Why I hate carbs, Stuck open float on Elwood Options

[ClayPerrine]

Saturday we took Elwood to cars and coffee. We were leaving early so we could stop and get some breakfast on the way.

Betty started the car up, and we left. We didn't make it off our street before we started smelling gas and Betty said that there was no power. So we turned around and pulled back into the driveway.

I immediately took off the air cleaner, and found that the rear float had stuck open on the right hand carb. The bores were full of gas, and there was a nice geyser out of the vent tube when the pump was on.

I immediately unplugged the CD box, and using a rubber mallet and some targeted percussive maintenance, I was able to un-stick the float. So now I have to clear out all the gas.

The gas had gotten down into the cylinders and the engine was hydraulically locked. So I pull the plugs on that side to empty out the cylinders.




So we can join the action as Betty and I try to clear the flooded cylinders, courtesy of our ring camera:




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(IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)


And that, my friends, is another reason for me to hate carburetors!

[nditiz1]

Not to play devils advocate, but while troubleshooting a no start issue on my 914 djet engine I thought it was the battery that had failed and that's why it would not turn over the engine. Upon further diagnosis, after buying a new Optima Red top, it was acting like it was locked up. I removed the spark plug to see it soaking wet letting me know the injector had failed and was filling up the cylinder with fuel. I also jetted gas out the side of the plug hole when turning it over to clear it out. Just an example of how it can happen with the other intake style. This doesn't make what happened any less crappy. Glad you were able to get the float unstuck.