Carb leaking gas

[Catfish]

I have a 2000 FLSTS, evo engine with S&S carb. It has started leaking fuel through the air intake - I can smell it while driving and it will puddle up while parked as it drains whatever's in there after shutdown. Manual and vacuum fuel shutoffs are both operating properly, so it's not continuous.

Thoughts from the experts? Am I looking at a remove and rebuild or is there something easier I can try first?

 

[Mike Overlay]

Float is not shutting off the needle and seat, or a small grain of debris is hung between needle and seat.

Best bet to remove and clean or replace float and valve (needle)

 

[Mike Overlay]

Float and needle pic. Seat is not viewed, but directly below the needle

 

[Catfish]

Fuel seems to be coming from the hole on the left

 

[Mike Overlay]

Fuel seems to be coming from the hole on the left

Hole on left is a vent so the bowl will not vacuum lock the fuel from being pulled thru the jets

 

[Ikarus1]

It's a Hardly. Just wait til spring and dump it on some sucker and go get you one with EFI. They run better on ethanol tainted fuel.

 

[Mirac]

That hole is the fuelbowl overflow/vent.
Like said, clean the needle and seat.

 

[Ikarus1]

But back to the carb repair. I find that the needle jets harden when exposed to ethanol much worse than the fuel that was available in 2000.....so I usually take out the needle and soak them in PB blaster overnight.
Seems to rejuvenate and soften em up so they don't leak.

 

[Catfish]

It's a Hardly. Just wait til spring and dump it on some sucker and go get you one with EFI. They run better on ethanol tainted fuel.

I probably did this damage with corn syrup but I've since found a bunch of stations with real gas around here. Besides, this one has sentimental value.. I'll hang on to it for now.

 

[Goofyfoot2001]

Pop off the bowl, on my sporty I can do it with the carb on, spray the flks out of it with carb cleaner. All up in there and all holes. Reassemble, cranker and see what happens.

 

[MikeDawg46L]

Need to get that worked out ASAP. What you don’t want to happen is for the carb to overfill and trickle into the combustion chamber, and past the rings into the crankcase. This would most likely happen when it’s sitting up for a bit. You can hydro lock the engine that way.

Be sure to check the dipstick to see if it smells like fuel. Or be brave and take a match to it as soon as you pull the dipstick. If there’s gas in the crankcase, you’ll know it.

 

[Catfish]

Thanks, I'll watch for that.

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

Need to get that worked out ASAP. What you don’t want to happen is for the carb to overfill and trickle into the combustion chamber, and past the rings into the crankcase. This would most likely happen when it’s sitting up for a bit. You can hydro lock the engine that way.
Be sure to check the dipstick to see if it smells like fuel.

It's a red flag if the oil level rises from the gas additive.
You can probably get a needle and bowl gasket for a couple bucks, I wouldn't try to rejuvenate an old needle. If the needle is all metal (doesn't have a 'rubbery' tip) it probably seats onto an o-ring type seal, replace it.

 

[MikeDawg46L]

It's a red flag if the oil level rises from the gas

Very true, but I’d say that most people don’t keep track of their oil levels from check to check.