> New Lister, newly acquired '58 TR3A, was running according to DPO last
> November 02. Now will not start. I rebuilt starter, now engine cranks
> well, has a decent spark after replacing most of ignition consumables.
> But when I crank the starter gasoline pours out of the first carb
> overflow port and within 30 seconds I had half a gallon on the floor.
> Perhaps a stuck float valve--any ideas on how I should proceed?
Pull the lines off, and take the lid off the front float bowl. Note that
the nut on top the float bowl is a Whitworth size, not SAE or metric. (ISTR
it's 5/16W, but I might be wrong about the 5/16 part.) Pick the float up,
check for fuel in it. Disassemble the float valve by removing the pivot pin
and lifting away the arm and needle. Clean & inspect. Make sure that the
body of the valve is screwed securely into the lid, with a fiber washer
between it and the lid. Look for cracks in the lid, around where the valve
screws in. Block the outlet to the rear carb with your finger, then blow
into the fuel inlet. Reassemble the valve and check the float height. I
like to set the height a bit differently than the book suggests, I hold the
lever against the valve (so the valve is firmly closed), and make sure a
7/16" rod will just barely slide between the lever and the cover. (Your SU
tool kit will have the 7/16" rod in it.) Both sides of the lever should
touch the rod.
If you haven't found a problem yet, it might be a good idea to hook up the
fuel lines with the cover still not attached to the bowl, and check that you
can easily hold the valve closed while your other hand (or a helper) cranks
the engine.
Make sure the float is back in the bowl, then reattach the cover with the
special nut and an aluminum washer (there should also be a tag that goes
under the nut, but it's frequently missing, which doesn't hurt anything).
Reattach the fuel lines and try again.
Although the factory didn't use clamps on the fuel lines at the carbs,
adding them is a good idea, IMO. (Assuming you have the push-on lines, ISTR
58 was the cross-over year.)
Check the fuel pump, if it's an aftermarket (electric) pump, it may put out
too much pressure. It's possible to rebuild the original pump with too
strong a spring (meaning too much pressure), but IMO it's not likely.
Randall
59 TR3A TS39781LO daily driver (back on the road, woo hoo!)
63 Sports 6 HB7826LCV rustoration project
71 Stag LE1473L daily driver wanna be
57 TR3 TS21731L rusting quietly
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