800cc flooding out

Posts: 415

Greg has nailed your problem. Especially since you left the petcock open and gas drained into the pan. You have a stuck float. It is always good advice to turn the fuel petcock off when not in use. Even a very minor needle valve leak will eventually flood the oil pan if the gas is left on for an extended period.

You are not the first guy to have this happen to you, so no worries. You will need to clean your needle valve and check your float operation. This is not a major operation but will require you to remove the carb top. It is pretty self explanatory. You'll have to disconnect the linkage rod to the choke assembly. Remove the fuel inlet line. Remove the two screws that mount the vacuum secondary bracket to the carb top. Then remove the vacuum line and carb top screws. Don't overlook the screw located in the air horn on the right side.

Lift straight up. It will "stick" a little on the left rear corner when you lift up due to the "O" ring on the accelerator pump venturi. The float/needle valve assembly will come with the carb top. Just be careful you do not damage the carb body gasket when you take the top off. It will either want to come off with the top or stay on the carb body, but it can't do both lol.

Once the top is off, you will also be able to access the jets at the bottom of the fuel bowls. You can siphon the gas off with a turkey baster or stuff some paper towels in and let it soak up the fuel. You can then take some carb cleaner and flush it through them in place, using the red nozzle extension tube that comes with the cleaner or you can remove the jets for inspection and cleaning.

Regarding the float assembly and needle valve, I doubt your float level is an issue. It is common for the needle valve to get some particulate stuck in it preventing it from seating properly or for the top of the float to hang up on the edge of the body gasket just enough to prevent it from fully seating the needle valve. Holding the carb top with the float hanging down, flush it with carb cleaner thru the fuel inlet. Flip it over and make sure it is seating properly. If needed, you can remove the pin the float assembly hinges on and access the needle for closer examination.

When putting it back together try to make sure the body gasket is clear of the float assembly so it will not hang up.

That should do it for you. I hope I did not forget anything as I'm just recalling this from memory. For a detailed view of the carb assembly, download the engine manual in the "sticky" at the top of the engine clinic section.

Oh, and your oil filter will be a Fram PH4386 or equivalent.

later..mick

Posts: 200

Wow great info! Surprised

Once again you come through Mick. Seems you have dealt with just about everything on these buggies. Great diagrams too they should help out when I see something and go "what the hell is that?" I would have gotten the engine service manual myself but the pdf file is way too big for my 1995ish speed dial up internet. Never spent the time to get it. I only needed a few pics anyway so you just saved me alot of headaches. Thanks for the part number on the oil filter too, I hope I can pick one up today. I Also need to clean all the caked mud off the buggy before I start this project
Thanks for the help everyone. I will report back with results/ or any issues. Cool

Posts: 200

OK so I took it apart and clean everything. I cant really see what was causing the float to get stuck, except maybe the gasket which does hang over into the fuel bowl chamber. The float swings really close to the gasket, so maybe that was it. I am thinking of trimming the gasket to ensure this doesnt happen again so easily, what do you guys think?

Another thought: my dad was mentioning that maybe the foam float soaks up too much gas a gets heavy so it doesnt 'float up' and close the valve. Does that happen to these foam floats? Im doubtful myself.... its still pretty new...

oh and btw after looking at the diagrams in the engine manual I realized the thing that I thought was an electric choke is actually the fuel cut solenoid. I broke the wire to that a few weeks back and it couldnt start, but ran again after I reattached the wire to the same old connector it fell out of. Maybe this wire is loose again and it could be my issue....
ALso the idiots at the shop never attached a pull cable to the choke so I have been starting my Buggy up with the choke wide open everytime.

Posts: 341

I have never seen a bowl gasket get in the way but I guess it could. Trim carefully !!
The float is made to be in gas and cant soak any up, good thinkin though.
You do need good voltage to the solenoid or it wont work,

I'm not telling you to do this " for liability " Shocked

but I remove them all from my buggies and plate over them using the same screw to hold down the plate and the same o-ring to seal it. Make it out of 3/16" aluminum .
Less chance of problems on the trail the better, and if it dont make it go faster I dont need it.

Later W.C.

Posts: 200

Now that I inspect it more I realized that the part of the gasket that hangs into the chamber is above the float assembly and cant get in the way of float cause it dont swing up there. So thats not the problem...no need to trim. I cant figure why it flooded so bad. The needle valve seemed to operate fine when I inspected it before I cleaned it. I guess all I can do is throw it back together and hope it doesnt happen again......

As far as drilling the jets, I am not so sure I would want to try drilling something that small by hand... at least not by MY hand. Do I need to use a press??

Ok so if you just remove that solenoid and cover the hole then why does it matter if mines breaks? couldnt I just leave it unplugged? How would it being broken cause trouble on the trail that wouldnt happen anyway with it removed? I guess I dont understand exactly what the purpose of the solenoid is....

Posts: 415

That is a fuel shut off solenoid. It is to prevent engine run on. It has a plunger that shuts the gas flow off to the slow speed (idle) circuit. So if it is off (no power to it) the engine will not idle. When voltage is placed on it, the plunger is pulled back, opening the circuit.
When you open the throttle a bit, vacuum will suck gas up through the primary jet. That is why the car will run, but not idle when the solenoid is not on

later...mick

Posts: 15 · Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 15 Pictures: 0

I had the same fuel flooding during shutdown. I made the mistake of leaving the fuel petcock open on the fuel tank for about two weeks. I figure an intake valve may have been open just right and gravity fed the beast. When I tried to start it, it blew liquid fuel out the exhaust. The oil dipstick was wet almost to the top! I drained about 2 gallons fuel/oil out of the oil pan. It will happen.

Posts: 341

Man Mick, Just when I think "I" know it all "you" come along and answer a question I didnt even ask yet. My rails all run about 4 or 5 seconds after I kill the switch. I had scratch my head and pondered this several times. Hook a meter to the coil and it goes off with the key, how could it run??
I read your post and said " na cant be" well I ran out to the shop at 9:15 pm threw a solenoid on a buggy and shuts off with the key!! I didnt think the combustion temp and a little fuel would keep it running for just a second, well I was wrong.
I'm still using the plate's though
Thanks Mick.

PunaRambler: Grab the jets with your pliers and drill them, your drilling the size of a pencil lead in a piece of brass Shocked

Plug the wire in the solenoid or plug the hole one or the other.
to run correctly.

Later W.C.

Posts: 200

Posts: 200

Well I got it back together yesterday with the mods done to the carb and now it runs like a champ! Smile

I cant say enough about how much the manual secondary mod, rejett and K&N filter does for response and power!! I love how it pulls so hard now! Thank you WC you are officially the coolest and most helpful person I ever met on the internet, except maybe Jojano who helped me with my axles. Everyone on here with 800cc seems to know whats up....