Ask The Editors: Fuel Flow Issues on the Coleman

Diagnosing a fuel issue.

Your problem is undeniably related to the distribution of fuel but determining precisely what it is malfunctioning is going to take a little investigative work. Ordinarily when you have fuel flowing out of any part of the intake, the first culprit to rule out is a stuck float in the carburetor.

In your case, there is double the evidence of this being the problem as the float valve being out of position usually comes with irregular idling as well (engine revving) due to the float failing to regulate the fuel level properly and with that, allowing an imbalanced air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber.

So how do you fix this? We have had situations where we got it unstuck by tapping the carb with the handle of a screwdriver to free up the float and we’ve had situations where, because the needle valve was also hopelessly gummed up, the only solution was to buy a carburetor rebuild kit and to replace the floats, jets and gasket all in one fell swoop.

Sadly we can’t tell you what type of repair you are looking at without opening up and examining the carb. However, a stuck float is most certainly the problem in your case. What are some other possibilities? A clogged jet could also cause similar results and, in rare cases, an obstruction in the fuel line itself. However, since you’re getting too much fuel rather than not enough, we can pretty much rule out the latter.

To fix a stuck carb float, you’ll need to remove the carburetor and carefully clean the float and needle valve. If this fails, a carburetor rebuilt kit is your only option.

Got questions for us? Ask them here!