side float carb Q's

[littlejohn2458]

ok, so I worked on a motor today. i noticed that the engine was bogging on acceleration, i also noticed the transfer ports on the carbs were also clogged. Now when i pump up my primer bulb, the ball does not get hard and the carb poors gas out of all three. I have not worked on a side float carb before. the floats look like this.

http://www.ebasicpower.com/pc/MAL9-...Carburetor, Mercury with Side-Bowl Carbs.html

anywho, I also noticed that the needles were working good. I would blow into the inlet where the gas goes and turned it upside down and no air would leak. Im not sure how those exactly work, do the springs just press onto the needle and shut it off? its a different design then i have ever worked on before. Please help. if anyone has a pdf as to where i can look and get a visual that would be awesome. also, what would be the likelyhood of all three sticking in the float bowl? is this a common problem? should i have replaced the floats?
Thanks a ton in advance,
John

 

[cannonford57]

Re: side float carb Q's

that style carb can be overpowered for lack of a better word by agressive pressure on the primer bulb,think about it for a sec. spring on the needle and seat.......taa daa

 

[littlejohn2458]

Re: side float carb Q's

ok, so is what your saying is that when i prime it the ball will not get hard? I understand that you can over power it and all. here is what happened. I am a marine technician. I am pretty new to the field. I mostly work on newer and some older motors. I have been mostly working in florida. I just got back to MN and now im REALLY working on some old stuff. The needles and seats in that will not close fully? i understand that you can over power it. but the customer said that the ball would get hard when he squeezed it and now it does not get fully hard. and you can for sure hear gas pooring into the engine....... I guess im just not used to the whole side carb issue and all that. it makes perfect sense that you can over power it. is there a certain point in which i should direct my customer to not squeeze the ball?
Thanks a ton,
John.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: side float carb Q's

Joh, It will be hard to overpower the float/needle with the primer bulb. It will really take a big squeeze. I suspect your floats, needles and seats or both are bad. The old foam floats would disolve, and the replacement hard plastic floats would crack. The springs on top of the floats would rust away, and the seats/needles would wear out. I recommend you replace all.

Not sure what you meant by carb transfer ports. Some sidebowl carbs had small hoses from bowl to throat, however, this was for "Backdrag" Carbs. A lot of folks clogged the hoses, since the system was meant to lean the mixture at mid-high speed by creating a vacuum in the float bowl.

 

[littlejohn2458]

Re: side float carb Q's

by transfer ports i mean the mid range ports in the mouth of the carb. when it goes into mid range. I am getting carb kits for this motor and hope it fixes it.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: side float carb Q's

John, I do not think those carbs have mid range jets. The have idle, main and backdraft jets only. The idle passage originates in the carb throat.