Surprise! Fifteen with carb troubles!

tailseat15,

My TEN was the same way. I used dense paper gaskets and had to come up with the right combination of thicknesses for BOTH the top and bottom of that pedestal. If there is the slightest gap at either end...you will not get fuel to pull through. The fact that you do get it to run for a short while means you are close. But make small changes. Going too thick, you risk damaging the pot metal top. The stack up above and below the pedestal should hold the top cover slightly off of the main body gasket...sort of a preload. When you tighten down the screws that hold the cover to the main body...use the cross over method like tightening lug nuts. Bring that cover down easy and even. When I got my gasket thicknesses right...I haven't had a problem since.

I know what you mean...when you have starting issues on these tractors...your arms can start to look like Popeye the Sailors!

I try not to use cork at all anymore around gasoline. This modern day stuff we call gas seems to attack anything cork.

Good Luck Sir!

Pat

Thanks Pat. The description makes sense about tightening the top cover and gasket thickness. See, I was tightening the top cover, and the original cork bottom gasket was too thick because the top cover gasket was loose, and leaked gas, even after the top cover screws were tight. I called Mr. Campbell to ask him and he said to tighten the top some more. Well I pulled the threads for the 4 top cover screws in my brass carb and now they still work, but the threads are a little messed up, and the gasket was definitely too thick for the venturi block. I am also worried I warped the top cover when I did this.

I have been trying to find some rubber or neoprene type material to make this gasket that is about 3/32" thick, with some good compression/give to it to help provide a good seal, and not make the top cover warp upon tightening.

I also thought about an o-ring with the correct cross section dimension would work also maybe?

Oh and plan B, I also ordered a new updraft carburetor that I hope to build an adapter for. I don't know if it will work, but I hope it does. I have read of some of these tractors having had different carbs adapted to them. At this point I don't care if its not original, I just want to get the darned thing running and also not dripping gas everywhere.:rant: