leaky carb

[tomdale86]

hey guys!

im in some matching head-scatching with my carb!

basically it leaks oil, even when the car is not running, at a rate of the dashpot in about an hour or two. so i have to top it up everytime i use the car! i've had a look around the float chamber, doesnt seem to be coming from there.

today involved filling the dashpot up a couple of times to try and source the leak. this meant more oil 'disappeared' somewhere. (it doesnt end up on the floor)

i noticed when i started it up later after all that more white smoke than normal came out of the exhaust (there is normally a little bit).

does this mean that the dashpot oil is leaking into the manifold?

if not, or if so (!), what can and should i do about it!!??

please help!

[nightrain]

Oil is only supposed to be in the pistons hollow tube, not the top part of the carb. If the punger still hard'ish/stiff'ish to pull out. The only oil thats disappeared is the excess.

[tomdale86]

thanks.

i normally top it up just above the shoulder of the dashpot (so i can see its topped up).

The level will visibly run down in front of my eyes, without the car running.

if i dont top it up though, the car wont start very well, where as topped up as above it will start first time.

im really confused as to what is causing the leak when the car is off.

[bisto48]

Carb sounds very worn to me! The oil must be going down the sides of the plunger bit (forgotten what its called) and is then entering the venturi of the carb. This is backed up by the white smoke you see. This is the oil being sucked up by the intake stroke and burning in the engine!

A new/second hand carb might be needed to rectify this problem

[nightrain]

Sounds like some idiot has tried to get the needle out, by belting a screw driver down the tube, fracturing the bottom and causing a leak.

[minimaniac]

Sounds like some idiot has tried to get the needle out, by belting a screw driver down the tube, fracturing the bottom and causing a leak.

Yup, hence the smoke from the exhaust.

Where are you based ?

BTW welcome to Minifinity

[tomdale86]

hey

so this morning ive taken the bell chamber and the piston off. anyone know how to separate these?

its a bit mucky generally-some sooty stuff underneath all that on the part of the carb still attached to the car.

also the dampner has some score marks on it. is this a problem?

the dampner isnt to do with the leak i know, as it leaks when the car is standing and without the dampner in!

[Nozzle]

Carb sounds very worn to me! The oil must be going down the sides of the plunger bit (forgotten what its called) and is then entering the venturi of the carb. This is backed up by the white smoke you see. This is the oil being sucked up by the intake stroke and burning in the engine!

I thought a symptom of oil being burned in the engine was blue smoke, and a sympton of more water in the exhaust was more white 'smoke'?

[tomdale86]

ditto hence my confusion!

although, if you accidentally get oil on your exhaust, eg manifold, that burns off grey/white.

[tomdale86]

so i filled the bell chamber/dashpot up (with the piston and needle attached still) and the oil leaked down the needle!

how caused/how fix!?

at least i know where its leaking now!

[bisto48]

when my valve guides went on mine (due to me being a pilock and not measuring things) the smoke it kicked out was white but smelt of oil. The head gasket was fine when i rebuilt the engine.

[themaninthesuitcase]

Moved to Repairs and Servicing.

[minimaniac]

so i filled the bell chamber/dashpot up (with the piston and needle attached still) and the oil leaked down the needle!

how caused/how fix!?

As Nightrain says it's usually caused by someone trying to knock the needle out.

As for cure? As far as I know it can't be done (but I'm willing to be proved wrong )

Hence the question 'where are you based'?

[tomdale86]

cheers.

right its back together, seems ok.

the reason i took the thing apart is that the car is troublesome starting sometimes, when i thought the carb was using oil (i think i may have been filling it too high )

when i had topped the dashpot up, probably over the top and round the sides leaking out, the car starts much better (first time).

can anyone explain this to me?

im in london btw

[nightrain]

Guessing as we know nothing else about your engine, the jet is worn oval and so isn't able to meter the fuel correctly.