Help me PLEASE!!!!!!

[johnkeltgen]

Okay folks, here's the problem: I'm a dumb-*ss that doesn't know squat about cars. Here's what I'm running into (long story, sort of): Last week I had fuel leaking out of the fuel transfer tube. So, after waiting for three days to get parts and another 4 days to have a chance to work on the car, I was able to replace the tube and the gasket. Well, fuel ain't leaking out of the tube anymore. But it's shooting out of somewhere else! As you look at the carb, in front of the butterfly valve there's line (looks like it's a vaccuum line or something). The fuel fills to the top of that and spills out. Only on the front one, not on the rear so I'm assuming I screwed up somewhere. I pulled the bowl back off, readjusted the gasket so I was CERTAIN that it was on there right (same for the transfer tube), and cranked it back up. Same problem. I'm so PO'd that I'm actually physically ill, I'm about one more day from shooting my car.
Here's the big problem: It's crunch time for me. I'm in the running for Rookie of the Year at the local track. Next weekend there's another bracket race and I can't keep that heap of dung running!!!! I can fix a plane and I can't fix a car... what's up with that?!?!?! Why is it that everytime I touch a car it goes from bad to worse! Well, I'm going to go out and try this again... back in a moment. Dang it! Same problem! Can someone help me PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PNY PWR]

Is the float stuck?

 

[johnkeltgen]

You don't have the faintest idea who you're talking to, do you? LMAO! Sorry man, that sounded insulting and I sincerely apologize. I haven't got any idea what or where the float is. If it's stuck, I haven't got a clue how to get it unstuck. How can I tell whether or not the float is stuck? Sorry man, it's frustrating to love a car, love racing, and not know anything. Don't get me wrong, I'm a damn good mechanic; but I don't have the vocabulary for cars. If you were to point at something and say, "Here, this is the *insert part here*. Take it out and put a new one in it's place." No prob! But if you were to tell me to remove and replace something without showing me where it is... I'd be up the creek without a paddle.
Naughty Johnny! Sorry man, I'm so dang frustrated with this car it's making me sick. If you're gonna give me suggestions (which I greatly appreciate), you have to act as though you're teaching a 5-year-old child. In fact, there are probably 5 year olds who know more about cars than I do.

 

[88stangmangt]

some times when you fix something.....another weaker part down the line goes out with it..........sorry i cant help you i missed the carb generation by 10 years or so but if it was any other problem i could help ya ....

P.s. i have never heard of a GLX ????

 

[ratrapp]

not trying to insult you but changing parts doesn't make you a mechanic.the float looks like a brass or possibly plastic bowl inside your carb.when it sticks it'll push gas out of the top of the carb vent.you either have some dirt causing the needle to stick and upset the float level,an incorrect needle adjustment or just a bad needle and seat.the needle and seat assembly looks like a nut and stud ontop of the carb bowl.you should either get a book or take it to someone who's familiar with carbs as it's becoming a lost art.

 

[UMDSmith]

You should buy or look for an engine diagram that showed pictures part by part. Chilton manual pictures suck so don't use it. I knew very little about cars before the stang, but these forums, trial and error, talking to my dad, and research and I have learned most of the components of the car.

 

[HISSIN50]

Ratrapp is getting you in the right direction (though i dont share his personal sentiments). i do feel for you - it is good that you are a good plane mechanic and lack with cars - better than the other way around!

as said, check the float, [float] needle and seat. sometimes the float will have a hole in it, and fill up partially with fuel. this causes the float to, well, not float. result is the needle valve never shuts the fuel off. this is all very much like the float assembly in your toilet, if you have played with those.

the needle and seat, when worn, can allow fuel to seep past as well (as said). very common on sportbikes with miles. the needle will actually be scored around the part that rests in the needle seat.

then the float adjustment can be the trickiest. i cant remember the way to check it off the top of my head (i try not to mess with them). on bikes, i would cut the fuel supply and remove the inlet line. then i would pull a bowl and note how full it was. on bikes, you can bend the float tang a little to adjust it.

i feel for ya - it sucks to not understand something and the lack of vocabulary compounds the problem. do get a good book which has good pics (i think Haynes is decent on one of my cars for pics of the carb stuff - look in the carb rebuilding section of the fuel chapter). then you will know what term correlates to what part.

good luck with it and with the Rook of the year.

