Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22454 Location: UK
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 8:55 am Post subject: |
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Hi all,
Yesterday I moved the Anglia for the first time in a couple of weeks, it wouldn't idle at all and on opening the bonnet, I was met with the stink of fuel pouring from the top of the carb. Two possibilities came to mind, a sticking needle valve and/or leaky float.
I took it all apart and it was immediately obvious that the float was full of fuel. Presumably the solder somewhere has given up? I left it in the sun for a while and you could hear it hissing as the contents tried to make a bid for freedom through the tiny pinhole, wherever it is.
I put a short vid together describing the fun
https://youtu.be/TYmDBY1b1tQ
RJ _________________ Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop |
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peter scott
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7121 Location: Edinburgh
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 9:04 am Post subject: |
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It is strange this failure of floats. It makes you wonder what fails. Unlikely to be brass corrosion nor the tin or lead in the solder. Perhaps there was a small passage filled with flux?? Fatigue failure also seems improbable.
Peter _________________ http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon |
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badhuis
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 1391 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 10:08 am Post subject: |
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As mentioned before I had the same problem with the floats in my TR4. First one started to leak a couple of years ago, the second I needed to replace a month or two ago. I suspect it has to do with chemical changes in the petrol formula. _________________ a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6330 Location: Derby
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 10:15 am Post subject: |
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As far as I can recall, float failure was always a fairly common problem with old cars. I also think we may forget that Cleveland Petrol had ethanol which improved perfomance but perhaps had hidden side effects. |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1955 Location: East Yorkshire
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 10:49 am Post subject: |
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Ray White wrote: | As far as I can recall, float failure was always a fairly common problem with old cars. I also think we may forget that Cleveland Petrol had ethanol which improved performance but perhaps had hidden side effects. |
Maybe? Maybe not? Not everyone had easy access to Cleveland fuels...
I'm more inclined to agree with badhuis ' suggestion. The components that make up today's petrol are very different from what made petrol in the 50's and 60's.
I doubt a branded fuel supplier would concern themselves with the effect their additives have on solder?
It is perhaps one reason why I will not use anything other than basic 95{?} octane leadless, aside from cost. All the superdoopah [higher octane] fuels have additives in them that were probably not considered back in the 50's?
We worry ourselves about ethanol!
Yet we ignore all the other tripe that goes into the most expensive, branded, fuels?
It is entirely possible that the leak was there along along?
Sudden proper usage of the car, using modern petrol, which evaporates much more readily at lower temperatures, maybe started an issue with the float? Also, as with modern circuit boards, it's possible there was a 'dry' joint, or partly dry joint, in the solder?
I wonder if someone makes ethanol-resistant plastic floats?
{Burlen do for SUs]
I wonder if the FSOC will flog you a better float? _________________ Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Keith D
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 1130 Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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If you watch how people fill their carby bowls before starting their oldies, often by banging down the primer button as if it were a detonator. Perhaps that's the reason floats start leaking. After all, they are usually made of very flimsy thin sheet brass or copper.
Keith _________________ 1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6330 Location: Derby
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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My point was that leaking floats were a common place fault back in the day... along with poorly seating needle valves. |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1955 Location: East Yorkshire
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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Burlen don't cover this type of Zenith carb.
Floats available either via FSOC, or, for NOS/used, via SmallFordSpares.
Around 17 pension-quids, delivered. _________________ Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Bitumen Boy
Joined: 26 Jan 2012 Posts: 1735 Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2021 2:39 am Post subject: |
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Ray White wrote: | As far as I can recall, float failure was always a fairly common problem with old cars. I also think we may forget that Cleveland Petrol had ethanol which improved perfomance but perhaps had hidden side effects. |
The thing is that Cleveland petrol back in the day would have had lead in it as well as ethanol, and I suspect that lead acted to inhibit corrosion in a way that was unintended and went unnoticed at the time because all petrol had lead in it. Modern fuel just has the ethanol with, most likely, very little in the way of corrosion inhibitors that might not be that effective anyway. |
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bjacko
Joined: 28 Oct 2013 Posts: 364 Location: Melbourne Australia
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2021 7:35 am Post subject: Float Leak |
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Put the float in hot water and the leak should "hiss" underwater and identify the point(s) of leakage. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6330 Location: Derby
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2021 8:30 am Post subject: |
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Bitumen Boy wrote: | Ray White wrote: | As far as I can recall, float failure was always a fairly common problem with old cars. I also think we may forget that Cleveland Petrol had ethanol which improved perfomance but perhaps had hidden side effects. |
The thing is that Cleveland petrol back in the day would have had lead in it as well as ethanol, and I suspect that lead acted to inhibit corrosion in a way that was unintended and went unnoticed at the time because all petrol had lead in it. Modern fuel just has the ethanol with, most likely, very little in the way of corrosion inhibitors that might not be that effective anyway. |
That is a good point. I hadn't taken lead into consideration but my point was that I remember from my childhood how many older cars had leaky carburettors and being told about leaky floats. No doubt modern petrol is very different and may well make the problem worse. I remember petrol used to have a lovely, evocative aroma but now it just smells. |
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lowdrag
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1585 Location: Le Mans
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22454 Location: UK
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22454 Location: UK
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AmusingEmu
Joined: 11 May 2021 Posts: 12
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Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2021 11:22 am Post subject: |
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Rick wrote: | The other day we took the Anglia for a spin, looking for old '50s domestic garages to photo the car alongside.
https://youtu.be/1v77A43IEXI
RJ |
Took mine out to meet up with a mate in his 55 Bedford fire engine. Realised that at some point the previous owner has messed with the HT leads and one was completely destroyed inside meaning I was running on 3 cylinders. Quick replacement and an adjustment of the idle and now have a much nicer car to drive.
https://myalbum.com/photo/QQHLgPWUGWAi/540.jpg |
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