Stromberg Leak

[thebrookster]

Well, finally back from sea for a few months, and the nice weather has had me out at my lockup to recommission my 2000.

Anyway, filled fluids etc back up, and cranked her over and built up oil pressure, everything good.

Then applied some choke, and after 40 secs or so she fired over, and sat at fast idle very happily indeed. More than happy, except I could smell a good whiff of petrol. Now, initially I thought that this was due to cranking for a while, plus running on choke, however when I perused the engine bay I discovered that the rear carb was happily pouring petrol all over the floor! Ahh.

To give a wee background, the car was fully running when I laid her up last year, about September/October IIRC. Over winter until now she has just sat there, doing nothing. Fuel pump is electronic, everything seems to be ok.

Having done a google and a search on here, it would appear that the O-Ring on the bottom may have gone (this appears to be were the petrol is coming from, I have not looked too closely yet as I was in good clothes, so simply investigated with fingers). Either that, or some posts suggest needle float valve may be sticking.

So, does this sound like I am on the right track here, or am I missing something else obvious? Any advice, both in fixing or other options happily received as I have not worked on Strombergs before.

Hopefully if I can either get this fixed, or get it to Chic Doigs then I should be clearish for an MOT and some summer driving :) (I say clearish, as I know I have a bulb out, and the O/D was not working correctly when I laid the car up, however I am struggling for time just now so I am cheating and sending it too Chic to sort out!).

Anyway, Thanks in advance for all advice offered,

Cheers,

Phil

[Pete Lewis]

if the  float needle was playing up the excess fuel will come one of the smaller round ports in the front face where the air box fits against. normall caused by debris flaoting behind the valve hsg.

if its from below there are two O rings a large one seals the jet holder to the float chamber hole and a smaller seals the adjustable jet to the jet holder

   you can unscrew the whole jet holder and not upset the mixture settings but to change the smaller seal you need to unscrew the jet  

i light smeear of lube will aid the refiiting

if you take the top cover off to examine the diaphragm it may be swollen ,and hard to relocate, a wash with petrol will return it to normal.

make sure the location lugs are fitted into there recess.


Pete

[thebrookster]

Pete - many thanks for that, my suspicions are towards the O-Rings, as that is where it appears to be coming from, however I'll not know until I get a closer look. Hopefully I can at least seal it enough to get it 30 miles up the road to Chic's, and dump the entire thing on him :P Whilst I intend on getting to know this car better mechanically, I am really struggling to find the time to do anything with it. And eventually I do intend to EFI it, but again need the time!

Hopefully my next vacation will not be so bad, I seem to be juggling weddings/festivals/gigs, along with a possible house move, and issues with the modern car this time round, so gonna be a busy couple of months vacation. Hopefully getting the Triumph road legal will ease the tribulations however :D  ;D ;D ;D

Cheers,

Phil

[Lord Sorbington]

You can get a seal kit from Witor and change them all, a very easy job. Depends how bad the leak is, I drove mine many hundreds of miles before I worked out where the smell of fuel was coming from.

[thebrookster]

sorbs wrote:

Depends how bad the leak is, I drove mine many hundreds of miles before I worked out where the smell of fuel was coming from.

Enough that I might risk driving up to Fife with it (40 mins or so), on the basis that whilst the car is driving fuel is being consumed, thereby hopefully reducing said leak, however I think I shall try and do something with it to reduce first! Even if it means a large dollop of silicon.......................