Hey all,

I got the carb working and the car running right! It turned out it was the linkage.

Bad News: On the driver's side of the carb. about the main body area (below the air horn), there is a small amount of gas dripping. It is by that little pump thing that has four screws on it that sits right there on the driver's side of the carb.

How dangerous is this? Can I get by for a day or two without worrying about it?

How can I get it fixed?

Thankya,

Joe

 

**spark**




BOOM!!



or at least a fire

 

well gas is highly flammable so good luck

 

oh yeah, if i were you i would at least try and cover the leak with some putty compound. i'm guessing something like gasket maker material would work if it's a small leak. just make sure the surface is clean and dry before you apply it. good luck and GET IT FIXED!

 

I would fix it ASAP, but if you cant, just carry a fire extinguisher and hope for the best. Maybe shove a rag in there to absorb the fuel?

~T.J.

 

That would make a nice molotov cocktail !

 

Like I said, thats just my advise. Just change the rag or something every now and then so its not too fuel soaked. Get a roll of those $0.59 shop towels, theyre the best paper towels ever made.

Actually, now that I think about it, if the fuel was just left to hit the engine, the heat might just evaporate it without actually igniting it...I dont know. You could try it. I had a leaking gas tank on a CR-125 during a motocross once, and it was dripping straight onto my exhaust pipe and it never caught fire, just evaporating off and sizzling.

~T.J.

 

And yes, it is dangerous to be leaking gas from any point of the carburetor. Remember, it sits right above the exhaust manifold/thermal reactor. Remember old Wile E. Coyote, and the gunpowder barrels trying to catch the Roadrunner? You get the idea...sounds like you need a new accelerator pump diaphragm and gasket.

Bill B.
'85 GS

 

Sounds like your accelerator pump's leaking. Did you replace the diaphragm when you rebuilt the carb? The rebuild kit usually includes a new diaphragm.

 

I say fix it also, not only for the fire issue but these things use enuf petrol (sorry i mean gas) as it is!

just unscrew ur acc pump and check the square seal around it.

 

I am having the same problem. It is leaking from the same spot on my car. Would this cause even worse gas milage?

Thomas Stifter

 

Of course it means less gas mileage.

Its fuel you are wasting, that isnt being used to power the car at all.

 

I agree that it needs to be fixed asap. You need an Accelerator Pump Diaphragm. I've attached a picture of one. I found the picture here: http://www.mazdatrix.com/c-3.htm It'll cost ya 16$ US and is a straight-forward fix.

Good luck!

 

It's not the liquid that ignites but the vapor!

fix it please...

some folks might remember when my car caught on fire. NOT FUN!

 

I took it out for a spin last night to go play in a pool tournament. It wouldn't start due to it being below zero here with wicked wind chills last night. That is when I realized that I was saved from a car fire by:

A) The artic temperatures here, and

B) The old slow coolant leak that I used to have that has reared its ugly head again.

This morning, I went and filled it up with anti-freeze and put the battery on the charger (which was dead from trying to start the car.

As soon as it gets to where the exhalation from my breath thaws out around here, I will look at that diaphram and replace the seal. I thought I had replaced the seal.

All this brings me to another question or two:

A) Is there a place on the carb that could be leaking anti-freeze? Because I noticed that the anti-freeze leak produced a small puddle on top of the engine next to the carb on the driver's side. And,

B) Is it possible that what I thought was a gas leak on the driver's side could actually be this coolant leak?

 

Mine caught on fire a couple of weeks ago for this very reason. While I was rebuilding the carb I noticed that the inlet check ball and weight were not there! I believe this is letting the gas continue to bleed into the carb. I'm picking up the ball and weight from the dealer today. What I have been doing is to pull the fuse to the fuel pump before I cut the motor off. It seems to be worse at idle, at speed the extra gas is being burned. I would at least not let the car idle long. It's a pain to fix one that catches on fire.

It is a quick way to remove the rat's nest though!

 

Coolant does indeed circulate through your carb, but only if you have the sub-zero start pump attached/filled. (This is something I'm currently restoring.) As for the leak being coolant and not gas, uhm, you should be able to smell the difference. Most antifreeze(s) are greenish in color, though there are a few that are pale yellow. If you're not sure, take a whiff, or taste it, (when the engine is cool, don't burn yourself!), gasoline tastes nasty, but antifreeze is quite tasty...

 

That's easy... you need to replace the intake manifold o-rings. The o-rings seal off the passages that circulate coolant through the intake manifold. When they fail you typically get a puddle of coolant on top of the engine right next to the carby. You need to take the manifold off to replace them so you might as well put a new gasket on at the same time.