Hi everyone, it started like this, randomly my 1989 honda accord dx, (carbureted) was running rich, and most days it would start up and run fine. Then occasionally it would start and run normally for a minute and then start to idle really rough and die....unless I ramped up the rpm's to about 2000. Gradually the problem got worse, and more frequent. I changed fuel filters and plugs, wire etc. nothing fixed it. Then I noticed that after the car died and I looked down into the secondary barrel there was a pool of gasoline, it was also leaking into the primary barrel! I started it one more time and as soon as it died, I ran around to the front of the car and I could see fuel dumping out into both the barrels and pooling up on the throttle plates (even though the car was no longer running). It continued to run out for a few seconds and eventually stopped. Anyone seen this happen before? I took the top of the carb off and the float appears to be ok (no fuel inside). I'm thinking that it is the needle and/or seat. Make sense to you guys? Maybe I'm wrong. Is there a way to change the needle and seat without removing the float? It seems like a real pain to remove the float. Any advice you have for me is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

Any Ideas, comments?

 

Yea not the funest thing in the world but you can replace the float needle/seat without removing the float - been there, done that.

I did this one weeknight after work in my "poorer days" - meaning it was my only way to work and knew I couldn't drive it with gas washing down the cyl's and into the crank case....at the same time I had to be at work and had no other car to drive.

First thing we need to do is confirm that it is the float needle/seat. You made a comment that you pulled the top and the bowl was empty?

Random pic attached. Pull the top of the air cleaner and the screen over the top of the carb - start the car (cold will help) and look down the throat and notice if you see gas dripping in the carb once it starts to warm up - take a pic of the throat of the car and note where you see gas "drops".

 

Ok, made my readings thru the threads and what the heck. IF IT IS the float needle and seat: Here we go, this is from a ~six year old memory and done on an 87 LX 5 speed. We will assume the float is good - no breaks in the plastic. Wish I had pic's and IF you decide that this is your issue please take and post some.

To remove the float needle and seat the float has to come all the way down. Two ways, remove the pin - which I was not able to do without worry of breaking more.

So once you have the top of the carb off - hold it in the air and you will see that the float only goes "down so far". There is a small plastic tab on the float that rests against "something" (I said this is from memory).

I used a dremel tool to grind the plastic tab on the float - SLOWLY. Once the tab of the float is close to the stop/resting place. Stop. Gently bend the plastic tab away from the stop - remember this is plastic that has spent ~25 years in gas.

The reason this is important, you have to be able to push the float tab back above that stop to hold the new needle in the seat. If you grind that tab too far the float will "fall" all the way down, allowing the needle to fall out when you try to re-install it.

Not sure this is making sense. Again if you are unsure, take pic's of the float and the top and I'm sure that will "jog" my memory.

 

The bowl wasn't empty, the level had gone down a bit from the gas running out after the engine died. So when the engine dies, fuel continues to run for a couple seconds, not draining the bowl all the way, just a little. The gas appears to be coming out of where it normally should, and from the vents. It's a little hard to see in the primary, but it's obvious in the secondary. And it won't stay running long enough for me to look now.

 

looks like the problem was the needle being gunked up. Instead of trying to get the float off, I took the top of the carb off and sprayed a bunch of carb cleaner through the needle and seat area through the fuel inlet and popped it back together. Problem fixed, started up and runs fine. the fuel level is right in between the arrows on the bowl level. easy fix, thanks for the help.

 

Hmmm. Well it was running pretty well, but it's starting to run rough again, any ideas? Thanks

 

Temp fix - sounds like the needle/seat is done

 

So it turns out that it was the o-rings around the needle seat. I bought an assortment pack of viton o-rings from oreily auto parts put em on, and good to go again.

 

Good to hear....keep an eye on it and enjoy the ride