UGGGHHH!!!!!! not starting!

[mike561]

Ok so i went to go do a complete fill up at the gas station today, well while i was comming into the station the car starting shaking then stalled and would not start back up, i thought i just ironicly ran out of gas right as i pulled up to the pump. well after i filled up to the max and i went to start it up, no luck still, and gas started gushing out from under the carburetor. this happened before and my neighbor came over and tapped the top of the carb saying that the floats were just stuck and it was flooded, i tried tapping the top of the carb but of course for me it still diddnt work. any thoughts would be great, hope this isnt going to be major

[silicon212]

I had this happen once, and it was due to some sort of purge valve failure that caused engine vacuum to draw charcoal pellets from the canister up into the purge valve, where they then migrated into the float bowl. It was a Grade A mess.

I had to replace the purge valve and rebuild the carb.

[mike561]

DEFINETLY a huge mess indeed! was there alot involved in doing all that and did it cost alot? what can i do to prevent this from happening again too???

[PeteA216]

Woa woa, back up. Mike, I thought that your canister wasn't hooked up. Without the canister being hooked up theres no way possible for the charcoal to enter the carb.

[silicon212]

Actually, I picked up a carb and a purge valve at Ecology Auto Wrecking for $20 total, and rebuilt and kept (and am now using) that old carb. It was the quick way to get back on the road, or what we say in the IT world - it was minimal downtime.

You won't have that problem though, as Pete said you have no purge valve or canister! In your case, it might be float/needle valve related. The float may be fuel logged, in which case it no longer floats (subsequently never sealing the needle valve), or the needle may have been somehow disrupted.

[mike561]

yeah i was about to mention that, my stupidity, i had the canister line directly into the carb for about a day (without a purge valve) thinking that was the correct way it goes. but as you said, bits of charcoal probably got sucked into it, causing this to happen. but yeah ill probably just need to worry about the carb situation since i diddnt have a purge valve in the first place, i do plan on getting one again soon though to restore the canister to carb feature the RIGHT way. does the WHOLE ENTIRE carb need to be replaced though or can this just be a repair to my existing carb?

[PeteA216]

i had the canister line directly into the carb for about a day (without a purge valve)

You had the canister hooked up with no way of controlling how much vacuum is applied to it. Silicon's original diagnosis seems to be right now... in which case the carb will definately NEED a rebuild and thorough cleaning of all parts and ductwork in the carb to be sure all bits of charcoal are out. Personally, I've actually always kept a spare carb laying around just in case something goes wrong with one, I have a backup to use until I fix it. I did this with the CC Carbs and now with the non-CC carbs seeing I no longer have an ECM. You can head to a junkyard and find one that still has an air filter on it so you know it wasn't exposed to weather and throw it on the car and see if it works so you can drive until you rebuild the other one.

[mike561]

yeah that sounds like a good option, im going to have to make sure the scarp yard can guarantee that its good.

[PeteA216]

All of the yards I've been to come with a 60 day warrantee with the exception of certain electronics like stereos and lights.

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by PeteA216

All of the yards I've been to come with a 60 day warrantee with the exception of certain electronics like stereos and lights.

Not Ecology - they will SELL you a warranty but that's only for 30 days. It's one of the reasons I don't get much there anymore.

[PeteA216]

Silicon, I would love to come to a yard over where your located (Arizona right?) Here in Rochester, NY anything in the yards are either rotted to the ground and so rusty that removing a good part becomes a day long project, or so smashed that you'll be lucky to find something intact that'd be of any use.

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by PeteA216

Silicon, I would love to come to a yard over where your located (Arizona right?) Here in Rochester, NY anything in the yards are either rotted to the ground and so rusty that removing a good part becomes a day long project, or so smashed that you'll be lucky to find something intact that'd be of any use.

Yeah, seems we have the best boneyards around out here in Arizona. There are a couple of places that have cars that have been in their yards since the 60s (!) and those cars STILL have good metal on them. Of course, these yards cater to the classic car resto crowd, so they charge outrageous prices for their stuff - but then if you're doing a ground-up resto and want to keep the car in as-delivered condition, you gotta get these parts.

[mike561]

By the way, the car is at the shop and i was told there was a peice of plastic stuck in the carb, it had to be taken all apart to clean it out. but it should be good now. ill be getting it back tommorow.

[PeteA216]

Hm... plastic? I wonder from what. A piece of old vacuum hose maybe? Or maybe from a broken seal in a vacuum acessory. I dunno... see if you can get the piece.

[mike561]

yeah ill see if i can, or at least ask what kind of plastic it was, i think after i get it back im going to get those little black plugs to cap off any openings on the carb.