Float in Edelbrock 1406 filled with gas, caused flooding

D Dodge

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
137
Reaction score
0
Location
La Porte, Indiana
My '79 Aspen had a problem with the carburetor flooding. It was gradually getting worse and it was to the point where it would die out after driving it a few miles. Well, I finally found the problem. Gas was leaking into one of the floats. I don't know how common this is, but it would be worth checking if you have a flooding problem.
 

bremereric

FMJ Body Moderator
Joined
Feb 25, 2011
Messages
3,555
Reaction score
248
Location
Jackson Missouri
My '79 Aspen had a problem with the carburetor flooding. It was gradually getting worse and it was to the point where it would die out after driving it a few miles. Well, I finally found the problem. Gas was leaking into one of the floats. I don't know how common this is, but it would be worth checking if you have a flooding problem.
Glad you caught it soon...please do me a favor and check your oil please...make sure it doesn't smell of gas...
 

D Dodge

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
137
Reaction score
0
Location
La Porte, Indiana
Glad you caught it soon...please do me a favor and check your oil please...make sure it doesn't smell of gas...
Thanks for the warning. I noticed the oil level going up and suspected that gas was diluting it so I changed it and I'll change it before I run it again..
 

crayzcuda

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2011
Messages
121
Reaction score
4
When I was rebuilding the two I had, one of them had bad floats as well. The rebuild kit has better floats in them.
 

greyghost

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
154
Reaction score
28
Location
Roscoe, IL
I'm working on a 1406 I took off my '79 300 parts car. One of the floats had fuel in it. I ended up buying the floats separately. They didn't come with the Edelbrock rebuild kit I got from O'Reilly's. Both of my primary jets were seized and the screw driver slot stripped out. The secondaries came out OK. I bought a "Speed-Out" screw extractor which, shockingly, failed miserably on the first attempt at removing a primary. The screw extractor end of the bit I used, felt like the flutes were cut at the wrong angle when I checked them with my fingernail. I was using a De Walt 1/4" electric impact. So I did not go at it full bore. I was hoping that a slow controlled hammer action would help. It did not. The extractor just smoothed out the brass into a tapered hole. I ended up using a 1/4" left hand twist drill bit which did get the brass out and I was able to restore the thread which appears to be a standard 5/16-18 NC. (I couldn't find it anywhere online what the thread size was! I ended up gauging it off the secondaries!) Now, in the process of drilling out the brass, I kissed the aluminum bottom of the hole where the jet seats. Is the carb now junk or can I clean up the seat using a 1/4" bottom drill or end mill by hand? I know this changes the height of the jet and I'm not sure how it affects the rod. Thoughts? Opinions?
 
Back
Top