!Title Here!

Original Question:

At 9:03 AM +1000 5/10/98, David Gill wrote:

Help!

I recently began a rear brake job on my 76 TR6 due to a leaking master cylinder. While I had the rear jacked up to remove the old components and clean the backing plate I noticed a distinct gasoline smell. I looked at the front and saw gasoline dropping underneath the car. Upon opening the hood, I saw fuel leaking from my foremost carburetor. I thought that perhaps my float had stuck because of the angle of the car so I jacked the front up to the same level. The car has been on jack stands for about a week. I have gotten an occasional gasoline smell in my garage and thought that it was some of the residual gasoline from the original leak because I did not see any further evidence of gasoline dripping under the carburetor. However, today I felt under the carburetor and it was wet with gas. I think now that the gas continued to leak, but was evaporating before it could drip. I am very concerned with this situation because my garage is in my basement and contiguous with the rest of my house. I need to find the way to stop this leak for a number of safety reasons.

I have 175 CD-2 carburetors on my car. There is a small circular yellow plastic cap on the bottom of the carburetor around which the fuel is leaking. The fuel is leaking at a much higher rate since I manipulated the cap. The cap turns freely and will not unscrew or screw down tighter. I have a Haynes manual on carburetors but it only shows that the jet is located there. The arrangement I see under my carbs is not depicted in the manual. The other carburetor has an identical arrangement but the cap feels tight to the fuel chamber. I have clamped off the fuel line going to the carburetor, but I am concerned that there is enough fuel remaining in the float chamber to continue to leak for some time. I would like to know if I can simply remove the float chamber with the carburetor in position and deal with the problem or if there is a simple way to remove the plastic cap. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

David Gill
76 TR6

Responses:

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 09:50:02 +1000
From: Trevor Jordan
Subject: Re: Gasoline leak in carb.

[Note: See followup below!]

This is exactly what happened to me on Saturday. With various advice from this list, I removed the plug. When I find a replacement O ring, it will go straight back for the moment (until I have time to rebuild the carbs).

The plug is plastic with a brass external cover. It is held in by four ramp clips that are moulded into the sides of the plug (ie it snaps in). With a little effort it can be removed without damaging the clips. Turning the plug in either direction is pointless, but rocking while applying constant downward force seems to release it. The worn O ring allows it to rock more than normal. The approved method is probably to open the float chamber and release the clips from inside.

Once the fuel bowl is empty, there should be no more flow.

Trevor Jordan
74 TR6 CF29281U

Date: Sun, 04 Oct 1998 08:18:21 -0400
From: James H. Davis, Jr.
Subject: Re: TR6 Carbs

Trevor,

You may be able to pry the plug from the float bowl, but you run the risk of damaging or breaking the plastic " fingers" that hold the plug in the bowl and spilling gas (petrol) everywhere. You may be better advised to remove the carb, drain the gas into a suitable container, invert the carb, remove the float chamber and then remove the plug by gently squeezing the plastic fingers while pressing the plug out. If you are very careful you may be able to re-use the float chamber gasket, but in most cases it tears upon disassembly.

Unless the carbs have been gone over in the last year or two, I'd clean and rebuild them while you have them off the car.

Jim Davis
Fortson, GA
CF38690UO
CF37325U

From: Jack R. Clark
Sent: Saturday, October 03, 1998 7:03 PM

If, and you probably will have to remove the carbs, I would suggest rebuilding them if you have not done so. My car runs much better, and I had a leak around both starter boxs. Fortunately the carb kit (Vicky Brit) included the gasket. I believe the o-rings are there also, but I did not replace mine since they were not leaking.

From: Peter Zaborski

I vouch for the rebuild as well. When I did mine (forced upon me by a spurious leak in the rear carb as well), I went a step further and replaced the original float chambers with a couple from a set of Strombergs off an MGB (I think that's where they came from). In any event, these float chambers do not have the plug -- they are solid. This means I will never have a leak due to a faulty O-ring on the plug. (Misadjsuted float level leaks are still possible of course).

The chambers cost me $20 Canadian for the pair (they were used). Went on with no modifications. Worth considering IMO.

- --- Peter Zaborski CF58310UO Calgary,Canada ---