Well I had at the carrier today to start things off. I pulled the top off the carb, and checked the float. There is a little rattling in it, but it does not have fuel in it. I put a new needle in, set the float a little lower, and it is running great now. I'll get a kit for the carb a little later in the season, but for now it's OK. That one normally does not need any choke, but of course it's a Ford, so that is to be expected.
Went to start the White scout car, and over 3 weeks it developed the same problem again: stuck needle. I cracked the line before the carb, gave it a couple taps with the wrench, a one second shot of ether, and away she went. The fuel is getting pretty stale in that one, so I'll be draining the tank this season and she'll be over to a mix of premium and avgas I think.
The Chev Artillery Tractor started OK today and I have her back in her spot. The top will be coming off that carb and the rubber tipped needle is giong to join file 13 (the dumpster). That one is on standby for towing a funeral carriage, as well as going to be on the Change of Command in a couple months. The carb kit I bought for it 6 months back was supposed to be OK with ethanol....I'm not so sure now.
The only vehicle of the bunch that has a secondary electric fuel pump is the lynx, and aside from it's first start of the season, it has been working well. I have never done the carb on that one, so perhaps it is overdue. On it's first start, I ran the electric pump for quite a bit, and it did not want to go. Cracked the line, tapped the carb, and away it went. But once again, it's a Ford, and I would expect nothing less.
Did get a pleasant surprise this afternoon with the C15TA. That one is notorious for not starting, and a tune up and carb job are long overdue on her. She did not want to start, so I reached uunder the panel and tickled the wires near the ignition switch.....away she went. Methinks I may have some wiring to do this season. There were way too many of those quick crimp blue connectors put on some of these vehicles in the past, and combined with the fraying 70 year old cloth wiring, are not a good combination.
Anyway, coffee break is over and I have to go put double and triple drain pans under all the Chevs now.
