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AL,

However the Clipperod turns out, I will be green with envy. Bethatasitmay, are you going to move to Missouri for your new job? It would be great having you a little closer to being a neighbor.

Not a chance Guy. This is a 6 month contract with a possible extension. The wife and I are sceptical as to whether we can hold out that long. I am home this week because they furloughed the contractors for the week to save money. She cannot leave her job because she could not find anything that would come close to paying her what she is making now and even if she could she could not go back to her old job when my contract ended, but this separation is bloody difficult. We will make due though, we have discussed it and we will survive.

The first picture is the car on the trailer loaded and ready to come home. The second is the new problem. I cannot keep the car running. Not even long enough to get it on or off the trailer. It spits and sputter and the last bit of orneryness, it spits gas out of the tube in the front part of the front carb. The problem is not acute or any kind of emergency at the moment, but toward the end of spring and summer it will be. It has only sat for the last 6 months and that is all, and it ran fine at that point. I am planning on buying some staybil and pour it in the tank and let that sit for a while and see if that improves things but the spewing gas like that really has me concerned.

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It's not clear to me what you mean by the "tube" at the front of the carburetor. Of course there is the fuel inlet line but I don't think you could mean that. The only other thing I see is the rubber boot that covers the top of the acclerator pump opening. That shouldn't get wet with gas even if the boot is missing - perhaps you have a sunken carburetor float?

Any chance the leather acc pump piston seal has dried or split. When you push accel down, gas gets on top of the piston and is pushed out the broken boot when you take your foot off the accelerator and pump lifts.

What's shown near the center of your top view of the carb is not a tube, but a boot. This one is awfully dry-rotted; the top end should be a much closer, but loose, fit to the plunger rod.

Looks like someone sprayed some gold paint on that carb, at some point, to freshen its appearance - seems to be overspray on that tired old boot.

My guess is that you've got a sunk or stuck float and the carb is getting flooded with gas, which will find its way out the bowl vents. Gas could also be entering the accelerator pump bore, above the plunger, from a slot at the top of the casting, and exiting through the boot. A couple of taps against the side of th fuel bowl with a hammer might free up a stuck float, but won't do anything for a leaky one.

Sounds like a carb rebuild is in order. Kits are available from Daytona Parts, and I believe they include that boot. It's been years since I rebuilt one of these carbs, but 4GCs are pretty easy.

However, you'll wanna make sure that these are genuine front/rear carbs for Caribbean as kits vary between various 4GC models and years. There's a difference between 55/56 fuel bowls; 55 had screw plugs on the driver's side for checking fuel level. Also, accelerator pump plunger and bore is larger diameter in 56 than 55.

In addition to the factory shop manual and service newsletter articles, the manufacturer's data sheets for these carbs are available in the site's archive.

Sweet looking car Al!

Well I guess that pretty much seals it. The time has come to actually rebuild the carbs. Will most likely take them off today and send them out to the carb shop when I have the money. I will be leaving for ST Louis on Monday morning and don't know when I will get back. All the time I was asking if the car was running O.K. I was not getting the right answer. Oh well Hells bells. By the time I get back maybe I can just put them on.

Everyone have a great new year. Hope to see everyone at Williamsburg.

Al

Looks great Al! I hope that 2012 brings you plenty of time to enjoy the hot rod! Thanks for the great blog!

Just a thought. I am not like alot of you guys, I don't have the tech expertise nor the time to delve into doing the work that needs to be done. With that give me your thoughts on the following. From Kanter, rebuild kits for my twin carbs: $68 each = $136, $140 ea to have a carb shop rebuild them = $280. total = $416. two rebuilts from Kanter @ $255 ea. = $510. It would cost me about $100 more, but while the carb shop might do a good job, could I be more mind rested if I got the already done units from a reliable Packard dealer.