The Ford Barn - View Single Post - Zenith Carb leaking, what type of needle value to get

Growley bear · 06-02-2017, 08:30 AM

The float valve with neoprene needle tip seems to be of high quality, at least the three I have repaired were.
High Quality?? to a point. The needle retainer looked like a plastic flat washer which snapped in under the needle. The threaded retainer was rolled over on the edge to hold everything in place. This plastic retainer wants to distort over time as it swells up with the alcohol in the fuel. When it swells it becomes slightly cone shaped and moves in the direction of the needle valve causing fuel starvation problems. I removed the plastic retainer and replaced with a section of a small coil spring as a lock ring and problem solved. No problems now starting the third year of the repair. Repaired three in this manner with great success. One being a new reproduction Zenith that was only about a year old.

06-02-2017, 08:30 AM	#4
Growley bear Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 777	Re: Zenith Carb leaking, what type of needle value to get The float valve with neoprene needle tip seems to be of high quality, at least the three I have repaired were. High Quality?? to a point. The needle retainer looked like a plastic flat washer which snapped in under the needle. The threaded retainer was rolled over on the edge to hold everything in place. This plastic retainer wants to distort over time as it swells up with the alcohol in the fuel. When it swells it becomes slightly cone shaped and moves in the direction of the needle valve causing fuel starvation problems. I removed the plastic retainer and replaced with a section of a small coil spring as a lock ring and problem solved. No problems now starting the third year of the repair. Repaired three in this manner with great success. One being a new reproduction Zenith that was only about a year old.