembled, rebuilt and did some minor tuning. VROOM! Hasn't run this well in years. Quite a bit of smelly, varnish-film in the PineSol when I was done. I still had to do some scrubbing with Carb-cleaner but really, not too much."

Here is where I got most on the info on a LONG thread:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=560117&page=10

Just some thoughts.

HTH

[Astrowing]

I used Berryman carb/parts cleaner on mine a few months ago and was very pleased with it.

http://www.berrymanproducts.com/Home.aspx

I did notice in looking at the MSDS they have posted that there are some products that have California versions. I'm sure they aren't as good. But I'm in Texas and can't speak to items sold in CA!

[kuusamon]

I am rebuilding a 4160 holley, still not been able to get the metering block of, looks like the gasket is more like a kit of some sort and its glued on there. Using carb cleaner etc. No luck so far.

[davidvend]

Thank you all for all the information. I will tackle the rebuild and I like the idea of using pine-sol to soak it in I repair vending machines and this doesn't look to be to troublesome execpt for the small bearing that might fall out. Has anyone used laquer thinner or acitone to clean the parts? or is it to strong. We do have Berryman carb cleaner here I don't know if the formula is different here. I did check the floats and they seem to be fine meaning that they still float up and when you push them down they pop right back up with gas in the bowls.- David

[simplyconnected]

How dirty is your carb???

California has alcohol in their gas which is a great cleaner (for fuel injectors too) AND it sucks up water in your gas tank. In our old classics, (that weren't made for gasohol) alcohol tends to break down some plastics and rubbers. If your floats and main supply needle are brass you have no worries. But, if floats are that black composite material and your supply needle has a rubber on the end, watch out.

If you have rocks in your passages, NO carb cleaner will help, but compressed air and a soft copper wire will perform wonders. I usually cut a few inches off different size wires in my stranded wire stash. Stranded copper wire has 19 strands so #10 strands are smaller than #6. All passages are drilled with a straight bit.

Hope this helps. - Dave

[davidvend]

When I took off the air horn and looked at the floats they look clean and so does the carb body inside no buildup on anything. My floats are of brass and so are the needles Someware I read that it could be the power valve sticking and causing the carb to overflow. Checking out A Zone their kit doesn't come with a power valve in the kit. Carbs are costly, needless to say I will be rebuilding it myself. Is their a place that sell a complete kit with the power valve in it? or do you have to always purchase it seperately? -David

[jopizz]

The kit that I got from Autozone last year did have the power valve in it. The picture on the web site shows it in the kit.

[davidvend]

jopizz do you still have the part # from autozone? I haven't had time to rebuild the carb yet but soon gas is to costly

[jopizz]

It's part #96-134D. GP Sorensen Ford 4100 Rebuild kit. It shows $16.99. I believe that's what I paid last year.

[davidvend]

Thank You, I will check with A Zone for the kit. I'll let you know how it performed once I rebuild the carb next week. Once its clean and blowned out how long did it take you to put it back together?