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Thread: 4180 Carb leak

  1. #1
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    Default 4180 Carb leak

    Went to fire up the Mustang for it's first spring drive, took a little to get it started, but once it fired up ran well. I didn't get out of the driveway before I smelled gas. It looks like the carb is leaking from the plug at the fuel inlet casting. Any ideas? Can I JB weld this? Just rebuilt the carb last summer.
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  2. #2
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Given it is fuel I would not try JB Weld. Too much risk of fire if it happens again.

    Maybe source a similar compatible carb or the part.

    leaking after storage during freeze suggests a moisture in fuel problem btw.

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    FEP Super Member bwguardian's Avatar
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    Common leak area...do a search. JACook did a write up...as have others...on the fix for this.
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    FEP Senior Member Dave9052's Avatar
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    I have used JB weld on the plugs on my 4180 worked fine for years

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    FEP Power Member 85stanggt's Avatar
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    Yes use JB weld. I had used a two part putty epoxy which worked for years, until recently. So I let the gas dry and just worked a very thin bead of JB weld into the seam between the plug and the fuel bowl body. Let cure 24hrs and it's been completely leak free. If you're careful about applying it in the seam, you won't even notice it's been modified.
    1985 Mustang GT Convertible
    Stock and original @ 213k, except for dynomax ultraflos.

  6. #6
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    I've JB welded the plugs on Quadrajets, but this is the first Holley I've had.

    Thanks for the links, looks like it's fairly common. I'll get done and start cruising again! Thanks.

  7. #7
    FEP Power Member Saturn V's Avatar
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    Default 4180 Carb leak

    Edit ... Misread original post.


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    Last edited by Saturn V; 05-12-2018 at 07:26 PM.
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    FEP Power Member 85stanggt's Avatar
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    To me it looks from the picture that the leak is occurring between the metal plug on the side and the "rolled" lip of the bowl wrapped around it. This is a very common area for leakage. That's the part that needs to be sealed.
    1985 Mustang GT Convertible
    Stock and original @ 213k, except for dynomax ultraflos.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by 85stanggt View Post
    To me it looks from the picture that the leak is occurring between the metal plug on the side and the "rolled" lip of the bowl wrapped around it. This is a very common area for leakage. That's the part that needs to be sealed.
    We let my wife's 85' 4bl,5spd, sit just over a week due to a daily driver Camry for work. And she changed the oil and fresh fuel before we fired it up. No problems till I noticed excessive amounts of fuel around the factory Holley 4160. There was no specific place where the leak was coming from. Looked like every gasket on it was seeping through. Shut her down a d cleaned up factory aluminum intake and around the carb. Then fired it up again and same deal. Almost looked like the gaskets had dried out, due to just a few days of sitting. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

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  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by chaddystyle77 View Post
    We let my wife's 85' 4bl,5spd, sit just over a week due to a daily driver Camry for work. And she changed the oil and fresh fuel before we fired it up. No problems till I noticed excessive amounts of fuel around the factory Holley 4160. There was no specific place where the leak was coming from. Looked like every gasket on it was seeping through. Shut her down a d cleaned up factory aluminum intake and around the carb. Then fired it up again and same deal. Almost looked like the gaskets had dried out, due to just a few days of sitting. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

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    Factory Holley 4160? Factory Holley 4180? Details about carburetor? Original? Re-manufactured/replaced/rebuilt? There will be a specific place where the fuel is coming from. The original, nasty, tear-when-removing, scrape and clean your brains out gaskets I swear are super-glued. Sitting a few days shouldn't produce all gaskets seeping. Sounds like a leak of some sort up high, running all down below. Without knowing the answers to the first 5 questions above, no clear idea. Loose float bowl screws? If 4180, one of numerous lead passage plugs leaking? Metering block cup plugs leaking? Float level/s way too high (or debris in a needle and seat causing too high or overflowing float bowl/s), creating an up-high leak? ...

    To OP: A procedure of air pressure from inside the passages and forcing a bunch of red loctite through into the leaking seam between the casting and the steel plug and letting the loctite cure there is one way; or drying and cleaning up the area and applying jb-weld to the outer cup area with the bowl turned on it's side is a viable other way to seal them up.
    Last edited by Walking-Tall; 07-18-2018 at 05:15 AM.
    Mike
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