Fuel overflow?

[mal fitz]

Car sat for 2 weeks, not started or even ignition on then today looks like fuel coming from overflow.

anyone got any idea why or what may need fixing??

cheers

mal

[jbuckl]

Probably float chamber needle valves sticking.

[APS]

Classic sign of needle valve stuck open.

You will have to remove the carbs and the float chamber of the offending carb.

[wilf]

Umm - I think that is the wrong end of the car for it to be a carb needle valve issue.

Something up with the fuel tank or the pipework around it, around the fuel pump I suspect. If it has leaked whilst standingf, then corroded fuel tank would be the first thing I checked.

Having said all that - was it put away with a brimmed tank? If the temperatures have come up since it was brimmed it might be fuel expanding and overflowing?

[APS]

oh ok, is it at the back end ?

I would agree with you then Wilf.

[marshman]

Have to agree with Wilf. Pictures show rear end of the car so overflow from filler/tank and not the carbs!

[Philip Wardle]

Petrol expansion/contraction by volume is 0.069 % per degree Fahrenheit. I haven't worked out how much could be expelled from filler/tank overflow, but Wilf is likely right. During the oil crisis of 1973 the advice to drivers was to fill-up in early morning, and the pundits reckoned you got more for you money than later in the day, but others pointed out that the filling station tanks were mostly underground where the temperature is relatively stable.

[Stagintow]

Yes that was before E5 - E10 it must be a lot more now?

[mal fitz]

Thanks all, will check float chamber needle valves now

thanks again

[DJT]

Thanks all, will check float chamber needle valves now

thanks again

Carb overflow is at the front of the engine. Your 'leak' seems to be under the rear, so not the carbs.

[paul jorgensen]

I also agree it is not an issue with the carbs, mine was sat untouched for 8 years, when I first turned the ignition on fuel was leaking out of the right carb, it was stuck float needle valve.

[Philip Wardle]

Good thought Stagintow - just looked into this, apparently "the thermal expansion coefficient of the blends changes only by 2 % if the ethanol content is less than 20 %. This has to be set in relation to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient betweensummer and winter quality of the fuels, which is 2 %, too".

[RobinLegin]

I would suggest checking the return pipe on the tank. It’s usually blocked off with a tube of rubber and a screwed bolt at the end. When I first got my Stag, I generously filled it to the brim. When I got home petrol was leaking onto the ground, and worse into the boot. The rubber tube was perished. I replaced the pipe and bolt, cleaned the boot, reapplied copious quantities of under seal inside the boot. Worth checking now and then.

[mal fitz]

Well there you go, appears fuel was running on outside of the overflow pipe, turns out to be a leaking fuel tank

not the cheapest of fixes but owning a 50 year old car wouldn’t be

still small price to pay for the enjoyment we get

thanks all