Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I'm working on a 1936 inline 8. The tube that bolts under the intake drips gas out when you shut the motor off. I've lowered the float as low as possible. I'm new to working on these any help appreciated . Also will it hurt anything to run without thermostat it stuck shut yesterday and made a heck of a mess

In the short term, you can get by with no thermostat. I'd replace it with a correct one ASAP, after making sure that the thermostat is actually the problem, and not a clogged radiator or leaky water pump seal or slipping fan belt.
The small pipe that runs below the intake is to allow any excess gasoline to drain from the intake manifold. Normally, nothing will come out of it. You have some kind of carburetor issue, such as a sticking float, leaking float valve, bad gasket, or leaking float. The float level is not the issue, unless the float itself is leaking, in which case it won't float as it should. If your car has had an electric fuel pump added, it's possible that it develops too much pressure, which can lead to chronic flooding. Dirt and gum in the fuel system can cause flooding issues. The cure for that is to clean out the dirt and gum. The float level should be re-set to the correct setting.

In addition to float issues, as I recall there have been some mentions of cracked or warped body castings on some carbs which caused fuel leaks into the manifold. You might check your carb carefully for any casting issues. Don't remember if this was a complaint of a specific brand or model although for whatever reason, there have been several requests for Stromberg carb parts recently.

Temperature has also been mentioned which because of the more volatile modern product tends to percolate the fuel and cause gas to get forced thru the jets to pool in the manifold when the engine is hot and sitting.