My 48 carb runs great until it gets a build up of silt in the carb and you never know when that is going to happen. If it happens i try and press my way home with the electric fuel pump but I usually end up calling a buddy or the wife to bring the tow ropes...are there any modern remedies to eliminate this crud?
Clean out your fuel system. I may well start with rust inside your fuel tank. Rust as fine as talcum powder gets past most fuel filters and looks like fine dirt.
X38 is saying that the silt is coming from somewhere...and it's usually from the tank. But I suppose it could be coming from somewhere else, though I'm not sure where that might be. Do you burn ethanol fuel? Maybe it's eating up gaskets or o-rings? Regardless, I would check the tank first. Empty it, remove it, let it completely dry out, then check real good. You never know what may have happened during production, storage or shipping. Something may have gotten in there. And I've heard of tank liners deteriorating. Just gotta look. Good luck. I know it'll be great when you can just drive your hot rod without having to clean the carb so often.
Is it brown or black. Black could be hoses being eaten up from ethanol, brown is rust or fuel sock in the tank. New gas is potent stuff. Agree with others, clean tank, replace soft lines with ethanol compatible.
I've seen NEW tanks with rust inside. Might not be easily visible. Might be behind a baffle somewhere...unless it's stainless.
For about $15, on The Bay of E, you can buy one of those air compressor water traps with a built in 5 micron filter and a petcock to dump the crud every so often. But that's just a band-aide. You need to fix the tank or whatever else is the source of the problem.
Check the quality of the gas you buy. I tried cheap stuff in my 46 Mercury and had the same problem. Eventually clogged the filter. Switched to good quality gas and cleaned the whole system and had no trouble since.
Use a 1 micron filter. https://www.cantonracingproducts.co...----CM--15-REMOTE-FUEL-FILTER-1-MICRON--12AN/
Probably the gas itself. Are you using premium, what is the mix of ethanol? My car has a new gas tank and I run a filter (old red Holley) filter right out of the tank, a Moroso steel can filter up by the carb. 2 years and no problems, Holley carb is new. Another guess... if the anodizing is worn off the inside of the bowl it could be oxidation.
The suggestions about good filters are spot-on, but maybe try to determine the type of silt. If the silt sticks to a magnet, then it is rust, and the comments about the tank or fuel lines should be heeded. If the silt does not stick to a magnet, it may simply be the residue from evaporation of modern fuel (with, or without ethanol). If rust, you may have another option: In the 1950's, there were many service station supply tanks that had been in place for a long time, and beginning to rust. At the time, glass bowl fuel filters were prevalent. Carter engineered a glass bowl fuel filter with a magnet (called a Magna-trap). The gray magnet was visible, and when it turned rust-red, time to clean the filter and magnet. And the above will probably elicit a number of posts from the glass bowl fuel filter haters, but it worked very well. Jon.
Are you buying your gas at the same place? Your problem could be your gas station. I always try to buy at new, high volume, gas stations and never buy while a tanker is there. I know I’m going to get blasted by” how do you know if one just left” and you don’t. Best preventative thing to do is use a good filter. You and even use two filters, that’s what most Diesel engines have. A 25 micron to catch the big stuff then a 1 to 10 to clean the fuel even further. Also make sure your tank is clean, I know that’s a pain.. but. And , Carbking, I love glass bowls, on tanks and carbs. Bones
I have a very rusty gas tank on my off topic beater pickup, and installed a glass sediment bowl on the fender well as a primary filter, then a regular inline filter. The glass bowl has a fine brass screen inside to catch the big stuff, so I don't have to change the secondary filter nearly so often. I have had many cars with rusty tanks over the years, but they would simply clog up the filters. I'd install another one on the side of the road and carry on. Although there was fine silt in the carb it never stopped the carb from working.
The Jalopy Journal
