# Ford 860, new Zenith carb pouring gas out



## Bent1 (Jul 4, 2017)

At wits end. Bought brand new Zenith 13877 carb for my 1955 860. The prior owner let the tractor sit (in dry barn) for 3 years & didn't drain the gas. Drained the tank. Replaced the fuel bowl, cleaned out the copper fuel line, added an inline paper fuel filter, bolted the new Zenith onto the intake manifold. Connected the fuel line, and gas poured out of the carb. 

Checked float clearance, within spec. Stumped


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy Bent1, welcome to the tractor forum,

You may have some dirt in the needle valve, causing it to stick open. When your tractor was originally built, it had 3 fuel screens between the tank and carburetor: 1) a cylindrical shaped screen attached to the fuel tank shut-off valve, sticks up inside the tank. 2) A screen in the top of the sediment bowl. 3) A screen attached to the inlet elbow of the carburetor. It's possible that none of these screens remain intact/effective today?? Your Ford 860 is 60+ years old. Rust never sleeps. 

Have you cleaned the fuel tank out and checked the screen inside the tank?


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## Bent1 (Jul 4, 2017)

I pulled the new carb, removed the top 1/2, it's clean. With the carb off, I rigged up a snow blower fuel tank, fresh fuel. Turned on the petcock, sediment bowl filled, then float bowl, then gas poured out of the new carb again.


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## HarveyW (Sep 15, 2014)

Either the float is set wrong, or the needle valve (float valve) is not closing/sealing. Can you return this carburetor? If so, I would return it.

If not, you might try setting the float a bit lower than specifications.

If not put the needle in a drill and burnish it very lightly into the seat to get it to conform. Very Lightly. Or use your fingers to rotate the needle into the seat. Or you can tap it lightly with a hammer.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Try putting the floats in a bowl of gasoline to see if one has a leak (doesn't float as well as the other). This will cause flooding problems.


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## Bent1 (Jul 4, 2017)

Set the floats 1/8" lower into the bowl than spec. Re the needle valve, it has a rubber tip. 

Regarding the floats, gasoline has a specific gravity that's lighter than water (maybe the floats are heavy?). I'll try submersing in gasoline. Talked to a sharp mechanic at work, he said he uses a dye in gasoline & traces the leak that way. He has seen sloppy machine work & bad castings on new carbs, and prefers to rebuild the originals. Will post with updates.

Really appreciate the ideas & post. Something is bound to work. I like everything about this old machine, would by one new if it were available today.


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## Bushpig (Jul 17, 2017)

Could just be the needle is bound up. It happens. Either take the carb back, or disassemble and soak the needle in lemon juice. (Mild acid) reassemble.


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## belchermw (Apr 4, 2017)

I bought my used tractor this spring n did some basic but sorely need tuning. Someone had previously built the carb but I am a carbuerator nerd n did it anyway.

My carb (holley) did this after I rebuilt n the tang that stops float from dropping too low was bent n didnt stop float from swinging down too low. I had set float level, but didnt think to check the float drop. Mine is 67 ford 2000.

Take float bowl off n c how far float drops down. Mine hung down about 60-70 degrees. I just bent the tang 90 degrees to atart with n the float drop was enough that it let needle valve move off seat, but not so low it allowed needle valve to drop out of the needle valve cylinder.

The float level settings were very limited, somewhere around +/- 1/64.


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## Bent1 (Jul 4, 2017)

Performed that check earlier, was within spec. Sent back to Zenith, turns out there was a porous casting where the main jet exited the carb. In the mean time, I had my Marvel rebuilt & installed it, runs well.

I have the new replacement Zenith for sale, $235 shipped to lower 48 if anyone's interested.


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