Metering gasket fun - 09/10/17 06:59 PM
Disclaimer: this is meant to help someone who makes the same mistake I did and/or can't figure out why their car is flooding after a little minor carb change and they know the floats aren’t stuck.
Story takes place on Mighty Demon 850.
Labor day weekend I decided to adjust my carb. I opened up the secondaries and went to smaller jets. Metering gasket didn’t come off easily and tore. Since a red gasket (from PO) and this black one had split on me, I went in search of a blue metering black gasket. Happily, I found one and put it back together. This is when hell broke loose.
So if you are that newbie out there learning abut your car and its inner workings by yourself, don’t outthink the designers of these carbs. Put a gasket which looks exactly like the old one. My mistake was convincing myself the little cut out over the power valve (PV) wouldn’t make a difference. (for clarity, Demon 850s don’t have a secondary PV…this description is just for general location on metering block and both gaskets look the same)
Silver lining: I know much more than I did before labor day. For instance, what a serious flood looks and smells like, how to burn carbon off sparkplugs, how a needle and seat should and shouldn’t function, how to dry out cylinders, how much oil (or marvel mystery oil) in cylinders to lube rings before firing up car, what fuel in oil (on dipstick looks and smells like), and just how resilient my motor really is after dumping so much fuel down the cylinders.
I know this has happened before from talking to my engine builder, but was surprised in an internet age no one had documented this before via youtube. Hindsight 20/20 blah blah, but I hope my mistake helps someone else.
Blue Gasket is WRONG!
Story takes place on Mighty Demon 850.
Labor day weekend I decided to adjust my carb. I opened up the secondaries and went to smaller jets. Metering gasket didn’t come off easily and tore. Since a red gasket (from PO) and this black one had split on me, I went in search of a blue metering black gasket. Happily, I found one and put it back together. This is when hell broke loose.
So if you are that newbie out there learning abut your car and its inner workings by yourself, don’t outthink the designers of these carbs. Put a gasket which looks exactly like the old one. My mistake was convincing myself the little cut out over the power valve (PV) wouldn’t make a difference. (for clarity, Demon 850s don’t have a secondary PV…this description is just for general location on metering block and both gaskets look the same)
Silver lining: I know much more than I did before labor day. For instance, what a serious flood looks and smells like, how to burn carbon off sparkplugs, how a needle and seat should and shouldn’t function, how to dry out cylinders, how much oil (or marvel mystery oil) in cylinders to lube rings before firing up car, what fuel in oil (on dipstick looks and smells like), and just how resilient my motor really is after dumping so much fuel down the cylinders.
I know this has happened before from talking to my engine builder, but was surprised in an internet age no one had documented this before via youtube. Hindsight 20/20 blah blah, but I hope my mistake helps someone else.
Blue Gasket is WRONG!