Needle seat

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boogiedude
Posts: 410
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:22 am
Your car is a: 1978 spider 1800
Location: Honolulu, HI

Needle seat

Post by boogiedude »

Ever since I got my car, every now and then it would develop a little problem. While driving along the car would just start to lurch back and forth violently like a beginner stick driver stalling out the car, except it would happen to me while cruising along at highway speeds. It was always a mystery until recently, and I've finally figured it out! What has been happening is, the tube that screws into the top of the carb inside of the float chamber(this is the "sheath" that the needle operates in, and has the only entry into the float chamber for fuel) has been loosening itself over time and basically making so that while I'm driving along, all of a sudden the float chamber completely runs out of gas and it can't fill up due to the fact that the tube has loosened itself and the needle is now permanently seated. So i would have to pull over, take off the top of the carb, pull of the float and needle, screw in the tube, and then drive away fine and dandy. Clever me wrapped the threads in teflon tape and thought to myself voila! problem fixed :D , but it happened again twice yesterday and i've found out that gasoline loves to dissolve teflon tape :roll:

So here's the question, what can i use to lock the threads of that little bastard so it stops wiggling itself free? Of course thread lock comes to mind immediately. BUT would that be safe to have in there? Or would it even hold up to gasoline? What else can i use to lock it?



Thanks as always
So Cal Mark

Re: Needle seat

Post by So Cal Mark »

every seat I've ever seen either has a hex on it for a wrench, or a slot for a screw driver. If it loosens after being properly tightened and it has a gasket on it, the threads in the carb top may be worn.
majicwrench

Re: Needle seat

Post by majicwrench »

I'm with Mark, there is no reason for a seat to come loose if properly tightened.
That said, loctite makes several diff lock-nut products which would work, including one designed to help re-create the threads. Follow the instructions, your mileage may vary.
Keith
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manoa matt
Posts: 3442
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:28 pm
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider 1800
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Re: Needle seat

Post by manoa matt »

How about an internal or external toothed lock washer? I think I've even seen them in copper.

http://www.qualityfasteners.com/Stainless/stainl26.jpg
So Cal Mark

Re: Needle seat

Post by So Cal Mark »

the washer on the seat is a sealing washer. Using anything else will allow fuel to seep along the threads and cause flooding. Those are straight threads, not tapered so you must use either a copper or aluminum washer or one that is coated
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