S.U. HIF6 fire hazard warning

stevevanderveer

stevevanderveer

Member
Don't let this happen to you! I was driving along when I suddenly smelled fresh fuel, big time. Investigating, I discover gasoline being pumped under pressure out of the left carb vent and all over the engine. Luckily it didn't ignite and I came home safely on the back of a tow truck..... Turns out the plastic float had filled 2/3rds full with fuel - enough to stop floating - and there are absolutely no obvious holes or splits.. Some kind of osmosis maybe??... An effect of the ethanol in our fuel? (here in the U.S. we've only had ethanol blend for many years..)

The other carb float had a much smaller amount inside, but still had some.... Anyone hear of this happening before?

(NADA cars of course didn't use HIF6's - I sourced this set-up years ago in the pre-internet days from an outfit called Roverland in the U.K. I think the dude's name was Adrian Bailey. Don't believe he is still active.... Anyways this is the only trouble I ever had with the carbs....)
 
I found when I converted my 2000TC to HIF6's I found the float chambers overflowed too. In my case its because NJ has 10% ethanol in the fuel had lowered the boiling point so far that I had to beef up the heat shield.

It took me ages to work out why the carbs would flood when the temperature went about 88F. It was amazing how it would only happen then and exactly above that temp.
 
sdibbers said:
I found when I converted my 2000TC to HIF6's I found the float chambers overflowed too. In my case its because NJ has 10% ethanol in the fuel had lowered the boiling point so far that I had to beef up the heat shield.

It took me ages to work out why the carbs would flood when the temperature went about 88F. It was amazing how it would only happen then and exactly above that temp.
Click to expand...
Interesting; there is nothing good about ethanol in our fuel - it only benefits Big Agriculture....
 
This is a hazard on the V8 regardless of the carb because fuel will naturally pool in the center if it escapes by ANY route all it needs then s to touch something hot enough. I had this when the hose to the jet started leaking and this was a HS6 carb not the HIF.

At least one other NADA burned this way... See my thread here and particularly SoCals picture: First breakdown...

If you smell fuel, you absolutely need to stop and investigate intermediately! I also carry a small powder extinguisher in the car now too which is good practice on any vehicle.
 
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