Re: Carburetor: Hole in the bottom

Posted by Kevin Daly on Oct. 15, 1998 at 14:01:52

In Reply to: Re: Carburetor: Hole in the bottom
posted by Rich on Oct. 15, 1998 at 13:26:36

Hey JR,

If the hole you're refering to is just larger than a pin hole and is located in the barrel section of the carb called the throat, it is supposed to be there. It was put there to drain off small amounts of fuel should your carburetor flood. Any large amount of fuel will drip right out of the throat hole in the back of the carb. I believe all Zenith designs had this hole.

Now for the most important thing SAFETY! If it's in the house and leaking that badly, GET THE CAR OUTSIDE! PUSH IT! DON'T START IT! AND DON'T TURN ON ANY LIGHTS OR ANYTHING THAT COULD IGNITE THE FUMES. THIS SITUATION IS POTENTIALLY DEADLY AND SHOULDN'T BE TAKEN LIGHTLY! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!

Once the car's outside I would say you have at least one, possible three problems. Since the model A carb is fed via gravity and not a fuel pump, we'll start at the top!

1) The shutoff valve under the gas tank is either open, or leaking. If the handle is pointing down, it's open. If it's horizontal and still leaks by fuel, it's faulty. Its brass and probably scored from years of rust, dirt and gas tank sediment. There are rebuild kits available or you can replace the whole valve which is a bit pricy at $30.00. The valve should always be shut when the car's off!

2) Next is the carb. Your float that rises to close off a fuel valve may have a pin hole in it. This may cause the float to fill with fuel and sink making it unable to close off the fuel from the tank. This float may also be fine but improperly adjusted to close off the valve.

3) The valve that the is closed by the float is either clogged with dirt or faulty. There are new replacement valves available that work better than the originals.

You could have all three of these problems working against you at the same time. It's important for safety reasons to check all three items. Any local Model A club I'm sure will be happy to show you how these repairs are done. They're really not that difficult with a little direction.

Most of all remember. We were all newbies once upon a time! There's no such thing as a stupid question. Please keep us informed of your progress. Good luck and be safe.

Regards,

Kevin Daly


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