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float bowl overflow Q

To: Roadster Listgroup <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Subject: float bowl overflow Q
From: Dan Neff <neffster189@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2001 14:58:20 -0600
I am stumped y'all. Any idea's? 

Short version: 
  All of a sudden my (SU) float bowls started overflowing on high speed 
downhill decelleration (and gagging and sputtering the engine when resuming 
cruise). I have Ztherapy carbs, and Scott Bruning hasn't a clue. The best 
improvement I've gotten is by putting a fuel line regulator in (with a 
mechanical fuel pump!!?) -- setting it to 2psi eliminates the problem about 
95% of the time, but am suspicious it might be leaning it out a hair on 
acceleration (6,000rpm+) - getting intermittent 'bumps' in the acceleration/-
power. 
  I don't think I've fixed The Problem, just found a workaround. Any idea's
what the REAL problem is? 
   I'm wondering if the Grosjets could be that touchy about fuel pressure, 
except I'd still want an explanation as to why they worked fine for 11 
months!

Long version:
[When she gets mad about something...]
  Back around the end of June (I'd already put over 5,000 trouble-free miles 
on it since a valve/cam job, 10,000 miles since Ztherapy carbs), I seemed to 
have gotten a bad tank of gas. Sputtering and spitting off and on. Alternator 
seized 400 miles later. 
  What's weird is about that time, I swapped my fuel pump into a 1600 to 
determine if 1600's pump was bad. When I put mine back (and replaced alt, 
checked and re-checked connectors), I started having problems with float 
bowl overflow on low-grade downhill decelleration (usually above 40mph)!
  Did plugs, points, rotor, condenser, cap, swapped an old air filter 
(being unemployed I had to draw the line somewhere), swapped plug wires, 
fuel filter, checked floats and Grosjets, and checked with Ztherapy. still 
having problems. 
  Last year, my fuel line gas-tank return reed valve was leaking, so I had 
put a "T" in and run a straight line with a restrictor in it back to the 
tank. It's been fine until now.  So when overflow started happening, I tried 
running without any gas tank return restrictor (leaned it out too much on 
uphill/load). Drilled out restrictor and improved it significantly. Put an 
EI distr'r in, with a 12v coil (which eliminated ballast resistor - a suspect 
at that point). Nada. 'Borrowed' a reed valve to go back to stock. Problem 
was worse! 
  That's when I tried the fuel line regulator. I'm comfortable daily driving 
it at this point, but wouldn't want to take it on a road trip. 

thanks,

Dan Neff    '69 2000
Colorado Springs, CO
www.wycroc.org

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