MTFCA Forum

I went out tonight for dinner with the car club and my 22 conked out as I pulled into the parking lot. It has spark and compression so it is a fuel issue. Turns out my NH carb was pouring out gas. I tapped it and the fuel stopped. Then I could start it and it would run fine but would conk out after a bit, I think when the float was overwhelmed and it flooded. It was getting late so some friends towed me home. It was my first “failure to proceed” in the T. Here is a photo to commemorate the occasion. I will pull the carb and get it sorted. Luckily, I just ordered one of Scott Congers full flow valves to put it while I have it out.

Well Morgan, sorry to say but: 'Welcome to the Club'

Reno Speedster ..... Dirt, sediment, rust, old gas Gunk,.... will keep any inlet valve from properly closing. When was your gas supply system or carburetor last cleaned out?.... Curious to what you will find.

See the recent thread on carburetor flooding.

Not a huge deal since it occurred pretty close to home when I had a lot of help. The fuel system is very clean (no rust in the tank, rebuilt NH carb etc.). It has been a couple of years but not that many miles since I had the carb out. The tank is full, which may be contributing to the issue (pressure in the line overwhelming the float). But it was running fine for 30 or so miles (a car show and the 4th of July parade) after I filled the tank. I will get the carb apart and figure it out.

just guessing but sounds like the float has a hole in it and IT is flooded with fuel in it. (FWIW I call it the "toilet seat" )

A stuck open valve is usually dirt, or a bad float, or both. If you take the float out and shake it you will hear if it has a leak and taken on gas.

little piddly things that cause break downs are the worst.

Drain the bowl into a glass jar looking for contaminants. Doesnt take much, but often clears itself.
Look for a worn spot on the float tab that can hold up the needle from occasionally not seating.
Look for possible float hang ups @ the bowl edge or center stem & float centering.
Sounds mostly like a sticky needle & seat. Sticking open & closed intermittently.

After you check the float also check your gas cap to make sure that the vent hole is still open. If the vent becomes blocked then a partial vacuum will form in the tank causing air to be sucked into the fuel from the carburetor end of the fuel line. If you started with a full tank all will be ok but as you drive the gas goes down and air has to enter the gas tank to fill that space, so sense you said it ran fine for 30 miles it would have used about two gallons and at that point with a blocked cap vent air would have found its way into the tank some how.
Another possibility is that a full gas tank if fairly cool gas , got warm expanding the gas , and over loading the carburetor float. But if you were in low gear a lot for the time I would think if the cap vent was ok the gas would go down fast enough for that not to happen.

Quite a few years we had a tour with about 50 cars on it. We stopped in a town along the way to get gas. There were two stations. Those who stopped at one station, unfortunately, the one I stopped at. Went a few miles and their engines stalled. Those who used the other station didn't have any problems. After draining the sediment bowl and the carburetor bowl, It started and ran fine the rest of the tour. Apparently there was sediment and water at the bottom of the tank at the station. Those things can happen. and do. A fuel filter would help, but they don't work very well with gravity flow systems.
Norm

I hope you didn't hurt the forth main by pulling it home? If in neutral that doesn't get oil.