Crud in carb bowl

M

metro1

Senior Member
Anyone else have a problem with deposits in carb bowl after it sits for awhile? I rebuilt my carb about 1 year ago. Gas tank looks clean inside and inline filter was installed. Fresh gas in tank. The car is not on the road yet so it's started only to move it for repair work. I could not keep it running today so I pulled the carb apart. The bottom of the bowl had a lot of white/orange looking mush in it. Researching on line, a lot of people blame ethanol fuel for this although some think it's additives left behind when the fuel evaporates. I know a lot of people don't drive their old cars that much either. What can be done about this? Install a cut-off valve and run the carb dry?
 
HERE - https://www.onallcylinders.com/2014...derstanding-ethanol-can-protect-classic-ride/

ALSO - https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/mixing-new-fuel-for-old-cars/

WHILE AT IT - https://www.carburetor-parts.com/protect-carburetor-from-ethanol

If you see sediment in the fuel bowl, it also may be from a corrosion damaged pump, steel lines, or possibly a corroded fuel tank also.

Use a QUALITY FUEL FILTER before the CARB. ETHANOL eats a cellulose filer element leading to CARB fouling. Consider a sintered bronze filter element design.
 
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Thanks Kultulz. Looking at the first article I see there seems to be a disagreement on this subject. There is an oil/propane company close to me that sells non ethanol gas. I'm going to drain my tank and use that in this car and see what happens. It would also be nice to have a desiccant on the vent tube to keep moisture from being breathed in. When I worked for the power company we would let the large transformers breath through containers of desiccant to prevent condensation inside the tank.
 
E0 is the way to go with a CARB SYSTEM, but is usually hard to find (farmland, marinas and small airports) and more expensive.

Regardless, either fuel is going to draw (E10 more) moisture in a vented system. In a previous world in a GALAXIE FAR, FAR AWAY, vehicle fuel tanks had a petcock where one could drain the accumulated water that collects on the bottom of the tank. HEAVY TRUCK has tank drain petcocks usually and use a water separator.

Ethanol blended fuel was designed for FUEL INFECTION with a proper EVAP SYSTEM.

If you do devise a desiccant trap for your vent, let the rest of us know how it went.
 
My '59 Galaxie does have a threaded plug on the bottom of the gas tank. I could put a small valve there and position it so it doesn't hang too low.
 
Even running them dry just delays the problem. The engine quits when the fuel levels drops below the jet, and what’s left is just less. I just took a small engine apart (wouldn’t idle) and found the main jet and idle jet coated with a black glue. Rubber dissolved from the fuel hose from the ethanol. Carb cleaner, compressed air, I’m back in business. And a new “ethanol resistant “ fuel hose. Resistant, not ethanol proof. Guess I’ll see how long that lasts.
 
Yes, the engines with license plates have “proper” fuel hose. This is a gen set, and the 4” long hose has both a 90 and an offset. Gravity feed to boot. Can’t get the right stuff to make the bends, and the molded replacement is the same as the failed one. I’ll be changing it again as preventative maintenance. But it would do the same thing used in a vehicle.
 
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