Greg D.

I tell you - I tried... ;-)

I had been running on 3 cylinders since using the reserve a few weeks ago... Surprising, because the innards of the fuel tanks, which you can eyeball with ease in a 57 (as long as you don't use a match for light, in which case you are not reading this), was pristine enough to use as a lunch box - if you like your food with a pinch of high-silfur gas, that is. I guess the crap was in the reserve tube itself and I was not about to insert anything in the tank with gas/fumes to blow out that line....

So we took out the carbs and fuel lines between them (surprisingly easy for this left thumbed newbie) and blew out the lines from the front to the rear with a compressor... The gas was pi$$ colored - but I guess it might be a batch of that sulfur gas we got a few weeks back in the south. The fuel **** gave up quite a bunch of flakes, the fuel filter, which looked perfect, actually contained some more, and the fuel pump filter had the last ones, tiny enough to rival a cross sectioned hair - yet something seemed to have gone thru anyway and plugged up my carbs...

I don't undertand how that's possible if you have ever seen the fuel pump filter on a 356, but hey, what do I know... Under the guidance of my guru, we did the carbs thing and cleaned everything up, I still have no clue what anything is called in there - except the jets - but basically you unscrew a bit, clean'em up, and put them back on after you flushed the carb itself! Not rocket science after all if you remember what goes where !!! One jet was indeed clogged and only responded to carb cleaner and 20 psi of air. My needles are the "new" type, nothing needlish about them as the end is square which I hear sucks for fine tuning the adjustments !

The fun part came when we put back one of the floats bits backwards, everything seemed to work until you fired the car. The float stayed stuck and gas flowed and flowed and flowed until it poured out of the top of the carbs !!! Oops.. that was in turn dumped into the left side manifold and at least one cylinder. Can you say hydrolock ? I heard about it, now I know !! The car went "whack|" when I tried to start it so we knew exactly what happened and did not insist !

Off came the carbs, the left side plugs, and turning the engine by hand produced a flood of gas of biblical proportions on the previosuly water logged driveway! The EPA hates me but at least nothing burned ! That's when I decided to go for a smoke - kidding...

It's incredibly easy to pull and replace plugs when the carbs are off, I am seriously considering doing that everytime now ;-)

Anyway, once the float was reassembled rightside up, all went well and and it responded moderately well to the carbs tuneup, as well as those square needles will let you anyway, and wonder of wonders, ran on all 4s..

I guess/ hope I did not do any damage before the hydrolock (gas lock) was an issue... Like I said the 6V starter lost the battle abruptly against the motor's compression, and I did not even try again. The engine turned well after clearing the extra gas and runs pretty good, no worse than before.

After that, just in case my rings are not sealing too well, I changed the oil and, being Bozo, decided to leave the oil canister gasket in place since it seemed fine and was pretty new, and proceeded to dump 1/2 a quart on my driveway via everywhere in the engine compartment because I shoulda changed it!!!! ;-) Lesson learned !

Overall I am pretty happy, it's not broken apparently, it's running on 4 cyls again, and that was educational... The big mystery or carburators is nowhere as intimidating now as it used to be, though there are gotchas and you could destroy your engine or set your house on fire ;-) Details.... No fires, no injuries, clean filters... That said, I'm subcontracting my drums. Given my track record, no way I'm learning on my own brakes ;-)

hoffman912

sounds educational. i will most likely be rebuilding mine before the big trip in a month and a half. running on all 4 but i think the accelerator pump is out on one and im getting a hint of fuel smell when i open up the deck lid.

i cant affrd much right now so i will be doing it myself.. i have dellortos.


if you ever decide to really have em redone, bored new btterflies etc.. i have heared alot of good things about Harry Bieker 541-955-9777

Greg D.

A hint of fuel smell when you open the deck lid ? That's It ?

Are you kidding ? All the 356s I know (or 912 with 356 engines) smell from a mile away. Any I've owned will evaporate all the bowl's content in the garage in a couple of days and have that fuel aroma ;-) If all you can smell is a whiff when opening the engine compartment, leave them alone, you're luckier than most of us ;-)

Or maybe the 912s are better vented, I dunno...

hoffman912

well, its running like ***, with a fresh top end, and timing is proper on an 050 thats only a year old.. dist cap, rotor, wires plugs all new as of may when top end was rebuiilt. so i know everything except the carbs are in excellent shape.

also its never smelled this strongly of fuel before.. its running rich as hell... cant get em tuned right.. was suggested by another friend (that is really good with carbs)who looked at em that the accelerator pumps need replaced. its running super rich, back fires usually when shifting or decelerating.. if i have to replace the accelerator pump shouldnt i just rebuild the whole damn thing?

note:
mechanically it runs fine. just way off as far as the air/fuel mix goes

Greg D.

I am definitely no expert on this, but yes, if you are going to play with the accelerator pumps you might as well "rebuild" them - change all gaskets and clean it all... Accelerator pumps are a pain in the *** to get right in my book, we did not even try. I think they should be saved for last if you're gonna adjust them. Try everything else first, flaot level, adjustments, mixture, you name it... I was told the biggest problem was the quality of the needles - the old ones are truly needle shape while th enew ones are vistually square, and less fine-tuneable... Anyhow, best of luck, it's pretty simple.. Do one carb at a time - that way you'll have a correct example if you screw up ! I did !!! ;-)

Irishdriver

I don't see why you say you screwed it up - sounds like a normal job with normal education thrown in to me.

I rebuilt the carbs in mine (1962 B, 60 PS) with a complete kit of new parts, replaced every Jet cleaned everything etc. etc.

The car would not run right and fouled the plugs within 5 mins. After two days of checking everything I began to think the worst, as nothing cured it.

Eventually I discovered the main jets I'd been given were ones for a 75PS motor. Damn thing was simply flooding. Put back in the old main jets and it runs fine.

Also, if anyone can find a solution for getting rid of the petrol smell after you park it, Sign me up - I'm interested.

Greg D.

>I don't see why you say you screwed it up - sounds like a normal job with normal education thrown in to me.

Well, the hydrolock thing kinda got me worried a bit. It seems fine and all, but I could have trashed the engine and I might still have slightly bent something. I guess not, given that it runs ok, but I won't know for sure until I put many more miles on the car !

>Also, if anyone can find a solution for getting rid of the petrol smell after you park it, Sign me up - I'm interested.

Apparently it involved buying a 912 that runs like *** ;-) With a 356 and today's gas I don't think there IS a solution. My carbs are bone dry now and it still smells !

Bikezappa

Greg

First post.

You are one lucky guy.

Carbs are tricky to rebuild correctly the first time.

Really you need a chemical dip tank to get the crud out after many years of driving.

The jets all need to be checked for the correct diameter with gauges.

What are your carbs?

Peter

Greg D.

Solex P4011

We checked for flow - we got flow (after cleanup in one case). Now I am also guessing the adjusting needles are part ogf the problem. I've seen old ones, they are needle tipped and provide good adjustment control. The new ones that were on my carand int he rebuild kit are almost blunt and square at the end... I am sure this does not help either !

bangsters

Subscribed. Did you manage to figure out the issue?

Greg D.

That's a post from 15 years ago. I wish I still had the car. Yeah I figured it out but I'll be damned if I remember how/what ?

bangsters

Yea was my bad. Was replying to jim's thread on the 996 but the browser scrolled automatically to this thread. Didn't realize the post then was from 04 until after i replied lol. Looks like it automatically loaded this thread and i just kept reading not realizing it was way old lol.

My bad.

kms1990

You guys are like mad scientists. I love it.