Carb Draining

[nomad59NZ]

So in the good old 59 wagon, sits a sedate 283 with a quadrajet carb. It is driven most weekends, but by the time the car sits for the week the carb is completely drained of its go go juice and have sit there cranking it until the fuel comes back up.
Fuel pump was new when fitted (about 4 year ago) and as yet haven't pulled it to try a new one.
Don't really want to put an electric fuel pump in, so if it isn't the fuel pump that is letting the fuel to drain back any other suggestions as to what to look for!

cheers
Gav

 

[LMBRJQ 60]

I put a non return valve on the 37 Gavin.
Worked fine.
Is there any bubbles in the fuel when it is getting to the carb?

Steve

 

[La Hot Rods]

Quadrajet carbs had problems with the soft plugs under the main jets leaking.
You can see on this one the chalky color where it has been leaking.

 

[nomad59NZ]

I put a non return valve on the 37 Gavin.
Worked fine.
Is there any bubbles in the fuel when it is getting to the carb?

Steve

Thanks Steve, which side of the pump would it be installed on.
Haven't checked for bubbles.

Gav

 

[nomad59NZ]

Quadrajet carbs had problems with the soft plugs under the main jets leaking.View attachment 47647
You can see on this one the chalky color where it has been leaking.

Cheers James. Carb was rebuilt, but i guess it can still end up like this.

Gav

 

[DonSSDD]

On the old 4 gc, I just kept a can of gas handy and poured some in if the 59 had been setting for more than a few days. Our new gas also evaporates off much faster than the old stuff used to.

 

[yellow wagon]

Just typical evaporation. Mine does it also if it sits for about 2 weeks or longer.

 

[La Hot Rods]

Do you have the stainless shield under the carb to keep the exhaust from the base of the carb?

 

[John1]

I was taught in the late 70's to JB Weld the leaking welch plugs whenever you had a Quadrajet apart. I've even installed some kits which came with a compressible rubber gasket that fit in the base plate cavity below the welch plugs. When you tightened the base plate screws it squeezed the gasket against the plugs creating a seal. Most likely though the problem is evaporation. Since fuel has been developed with fuel injection in mind for the last 30 years or so, the only carb engines I own are on my lawnmower, snowblower, and chainsaw. John

 

[La Hot Rods]

I have had some success with tapping the plugs in with a small hammer.

 

[Don Jacks]

I used to leave my car at the track during the week.The fuel loss was due to evaporation,perfectly normal.I used to look at it this way,"At least I have oil pressure BEFORE it fires off".

 

[yellow wagon]

^ What Don Jacks said. Just crank crank crank, oil pressure jumps up, pump it a couple times and it should light off right away.

 

[nomad59NZ]

Do you have the stainless shield under the carb to keep the exhaust from the base of the carb?

No i don't James.

 

[La Hot Rods]

The reason I ask is that I seem to remember the factory intakes had holes at the carb base the went into the exhaust cross over.
You had to use the stainless plate to keep from burning out the base gasket and the base plate on the carb.