Rebuilding the carb time...

Forum rules
Please start new topics here: New Panhead and Flathead topics
Post Reply
51Hog
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:53 am
Bikes: 1951 Fl
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Rebuilding the carb time...

#1

Post by 51Hog »

Carb is leaking fuel out of the throat.
Looks like I either have needle or float related probs.
I'll find out today.
That means I will have to pressure test the manifold also since the carb is off.
Which means I will find the old nagging nipple leak in the rear head--not very big, and probably does not leak vacuum anyway.
It only leaks when I put about 25 lbs of air to it.
One of these days I will have to restore the heads completely.
Just waiting until I can't fasten the exhausts to the worn out spigots or until the valves pull through the seats......
I wonder if I can find oversize valves that have all of the proper dimensions since the spring collars on my oversized valves hit the pan covers....
Oh Oh Oh I am rambling.......Must be the awesome temps outside 22 degrees slated for 45 today---Gotta get the boat ready, clam digging and Halibut fishing and Shrimping next month---6 hours drive to the ocean in Homer..
Sure wish I could pull the boat with the Pan....
Dale
Cotten
Senior Member
Posts: 6937
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 2:30 am
Bikes: -
Location: Central Illinois
Has thanked: 112 times
Been thanked: 310 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#2

Post by Cotten »

Dale!

Does is leak while running, or only while sitting?
Drooling while parked is a petcock problem, rather than a carburetor problem.

15 psi is more than equal to absolute vacuum, and all that is needed for a test.

...Cotten
51Hog
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:53 am
Bikes: 1951 Fl
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#3

Post by 51Hog »

So far, I have only seen it leak while not running.
It only leaks when the fuel valve in the tank is open.
When I screw in the valve in the tank, the leak stops and evaporates.

Up until now, I have been able to "Forget to turn off the fuel" and not have any leaks.
Your float has always done its job perfectly seating the needle.
I may have some garbage between the needle and seat.

I can't run the engine right now as I have both wheels off for new tires and the stand is not stable enough.
Thanks for the heads up on the 15 lbs of air.
Dale
old.wrench
Senior Member
Posts: 516
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 4:29 pm
Bikes: '54 FL and a mini-bike
Location: in the garage
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 84 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#4

Post by old.wrench »

Yeah I hear you. That's damn near T-shirt weather!in AK. The best clam digging tides (for Cook Inlet) should be happening right around now, no? Back in the seventies you could'nt drive down to the beach at Clam Gulch during the spring clam tides because of all the shore ice. Maybe with the global warming you don't have as much shore ice in the Inlet anymore?

There were a few of us that had Harleys down on the Kenai Peninsula back then. I lived in Nikiski, six miles past the end of the paved North Road. We always figured you could count the number of days on one hand that you could comfortably ride in a T-shirt. But of course that didn't stop us from riding whenever we could.

Regards,
Geo.
51Hog
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:53 am
Bikes: 1951 Fl
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#5

Post by 51Hog »

Tides are extremely low this time of year Great for digging the elusive razor clam.
Ice is about the same as the 70s. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
51Hog
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:53 am
Bikes: 1951 Fl
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#6

Post by 51Hog »

I know that the float level between the top of the bowl and the top of the float is to be set at 1/4 inch.
When I check the actual level of water in the bowl by plugging the hole in the bottom of the bowl, The needle closes when water is about 5/8 of an inch from the top of the bowl.
How far from the top of the bowl should the actual level of fuel be when the needle closes?
I know that water weighs more than fuel.
Does the float float higher in the water than it does in fuel? And therefore shut the needle sooner?
Cotten
Senior Member
Posts: 6937
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 2:30 am
Bikes: -
Location: Central Illinois
Has thanked: 112 times
Been thanked: 310 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#7

Post by Cotten »

Dale!

Fuel is only about three-quarters of the density of water,
but the difference is negligeable to a float that floats.

I just flip the bowl upside down and suck on the inlet.
If you can make a little pop when you pull your tongue off, that's pretty good.

Please remember that the float valve is open during operation.
The petcock prevents overflow while parked.

...Cotten
51Hog
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:53 am
Bikes: 1951 Fl
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#8

Post by 51Hog »

Thanks for the info Cotten.
I did replace the needle and seat.
Unfortunately, the only one that I could get up here was the one that has the black tip on the needle.
It seals well right now. we will see what the "Alien spit" does to it in the days to come.
Meanwhile, I will try to track down one without the black tip.
Huck
Senior Member
Posts: 634
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:35 pm
Bikes: 58 hd
91 hd
09 custom
Location: Wake Forest NC
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 35 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#9

Post by Huck »

Cotten wrote: I just flip the bowl upside down and suck on the inlet.
If you can make a little pop when you pull your tongue off, that's pretty good.
Be careful, I did that once and ended up married!
51Hog
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:53 am
Bikes: 1951 Fl
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Rebuilding the carb time...

#10

Post by 51Hog »

Thats a good one Huck :)
Post Reply

Return to “Carburetor/Fuel system”