When I put my car (69 z28 302) away last fall it was running rough. I got it started yesterday and it was spraying gas out the front air tube. Carb is a restored 4053 I bought last year and worked fine all summer. I removed the front bowl and checked the float for sticking, cleaned it all out with carb cleaner, put new gaskets on. Tried starting it 'same problem, any ideas?

I think you have the right diagnosis in that the Bowl Fuel Inlet Needle is not closing, dirty or defective. Recheck and replace the needle if necessary and check floats for leakage. Remember to adjust floats to right height.

why not start with floats in lowest position first with site plug removed, you can see where your fuel is going or what level you are coming to. You do have to have fuel pressure applied against needles. turn adjuster screw out until you achieve the fuel level at the edge of site plug threads. Make sure you have 5-7 psi fuel pressure, any more increases chances of what is happening. You should be able to get motor running with a low level and go up from there. Watch for sparks and fuel. Have a fire exteng close by .

The float may have taken in some gas and is no longer bouyant. This happened to me on a new street avenger , drove me nuts until I tracked it down.

This was over a year ago , the sinky float that now lives on my work bench still has the gas in it after all this time.

The float is still bouyant, that was my first thought. I'm also thinking maybe the seat. If I remove it, is there a way to re-install it to get it close without removing the bowl again. I could'nt find any rubber type gaskets locally so I don't want to ruin the fiber one. Thanks for the info, I never had the chance to get much into carbs.

Really the only way you get this problem is when the float sinks/stick or the needle sticks. The float controls the needs. the needle opens or closes based upon the floats demand for fuel. So 1 of these is sticking alowing to much fuel to be pumped into the bowls. Buy new gaskets they are cheap, after you fix this you dont wanna have a leaky gasket.

Found the problem, the float was floating but it is half full of fuel like Russ had. I've tried Advance, Autozone, and NAPA but they can't get me a float. Where would be the best place to get one?

Summit should have floats for your Carb; however, you might attempt a repair providing the seams are not shot by drilling the hole larger, draining the gas and using a 24hr Black/White Epoxy for Metal to fill in the hole. Soldering might work but possibly too heavy.

Thought about repairing it but I just found one at JEGS and ordered it. Thanks for the input guys.

You can unscrew the needle & seat out from the bowl without removing the bowl. Use petro jelly on the O-rings for lubing when installing in place.

Some Holley brass floats have a solder plug in them, use an iron and melt the solder.

The float is still bouyant, that was my first thought. I'm also thinking maybe the seat. If I remove it, is there a way to re-install it to get it close without removing the bowl again. I could'nt find any rubber type gaskets locally so I don't want to ruin the fiber one. Thanks for the info, I never had the chance to get much into carbs.

Glad you found your problem. To answer your question on bench setting the float without pulling the bowl, just set the screw portion about half to one thread lower than the top surface of the nut.

Glad you found your problem. To answer your question on bench setting the float without pulling the bowl, just set the screw portion about half to one thread lower than the top surface of the nut.

Thank you.