Rebuild Carb or Cross My Fingers?

[Larry Caton]

I got a 1956 Johnson Seahorse (FD-10, 15 Hp) with unknown history.  There was some crud in the carb’s glass bowl, so I pulled it, thinking it would need a rebuild.  To my astonishment, the carb was nearly spotless inside with just a little varnish behind the float hinge. The needle valve is clean as a whistle, and the cork float is intact.  I sprayed carb cleaner through every passage I could find, but I did not remove the needle valve seat, jet nozzle, or the high- and low-speed needles.

I’m used to seeing modern carbs with jellied EtOH fuel, all pitted with corrosion, so I’m dumbfounded about what to do next.

Am I just asking for trouble if I leave it as is?

 

[Buccaneer]

I would at least remove the high and low speed needles,
spray and blow passages again, and install new needle
packing if needed.

Prepare to be boarded!

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Larry Caton

[fleetwin]

Looks pretty clean to me…  Is this an engine you are going to use regularly?  If not, I would just finish inspecting it and put it back together the way it is, just be sure to drain the fuel out of the carb when you are done using it.

I would invest in the good OMC rebuild kit if you plan to use the engine regularly, those old gaskets/seals won’t stand up well to today’s fuels.

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aquasonic

[Larry Caton]

Thanks Fleetwin!

The one seal that’s been on my mind is the one under the float valve seat…

This boat hardly ever gets used, but I’m hoping this “new” motor will change that in the future.

I noticed that a previous owner put some kind of clear sealant, with the texture of Marine Goop, over the little brass carb bowl drain screw.

I don’t know if the threads leaked. If it leaks, I guess I’ll chase the threads.

Do you know if a thread sealant is called for on the drain screw?

[fleetwin]

OK, well you need to remove that inlet float needle seat and remove that damn goop.  Do you have any other other carbs laying around?  If so, you could always pull the gasket out of one of those.   If not, I’m sure I have a few laying around I could send you.

[Boonie]

Hey Larry. I have the same issue with the brass drain screw on the carb bowl. Just wont stop leaking on my JW14. I cant make it any tighter.

[aquasonic]

For the tiny brass drain plug on the carburetor bowl, clean both the brass plug and the threaded hole. Then use 1 drop of Loctite Blue on the plug threads and reassemble. Give the loctite plenty of time to cure before exposing it to gasoline.

[fleetwin]

OK, I am confused, just what is leaking?

The little brass drain screw on the bottom of the carburetor bowl, or the inlet needle seat to carb body?

[nabmd]

Why would you want to use Loctite on a carb bowl drain screw? Why not a use the yellow Teflon tape (for gas) and/or a new piece of gasket material for a washer? If the threads are stripped, why not tap the next bigger screw size and use a bigger screw. JMHO

[aquasonic]

nabmd wrote:

Why would you want to use Loctite on a carb bowl drain screw? Why not a use the yellow Teflon tape (for gas) and/or a new piece of gasket material for a washer? If the threads are stripped, why not tap the next bigger screw size and use a bigger screw. JMHO

Let me try to answer your questions:

“Why would you want to use Loctite on a carb bowl drain screw?”

The drain plug comes with a sealant directly from the factory. In this case, I recommended Loctite as a thread sealer. The thread sealer helps insure against a leak. It’s also a quick, simple, and effective solution.

“Why not use the yellow Teflon tape (for gas) and/or a new piece of gasket material for a washer?’

The yellow Teflon tape is probably fine. This seems like a matter of preference. As far as the new piece of gasket material for a washer, that’s not going to work. This is a cylindrical plug, not a screw with a head.

” If the threads are stripped, why not tap the next bigger screw size and use a bigger screw.”

We don’t know if the threads are indeed stripped at this point, but if they are yours sounds like a good solution.

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nabmd

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