New firewood hauler leaked all my gas out

[wahoowad]

I bought a 69 Sears Custom 7 (7 HP) garden tractor as a winter project and firewood hauler. It was not running but I was able to change that with a carb rebuild, gap the points and new condenser. I cleaned out the gas tank and installed a new fuel line, filter and spark plug. She's running half-way decent and already moving some wood around.

It has been a week since the complete carb rebuild which included a soak in the carb cleaner bucket and all new seals, etc. No leaks. Yesterday I worked on some mechanical issues for several hours and there was no leak. This morning I go get some kindling and there is a pool of gas under the tractor and the tank is empty! I can see it leaking from the carb, I assume out the weep hole from a stuck float.

Just seems very odd. I didn't TOUCH the carb yesterday. How does something like that happen?

 

[gzecc]

Gas probably ate away at the old seal.

 

[wahoowad]

No, I installed all new seals

 

[Jags]

Needle valve seat. Old rubber point (if that is the style) probably gave up the ghost. Or it took that long for a tiny leak in the float to fill up with gas and dump the rest on your floor.

 

[Danno77]

Temperature fluctuation and low pressure system moving over your area. Plus aliens.

 

[wahoowad]

We did have a big low pressure area hit. I have to admit I was wondering about that.

 

[fossil]

I'd say you hosed it up somehow. Get back to work.

 

[johneh]

Small chunk of dirt from fuel line stuck in needle and seat of float
used to see it all the time in late 60 and early 70 on G M cars and
lite trucks after filter change.

 

[DoubleB]

Needle valve seat. Old rubber point (if that is the style) probably gave up the ghost.

Gas probably ate away at the old seal.

I agree. Are you using pure gas or ethanol blend? The fuel system in that vintage was unlikely to be designed for today's ethanol. I had a carb do the same thing to me with ethanol blend gas.

 

[BrotherBart]

The float in the carb of my garden tractor that I haul wood with is sticking and filling the cylinders with gas. The carb kit looked a little pricey and I wasn't in the mood to rebuild the carb so this was delivered yesterday. I can give you their phone number.

 

[bugman31964]

Put a shut off valve between carb and tank and run it dry at shut down. Not good to let the ethanol fuel sit in the carb.

 

[wahoowad]

Niiice. Which GT did you retire?

 

[BrotherBart]

Niiice. Which GT did you retire?

Not retired, but the Husqavarna 22 hp is not gonna bust its butt hauling the big ones up the hill anymore. Poor sucker has earned a rest. And the county is never gonna block us in for a week with their snow plows ever again.

 

[BrotherBart]

Put a shut off valve between carb and tank and run it dry at shut down. Not good to let the ethanol fuel sit in the carb.

It ain't even gonna hurt it overnight.