HELP!!! Carb Dripping Gas While Parked

B

Banky

Senior Member
Hi all, I need some help!!!!

My stock 30 ford, newly rebuild ZENITH carb is dripping gas non stop. About a drip a minute, adds up overnight. It's starting to stink my house out, not sure what to do????

I checked the gas shut off valve, it's turned off. Is it possible not working?

Please let me know your thoughts before I have to let it sit outside.

thanks,
Banky
 
Probably your float valve. If it's the original type, they tend to leak. If you have the new type with the rubber tip, it might just be a speck of crud that's not allowing the valve to seal. It could also be that your float isn't set to the proper height, or it's sticking before floating to its proper level for some reason.
 
Open up the hood and take a peek. Dry it off with a rag and observe where the leak is coming from. Check the carb throat, the base gasket, and where the GAV seat sits. This will help to point out where to look further. Grab a small hammer and give it a tap or two it may help seat the float valve. As for the house, AIR out the FUMES before a pilot light ruins christmas!
 
Sounds like the gas valve and float valve both need a light seating. My car leaked the full 10 gallons of gas over the winter, when I first bought it. Once I lapped both valves with toothpaste it's been fine.
 
Last edited:
I bought a petcock type valve at the hardware that fits perfectly in place of the original valve assembly. Cost $3.79! Original valves are about as refined as a beer barrel bung! (DRIP, DRIP, DRIP!) That's why you alway keep a mug under the beer barrel bung! Bill W.
 
drip or no drip, I always turn the gas off and run it dry of gas so there's never an issue.
 
Try turning the GAV valve all the way in until it seats. I tried everything and found this simple solution stopped all leaks.
 
Jordan said:
drip or no drip, I always turn the gas off and run it dry of gas so there's never an issue.
Click to expand...
Me, too. And I also put new packing in the shut-off valve to make a positive closure. Prior to that, the valve leaked and although I ran the carb dry it would fill up while sitting.

Ed
 
It is an age old problem. Most of the metal float valve seats are not a 100% shut off. However, they work good enough for the carburetor to function properly. The fuel shut off valve is supposed to compensate for that. When the Model A was new it probably worked. In todays world the valves are either worn or a poor reproduction that allows fuel to pass through the line. I have never had any luck repairing them by laping them with tooth paste.

Some of the better suppliers advertise that they guarantee their fuel shut off valves not to leak. They don't specify what they mean by leak, external or internal. My vic has an indented fire wall and uses a valve attached to the engine side of the fire wall. I have three of these shut off valves, two repos and one original. All three of them pass gas. Therefore I have to rely on a positive shut off at the float valve. I have had good luck with the viton tip float valves that Bratton sells to provide a positive shut off.

A word of caution about these float valves valves, take them apart and clean out all the brass machine chips before installing. Bratton was made aware of this problem and it improved, but he is at the mercy of his supplier and you will still find some brass debris in them.

Tom Endy
 
This is why one of the first things I did (indented f/wall) was install an electic fuel shut off in the gas line. After you determine where it's leaking and it is the carb I would contact whoever rebuilt it for you. JMO
Paul in CT
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top