by grumpyvette » August 2nd, 2013, 10:23 am
"GRUMPY?
I'm calling this stump the mechanic.
I usually put my cars away for the winter in October. I put them in the pole barn, take out the batteries and put them on "Battery Tenders".
In early May I wanted to bring one of the cars up to the garage. This car has a 350 SBC that I had built @ 3 years ago (4 bolt, forged crank & pistons, Howards roller cam & lifters, Holley 650, mechanical fuel pump) and a Muncie 4 speed trans. It has run fine for the past 2 years. So I put in & hooked up the battery, gave the engine the once over, closed the hood and figured I was ready to go. Since the car was sitting for @ 8 months it took some cranking and pumping. It finally caught and started and after a few seconds I noticed condensation on the passenger side of the hood. I immediately shut it off, opened the hood and was shocked when the whole right side of the engine compartment was soaked with gas including puddles in all the intake low areas.
I removed the air cleaner and 2 days later a buddy came over to look for leaks while I tried to start it. It started right up with no leaks or other issues to be found. I drove it up to the garage where it has been sitting since.
Tuesday, a week and a half ago was the first time I had tried to start the car since I brought it up to the garage @ 2-1/2 months ago. Again I gave the engine a good look, left the hood up and tried to start the car. Again after some pumping and cranking it started and since the hood was open, right away I saw fluid spraying over the passenger side of the windshield. I shut it off immediately, got out to look and again the whole right hand side of the engine compartment was soaked with gas.
I removed the air cleaner and Friday a buddy came over to check for leaks while I started the car and again it started right up with no leaks or other issues.
In the past few days I have started the car several times and taken it on a couple of cruises and it runs fine with no leaks or other problems.
Does anyone have a clue on where the gas can be coming from and why only after it sits for an extended period of time?"
without testing its just guessing but it sounds like a sticking float and or dried out gaskets in the carb or a defective fuel line connection, or maybe a loose fitting or crack in a fuel line, or defective manual fuel pump, that clears after fresh fuel runs thru the lines, swelling the gasket or fuel line or temporarily sealing the leak, and or needle & seat in the carb thats not seating correctly for a few seconds, Id strongly suggest finding the cause before driving the car , and having the hood up and a friend inspecting the car with a 10 lb co2 fire extinguisher in hand, and rolling the car out away from all structures when you work on it until you locate the cause, Id sure verify the fuel pressure and it should be below 6 psi at the carb inlet port
personally ID replace the carb and gaskets and fuel lines before even trying to run the car again, its going to be far less expensive than a car fire, a condition like thats just far to dangerous to be allowed to continue , or even take a chance, I replace the fuel lines and carb and if your running a manual fuel pump, that being on the pass side of the engine makes it suspect!!! ID replace that pump, the fuel lines and carb, during the process before even attempting to restart the engine
IF YOU CAN,T SMOKE THE TIRES AT WILL,FROM A 60 MPH ROLLING START YOUR ENGINE NEEDS MORE WORK!!"!
IF YOU CAN , YOU NEED BETTER TIRES AND YOUR SUSPENSION NEEDS MORE WORK!!