Carb Leak Finally Found and Fixed

[Tom Wesenberg]

This isn't a Model A carb, but the vacuum pump and epoxy repair can be used on a Model A or just about any carb. Just over a year ago I drove to Tennessee to buy a low hours, like new 1982 Honda lawn tractor. It was on Craigslist real cheap because of a carb problem. After a few seconds of running the gas started running out the carb.

I took it apart, cleaned it up and everything looked perfect. The needle is plastic with a rubber tip, and the whole seat area is plastic and crimped in place, so if there's a problem you need to buy a new carb from Honda for about $200. The only thing I could think of is either ethanol gas or age has shrunk the plastic just enough so it can't seal to the aluminum housing. Yesterday I connected my vacuum pump with the needle setting in place, and it couldn't even pump enough vacuum to make the needle move.

Today I used my two part clear Marine epoxy to apply a coat all around the plastic to aluminum edge, and now it holds vacuum perfectly. BTW, this brass vacuum pump was bought at Harbor Freight for under $20 using the 20% coupon.

Epoxy should also work on Model A carbs where someone cracked the casting where the fuel line screws in. This epoxy takes 24 hours to set up, but I won't be putting the carb back on for a month.

BTW, in case you're wondering about the skeleton trailer, I bought the axle assembly on Craigslist and quickly made a lightweight trailer that I could take apart and carry inside the car, then assemble it in Tennessee. I used it again the same way to pick up another identical Honda in Missouri. My car gets 32 to 34 MPG alone, but even a small trailer drops it to 24 MPG.

[2manycars]

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Another amazing fix from Tom the Tinkerer!