Fuel Leak

[velvetfoot]

I just ran my not much used splitter with a Robin 9 hp engine and after it ran a while, fuel dripped down the bowl. I'm thinking it could be the bowl o-ring-couldn't see fluid dripping down from higher than the bowl, but leaks can be hard to track.

I only have about 7 cords through it, but it hasn't been used for a couple years.
Started up instantly. Had fuel drained before.

Could a carb bowl o-ring be the cause?

I'm going to see if I can pick it out and find a match.

 

[smokinj]

I just ran my not much used splitter with a Robin 9 hp engine and after it ran a while, fuel dripped down the bowl. I'm thinking it could be the bowl o-ring-couldn't see fluid dripping down from higher than the bowl, but leaks can be hard to track.

I only have about 7 cords through it, but it hasn't been used for a couple years.
Started up instantly. Had fuel drained before.

Could a carb bowl o-ring be the cause?

I'm going to see if I can pick it out and find a match.

Your right and that ring is hard to get back in right...but still may need to be replace.

 

[velvetfoot]

Thanks SJ. It came out almost too easy. Could it have shrunk?
When the bowl rotates, it doesn't seem to make contact, with a metallic feel to it.
I didn't pull on it too much to see how flexible it was or anything.
I'll see if I can match it at the hardware store tomorrow.
Hopefully that'll do the trick.
That darn engine started on the first pull. And that pull was easy (I think it has a comp. release, not sure).

Not sure if anybody followed by HF cylinder leak repair thread, but it was bone dry after about 10 split cycles!
That also involved, among other things, an o ring!

 

[heat seeker]

Make sure the o-ring you get will stand up to gasoline! Many won't, since they are made for plumbing use.

 

[velvetfoot]

That's true, thanks.

 

[smokinj]

Thanks SJ. It came out almost too easy. Could it have shrunk?
When the bowl rotates, it doesn't seem to make contact, with a metallic feel to it.
I didn't pull on it too much to see how flexible it was or anything.
I'll see if I can match it at the hardware store tomorrow.
Hopefully that'll do the trick.
That darn engine started on the first pull. And that pull was easy (I think it has a comp. release, not sure).

Not sure if anybody followed by HF cylinder leak repair thread, but it was bone dry after about 10 split cycles!
That also involved, among other things, an o ring!

Yes any thing possible. These things try me with every thing there is....Just drop my rotor tiller off to my dad just to see it drip. shhhhh :coolhmm:

 

[velvetfoot]

I just hope it doesn't turn into a long stupid time wasting detective story.
My wife had some friends over the other day, and one of the cars dripped on my 1 year old asphalt driveway.
I mean, it has less of the "new car" driveway look to it now, but it still hurts.
I've also had two different trucks from the same topsoil place drip oil (hydraulic?) on the driveway.
More reasons to not have gotten it paved, but it is pretty nice.

 

[smokinj]

I just hope it doesn't turn into a long stupid time wasting detective story.
My wife had some friends over the other day, and one of the cars dripped on my 1 year old asphalt driveway.
I mean, it has less of the "new car" driveway look to it now, but it still hurts.
I've also had two different trucks from the same topsoil place drip oil (hydraulic?) on the driveway.
More reasons to not have gotten it paved, but it is pretty nice.

Its not its that frickin O ring....lol either not in place right or worn out. You make the call. :lol: It really is hard to call!

 

[velvetfoot]

It looks like it's a gasket between the carb and the engine. There's an isolator involved, so it'll be two gaskets.
I ordered them on line. I had no idea where to get them locally.
It's got very little hours on it. I've never had this happen before.
I think I've read of others having this problem too.

 

[heat seeker]

That gasket will not cause gas to leak out. At that point, the fuel is vaporized, and will not run out. If fuel is leaking there, the gasket is bad, since it should be airtight, but you have another problem.
If it's not the o-ring on the bowl, I would suspect that the float needle and seat are leaking. There may be a speck of dirt keeping the needle off the seat, causing the carb to overfill and leak.

 

[velvetfoot]

Yes, that makes sense.
But, could it still be running fine if the carb was overfilled to that extent?

 

[heat seeker]

I would think that it would be running pretty rich, but you may not notice it.
Just yesterday my friend started up his old rider, and gas came pouring out onto the ground, until he shut the fuel valve. It's hard to see in there, but we figured that the fuel line cracked where it goes onto the carb fitting. It looked like it was coming out of the bowl, but it wasn't.
Just sayin', it might not be the carb itself.

 

[velvetfoot]

I hear ya.
I had the air cleaner off, trying to get a better look.
The engine looks brand new, just sitting around for a couple of years.

 

[velvetfoot]

Heat seeker, you are correct!

For whatever dumb-a__ reason, I didn't think the 2" id fuel bowl o-ring I got from the hw store would work because it was too thick and would go in the indents in the carb's casting, so I never tried it. Well, looking one last time before reassembling and running with a container under the carb until the parts got here, I tried just laying the o-ring on the bowl flange an bolting it up. It worked.

Hopefully the gas won't affect it too much.
The o-rings I put on the breather bolt (small air hole) always swell from the hyd. fluid, so we'll see.