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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.

Hot weather can lead to flooding even with everything correct due to today's EPA gasoline mandates.

Another thing to check is the manifold heat valve. If it is stuck, and especially if it is stuck closed, it can cause the intake and carburetor to run too hot and cause the fuel in the carburetor to boil. It can also cause the engine to perform poorly and may increase any tendency for the engine to overheat.

Leaking float valve? I assume you are talking needle and seat? I had the top of the carb of and set the float while pouring gas in and blowing on the inlet line. So I know the needle is seated. I have the float set really low just to see if it was the problem. And it didn't change anything. Before I lowered the float the bowl always had gas in it when I pulled the top off. I'm missing something. I plugged that line off and it ran ok. But I know it ain't right . My thoughts are if the carburetor was leaking it into the manifold the bowl would be empty or really low.

If the gas in the carburetor bowl boils, it can flood the manifold. This usually happens after the engine is shut down hot. It is not altogether abnormal, and if the engine runs OK otherwise, there may be no problem to correct. The carburetor bowl may remain full after a boilover, since the fuel pump can usually deliver some fuel with the engine off, thus refilling the bowl. The needle and seat can leak for several reasons, including a sticky float or worn needle with a groove in the sealing face or dirt, and beyond that, ambient heat, the engine running too hot, manifold heat valve stuck or operating out of spec, excess fuel pressure, leaky float, bad gaskets, warped flanges in the carburetor's body parts, etc, can all contribute to excess fuel getting into the manifold.

Did the engine run OK before? It's hard to fix what ain't broke, and diagnosing the cause of an issue before making adjustments or repairs will almost always get better results than guessing. The Literature Archive on this website has a lot of information in a number of shop manuals and service letters for a great many Packards from very early to some of the last ones built. There are sections on diagnosis and repair, with many diagrams, including carburetors.

Thank you for pointing me in that direction. I had know idea of the archives but I will definitely look into it.

Thank you for pointing me in that direction. I had know idea of the archives but I will definitely look into it.