Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone

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Underdog

Joined: Oct 18, 2008
Points: 332

Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Original Message Dec 19, 2013 9:57 pm

The bowl on this 6.5 hp Honda clone is leaking gas. This is one of the blue $90 Harbor Freight 6.5 OHV engines. It has never given me any trouble as a transplant on this HS-520 snowblower. Last spring I drained the bowl at the end of the season. I was surprised when I filled the tank with gas today and found it dripping out (pretty fast) around the bowl o-ring gasket/seal. At first I thought I might need a new o-ring, but shouldn't the float and needle be shutting of the flow of gas the bowl before it starts pouring out? Do these clones take normal honda carb parts? Any suggestions on where I should start? The engine still starts up and runs perfectly, it just leaks gas bad. I cannot find a part number for a replaceable seat. [img]http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii171/jmccollough/056-1.jpg[/img]

This message was modified Dec 20, 2013 by Underdog

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RIT333

Joined: Jan 3, 2008
Points: 33

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #1 Dec 19, 2013 10:19 pm

I would guess that your float is stuck open, either because there is a bit of dirt/crud where the needle valve is supposed to seal against the seat, or the float is stuck in the open position. Either way, I would drop the bowl, and then spray some carb cleaner around the needle valve area, to see if you can clean out any crud or free up the float. You probably do not need any parts other then carb cleaner, if you are lucky. You may need a new float bowl gasket, but probably not. As far as - are the parts the same as those used by Honda, you may have to check with the engine manufacturer.

friiy

Location: Las Vegas, The Desert
Joined: Apr 12, 2008
Points: 600

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #2 Dec 20, 2013 1:09 am

It may have a rubber tipped needle in the carb. If the carb body or rubber tipped needle is not worn out.. Sometimes grit gets trapped on the side of the needle assembly jamming it open and leaking gas. Try taking out the needle and letting fuel rinse out the needle's area... Good luck, Friiy

borat

Joined: Nov 10, 2007
Points: 2692

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #3 Dec 20, 2013 9:43 am

When you drained the carb last season, did you remove the float bowl and O ring? If so, the O ring might not have seated properly. It may have seated with a twist in it. Thus not making a proper seal. I've seen that happen more than once. I agree with inspecting the float and float needle.

RIT333

Joined: Jan 3, 2008
Points: 33

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #4 Dec 20, 2013 12:54 pm

Borat

If the float is working properly, then would the amount of gas in the bowl be lower than the gasket - when the snow blower is on level pavement ? I am not challenging you, I am asking this as a question to increase my own knowledge !

carlb

Joined: Nov 16, 2010
Points: 279

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #5 Dec 20, 2013 2:27 pm

on level ground the fuel should not be up to the o-ring / bowl gasket if the float and needle are working correctly.

jrtrebor

Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #6 Dec 20, 2013 3:03 pm

You actually may have two problems.
If the float isn't working properly then the flow of fuel into the
carb. is not being shut off. Problem 1
But if you have fuel leaking over the top of the fuel bowl as well.
Then you also have a problem with the Float bowl O ring. Problem 2

Another thing I will mention is that if the float isn't working correctly.
But the bowl seal is good.
You can have fuel that will run out of the bore of the carb.
Which will then run down the carb. which can look like a
carb. bowl is leaking. When in fact it's not.

I bought a Honda engine one time.
That had a stuck float and had emptied the fuel tank into the cylinder and crankcase.
The engine had been sitting or tranported on it's side.
Which allowed the fuel that was leaking into the bore of the carb.
to flow into the intake cavity. There was so much fuel in the cylinder that when I pulled
and turned the engine over. It put the piston into a Hydraulic lock.
When I pulled the plug and turned it over by hand it shot fuel ten feet out of the plug hole.
Thankfully I wasn't standing over the hole, but it made quite a mess.

niper99

Location: London Ont
Joined: Dec 2, 2007
Points: 354

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #7 Dec 20, 2013 8:04 pm

As others mentioned above the needle isn't seating tight on seat.. 90% chance a good cleaning will solve the problem.. u can replace the seat but its a brass press in (not recommended).. personally I would clean first then see if theres still an issue.. if u want to be safe replace the needle they run around $12-15 Canadian there pricey lol...

borat

Joined: Nov 10, 2007
Points: 2692

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #8 Dec 21, 2013 9:44 am

RIT333 wrote:

From my own personal experience, if the float bowl seal isn't correctly installed, fuel can and will leak past if even with a working float/float needle. I learned that from a leaking carb on the 6 h.p. Mitsubishi engine on my pressure washer. Engine was running roughly so I pulled the float bowl to inspect inside. I found small bits of plastic in there. Cleaned it out and put it back together. Engine ran great but carb leaked around the float bowl seat. Pulled the float bowl to find that the flat O-ring/seal was slightly twisted when I put it back together. I installed it correctly and the leak stopped. It was then that I knew I need to get a pair of reading glasses for the garage.

I assume that if the float is adjusted/operating correctly and the carb is perfectly level, it won't leak with a bad seal provided the engine isn't running. Fire up the engine and get some vibration happening and it will leak, level or not.

RIT333

Joined: Jan 3, 2008
Points: 33

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #9 Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm

Borat - good point about the leak being caused by vibration ! I hadn't factored that into my thought process. I knew I could count on you.

This message was modified Dec 21, 2013 by RIT333

Underdog

Joined: Oct 18, 2008
Points: 332

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #10 Dec 30, 2013 5:07 pm

Running great now. I got the carb bowl off and it was really bad. Filled with grit and pieces of corrosion. I cleaned it out and then ran a ball of sandpaper round and round through the bowl until it shined. With the float and needle removed I took a Q-tip and some polishing compound and polishes the metal seat where the rubber needle makes contact. The O-ring on the bowl did not look great but it was re-used and does not seem to be leaking. Rebuild parts kit is Primeline number 7-070024, whole replacement carburetor from them-Primeline part number 7-01224.

RIT333

Joined: Jan 3, 2008
Points: 33

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #11 Dec 30, 2013 5:48 pm

Fantastic !

Keep an eye on the bowl gasket for any leaks...just in case !

niper99

Location: London Ont
Joined: Dec 2, 2007
Points: 354

Re: Carb on Honda Clone leaking gas -- will cleaning carb solve this issue or do I need parts for the clone
Reply #12 Dec 30, 2013 10:30 pm

Nice!!!

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