Fuel pours out of vent hole above carb fuel bowl

[Pete W]

1961 Comet, 144, 3 speed manual, one barrel Holly 1904

If I let the car sit overnight I can get it started and drive it to my destination. When I shut it off and try to start it again it does not turn over. If I step on the accelerator and try to crank it fuel pours out of the vent above the fuel bowl in the carb. If I keep trying to crank fuel spills all over driveway. Is something stuck in the carb?

Thanks,

Pete

 

[Pete W]

I forgot to add. My pride and joy is sitting in the grocery store parking lot. )<:

 

[Bort62]

Sounds like your needle might be stuck open.

 

[fordconvert]

I would also say its a float/needle/seat problem. Maybe as simple as a chunk of crud. Could also just be old gaskets and a sunk float. Carb has to/ should come apart and may need / benifit from a rebuild kit.

No quick fix to get it out of the parking lot. Change the oil as soon as you get it running right or sooner if it smells like gas on the dipstick.

 

[fmartin_gila]

Could be a small piece of crud in the needle holding it openor the float drop is too much letting the needle cock off to the side and allowing the fuel to just run through as fast as the pump will push. Take off the bowl and see if there is any crud in there, and while your in there adjust the float drop just a tad for less drop. This is common with these carbs and most of the time the cause of the fuel just running out the vent.

 

[Anonymous]

Just went through a similar experience with my 67 Mustang. What was happening to me was the car would start right up first thing in the morning and I could drive to where ever I wanted to go, but after sitting awhile it would barely start. However, once started, I could drive again but once parked the problem would repeat. After several episodes of this I took the air cleaner off and discovered that gas was dripping out of and into the carburetor. I removed the metal screw in gas filter and needle and seat looked into the gas opening and saw what looked like a small thread of white plastic stuck in the opening. What it eventually proved to be was a piece of the glue or epoxy from the gas filter. The gas filter is a actually a two piece thing that is glued or epoxy together and some of the stuff had broken free and found its way into the needle and seat opening. Fished out the stuff and put on a new gas filter and I was good to go.

 

[Pete W]

Thanks for the replies

I just got back from the grocery store to pick up my car. It started up with no problems and I drove it home. I think the problem stems from me putting sealer around the fuel bowl gasket because I thought it was leaking. I think some of the sealer got stuck some where.