 

[timewarped1972]

ok, assuming this is a holley carb here's the deal.
your float needle is either stuck open, worn and leaking, your floats got a hole in it, or your running to much fuel pressure and its blowing the needle off the seat, float could also be way out of adjustment.
to change the needle and seat, on top of the float bowl is a flat head screw and a nut. remove the screw, and turn the nut counterclockwise untill the needle seat assembly is out. you can then install a new one. when you install the new one, thread it in with the nut till the top of it is about 3/16 from the top surface of the float bowl ( this is an intitial setting) put the screw in and tighten it, dont forget to use new gaskets for the nut and screw.
then theres a site plug on the side of the float bowl, little brass screw, basically you want the fuel level with it running just below the threads of this hole, so it shouldnt be flooding out, but not so low you cant rock the car slightly and have gas slosh out. thats how you adjust it. this can be a pain by yourself if your running a mechanical fuel pump. if you have a mechanical pump easy to have some one crank the engine while you view the site plug hole, if you have an electric pump, then it's easier. you adjust the level by loosening the screw and turning that nut for the seat assembly, clockwise for lower level counter clock wise for higher level, and if you loosen that screw while it's tunning it will spew gas, just to warn you.
if this doesnt work something wrong with the float or your fuel pressure is too high. if your racing i'm sure someone will be more than happy to help you learn carbs, holleys can be a pain sometimes.

 

[johnkeltgen]

'Preciate all the help!!!! I agree, replacing parts isn't what makes a mechanic... Being a good mechanic, in my mind, involves some serious troubleshooting, which I can do with aircraft as I know THAT engine's components and what they do. Now, the problem is finding some time to work on it. My son, who is a whopping 19 months old, is okay when he's sitting on my lap whilst I write on a computer (though he LOVES to sit here and push buttons, making a post take a long time to write). The last time I had him in his playpen and was working on a vehicle (in that case I was replacing the ignition lock cylinder in my pickup), he strted to get pretty angry with me. He started to cry (not a real cry, but a whining cry) and I was saying, "Just one more minute Mikey, Daddy'll be done soon." About 10 minutes later, he was done crying and I was nearly done with the truck when a cop car pulled up. Turns out, some passerby called social services and said I was neglecting my son!!!!! WTF is wrong with people nowadays?!?! The cop said he understood that I wasn't neglecting my son, but he also said it wasn't a good idea to do anything with a vehicle until my son is a bit older. It's just sad that there are people who beat their kids and get away with it. It's even sadder when someone who loves and cherishes their son gets nailed just because he was working on a car! I'll be working on the car later today when my son is napping (I have a monitor, so there's no need to call the police on me)... I'll let you know if it's working later!

 

[johnkeltgen]

i feel for ya - it sucks to not understand something and the lack of vocabulary compounds the problem. do get a good book which has good pics (i think Haynes is decent on one of my cars for pics of the carb stuff - look in the carb rebuilding section of the fuel chapter). then you will know what term correlates to what part.

good luck with it and with the Rook of the year. [/QUOTE]

I've got a Haynes manual and I turned to the carb section. It doesn't describe where the parts are. I'm assuming that the technical writers assumed that if someone bought the book, they knew what they were doing. The only thing it goes into detail on is removing the carb and replacing it. It says, "It isn't feasible for us to go into detail as carbuerator rebuild kits include very detailed directions." As said earlier, working carbs is becoming a lost art. My brother knows a ton about EFI systems and newer cars (he's a Grand prix fanatic), but he told me straight up: "I don't know ***** about carbs." Not to worry, I'm sure it's something simple. It's so much easier to have someone LOOK at a problem as opposed to explaining something over a phone (or on the 'net). I know exactly how frustrating it can be for people trying to offer advice, we get it with pilots all the time. Not to worry folks! With all the input you've provided me, I'll be able to figure out the problem. At least the carb is "right there" where it can be worked on comfortably!

 

[johnkeltgen]

HOORAY!!!!! Between y'all and my stepdad (who's a farmer and probably been playing with carbs for years), the car SEEMS to be running. My stepdad suggested tapping lightly where the float is. So I did that and she's not spewing fuel out of that tube anymore... must've been some dirt in there. Come to think of it, it was REALLY windy when I finally got the bowl back on. Cross yer finger for me, if I'm lucky i won't have anymore problems... for today at least

 

[PNY PWR]

see, it was stuck to me, now gimme $5

Glad it's working right, at least you didn't have to take it apart

 

[johnkeltgen]

Yep, stuck. Thanks a bunch! Now it's running a little goofy though. At low idle, it idles fine for a bit then it sounds like it's flooding out a little bit. It was suggested I throw some carb cleaner in the tank and run it through. I'll be taking it up to St. Cloud this weekend, so I'll be able to have about 6 mechanics look at it (and then tell me I need to run something faster, something with alcohol, something that runs 9s). Speaking of 9 second supergas cars, y'all will never guess what I saw! A Supergas '72 Gremlin! Ugliest dang car I've ever seen... kinda cool actually. You may be able to see it at www.racingjunk.com There's lots of cars and HP parts for the racing enthusiast.

 

[ratrapp]

wasn't trying to rag on you man,glad it's running now.if you intend to keep your carb then get used to tinkering with it as carbs,especially holleys seem to flood out for no apparent reason and at the worst times.