Alright, its 8:00 and i'm leaving to go to an autocross event and im all ready and excited and everything, when I get to a big hill about 1 mile down the road. Usually I make it up the hill just fine in 5th, but it wasnt happening today. I wasnt going to make it in 4th, and i just barely made it in 3rd. I pulled over into the next parking lot about 1/2 mile down the road. Coolant everywhere, it seems i melted a hole in the coolant hose under the beehive oil cooler and was leaking coolant the whole time. I called AAA, who towed my car for free because it was under 5 miles. I replaced the cool hose, filled the radiator back up, and everything was fine, I drove in up and down the road for a bit, it it seemed to be working great.

So I moved on to my next project. I was attempting to rebuild a spare carb I had accuired, and was skeptical of it actually working. Which it didn't. So i fiddled with it a lot and never got the car running normally or for over 2 minutes. I gave up and put the old one, which i knew worked, back on. Still wont start, and when it does, as i did with the 'rebuilt' one, white smoke everywhere.

So my question is, should i keep messing with the carb, or should i look into doing an engine rebuild.

It is an 84 GSL with about 145,xxx miles

I really feel bad about making a new thread, but im tired of searching.

 

Take the radiator cap off and see if there are champane bubble in the coolant after the thermostat opens up. Bubbles=rebuild.

Didn't you get a low coolant light/buzzer or notice the temp gauge pegging? If so, you should have shut down immdiately.

 

No, apparently my low coolant senesor isnt working, and the buzzer has never worked. What a way to find out.

The problem is that i can't get the car running long enough for it to warm up

 

Pull the lower plugs and see if any coolant comes out when cranking or if they are wet with coolant. If it won't fire up, the plugs are probably soaked in coolant or fuel.

Clean the plugs up and pour a little motor oil down the carb to bring some of the compression back.

 

that did it. Seems to be working great now, except for a nysterious new exhaust leak. I guess I just have to fiddle around with the 'new' carb some more.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to getting new floats?

And thanks for your help trochoid

 

Unfortunately new floats don't come with carb kits. What's wrong with your's and do you need the front or rear one? I can probably dig up a spare.

 

One(front) is cracked, or at least it looks like it. It might still be ok, but the other one, one of the adjustment tabs is about to break off, and that would definalty be a problem.

 

PM me with your addy, I'l send you a pair for 15 shipped.

 

Lucky save man, good thing you stopped driving and checked, that hose is notorious, get a 2nd gen FMOC and elimiate the issue.

Good work Scotty as always.

 

FMOC = Front Mount Oil Cooler.

That heater hose IS notorious. When it goes, and it WILL go, all the coolant dumps on the road in a hurry. Spares are $42 from mazdatrix, and worth it, since the generic 5/8 hose is a bear to install (but I've done it, just to prove it CAN be done).

 

Oh. You've maybe just fried the neoprene Orings that seal water passages. Sometimes you just have to replace the ones between the manifold and the block. Sometimes you can fix it with the Colloidally suspended copper fix, as amended by the guys in the club. I think Paul Yaw originated it, and you can find it with a search. I've done that on several cars and it lasts for a good year.

 

No, it was definatly the hose, there was a pretty big hole in it. Im not exactly sure it happened. I drove the car the night before, and nothing was leaking when i got home. But when I came back in the morning there was a small puddle from when I was warming it up.

I used regular old 5/8" heater hose. $42 is a bit much IMHO for less than a foot of hose. Made sure it didnt kink at the much of an angle while I was at the parts store.