Mark Maras

No picture. My son isn't here to help. Any of the ones you've supplied will work. After removing the domes and pistons, when you look down into the carb, you'll see a brass ring that's flush with the aluminum carb bridge. Inside the brass ring is the top of the nozzle. The nozzle is the round brass part with the little black hole in it. Pull the choke lever and you will notice that the nozzles get pulled down. Choke off (lever pushed forward), nozzles set at 2 1/2 turns down, you're going to look in that little black hole to determine the fuel level. If you use a flashlight you will be able to see the light reflected off the surface of the fuel in the hole or perhaps a small dipstick of some sort will also work. If you can't see the fuel level, it's too low. Bend the float tabs to raise the fuel level in the bowl until you can see the fuel in the nozzle hole. Don't be surprised if you go too high (fuel level above the nozzle hole top) and have to adjust the level down to 1/16" below the surface of the hole in the nozzle. The fuel should not be above the top of the nozzle. You want the fuel level to be just below the top of the little black hole. Hope that helps. If not, my son will be home later today. Let me know.

There's a couple of problems lurking in the background. The overheating at idle, the mysterious #4 cylinder that loads up the plug before the others, etc. I agree with your opinion of SU's. I'm not convinced that Jalex's were ever properly tuned after installation and with multiple mechanics working on them, I'm assuming that many settings have been altered. However, the engine had good compression a couple of years ago so I'm assuming it still does. Properly tuning the carbs is just eliminating another item off the "Running Crappy" list. It'll be interesting to see how many problems go away.

I've kinda doubted that they would stay at 2 1/2 turns. As a guess, probably around three turns, IF and it's a BIG IF, the floats are set properly FIRST. One of the reasons the fuel level has to be set to the proper height in any and all carbs. is, to function properly, the fuel has to be a set distance (optimum setting) from the airflow thru the venturi in the carb. That airflow draws fuel into the air stream from the nozzle. Get the fuel height too high and you'll be trying to compensate by leaning out the mixture screw. If the fuel level is too low, you'll be trying to compensate by richening the mixture screws. If you get the float levels dead on, you'll find little difference in the # of turns to fine tune each carb. If one carb likes three turns, the other will too. BUT you still double check the float setting at the nozzles, 2 1/2 turns down, choke off, before fine tuning the mixture screws. Keep at it, you're getting there.

Looking better. Check the fuel level in the nozzles to be sure you've got it right. Once again, it's good to see you working on it.

Due to the diameter of the tube, you're left with the option of trying to force a 1/4" hose on or tightly clamp a 5/16". The 5/16" looks fine to me.

If it's not leaking, I'd leave it alone.

C'mon @jalexquijano, prove em wrong. Check the nozzles.

Yeah, I agree. There's a lot of assumptions that everything is well and good., especially knowing the builder's reputation. For now, I'd settle for getting the floats and the fine tuning done, if possible. I've never doubted that there could be something else wrong. @jalexquijanoI did read a little about the Schneider 274 cam. Higher lift, short duration specs should make it a decent cam with increased power over all and a little lope at idle. A good choice for the street, if it and the valve train are dialed in properly. A few years ago, all cylinders had good compression (180ish). I doubt that it has many more miles on it since then. Interesting that there's always been a problem with #4 cylinder. Even after replacing the cap, rotor, wires and plugs, #4 fouls first and pulling the #4 wire has little effect on the idle. It makes no sense to me. Is #4 still a problem?

@siteunseen I've been reading some 2-3 year old history of Jalex"s gremlin. A couple of years ago he reported trouble with #4 cylinder along with the loading up the plugs at hot idle. Same problems then and now. The compression in all cylinders was between 180-185. That rules out a few possibilities. I'm pretty sure Jalex's hot cam is contributing to the idle problems but it should run better than it is. Anyone out there have any street experience with Jalex's cam? @jalexquijano Have you reset the float levels yet?

Rusty mess? That would qualify as rust free on Craig's List. Actually it looks pretty good to me.

You're looking at the wrong end. picture, Dr. of Ears, Nose and Throat NOT Dr. of Proctology. Get back under the hood where the problem is. If you have doubts about the fuel pump?s, do a pressure and volume test and then get back to the floats. Don't keep buying new pumps.

That one would be a good rotisserie project. It may be too far gone for anything less.

IGNORE the fuel filter. The fuel level is fine. Trust me. I've seen lots of them this way, including mine, which ran fine half full for decades. IGNORE the backfiring and sputtering. Until the floats are confirmed to be set properly, set your nozzles back to 2 1/2 turns down. RESIST the temptation to fine tune with the mixture screws until the floats are set. FOCUS on getting the float level 1/16" below the nozzle tops at 2 1/2 turns down. You can't compensate for a wrong float setting with the mixture screws. It doesn't work. If the fuel level is wrong, it won't be at the needle idle stage and will continue to be off throughout all RPMs.

Nope. I'm not surprised. Try shining a light down the nozzle and try to determine how far down the fuel is. You could also try using the small tube from an aerosol can like WD-40 and try using it like a dipstick to determine the depth. One way or another the distance from the float to the lid has got to be reduced.

IMO there's too many variables associated with the float chamber to assume that a measurement is going to get a float level dead on correct. David summed it up. "In the end, the fuel level at the nozzle (2 1/2 turns) is the only thing that matters so why not check the level where it matters and forget the other dubious (grey area) methods." I'm going to repeat the caution used when adjusting choke cables. Be sure when the choke lever is off, both nozzles are all the way up. 1 mm difference in nozzle height (caused by an "it's close enough" choke cable adjustment) is the same as 1 full turn of a mixture adjustment screw.

Just eyeball the 1/16". You'll have the fuel level closer than using the 9/16" grey area setting.

That's correct.

If crap is that grey area I referred to, then yes. There are many variables in the floats, some that come to mind are, are all floats the same after forty five years, the differences in needle valves, wear in the float pivots etc. Just bend the tab a little, remove a little fuel from the bowl, reassemble the carb, fire it up, shut it down (choke off), remove domes and pistons, check fuel level in nozzles, if it needs adjusted, just bend the tab a little bit, etc.

Low is just a guess. take a look at the fuel height in the nozzles. That will tell you which way the fuel level needs to go.

Ignore your mechanic. He couldn't get it right. When you get the carbs set and the engine is running good, he'll be asking you questions about tuning. Turn the mixture knobs until the nozzles are at the top. Then turn them both 2 1/2 turns down. Start the car, use the choke if you have to BUT be sure the choke is off before checking the fuel level in the nozzles. The choke physically pulls the nozzles down. let the engine run for a minute and pull the domes and pistons. The fuel level should be 1 /16" BELOW the nozzle tops. If it needs adjusting, you could try a thicker (5/8") or thinner (1/2") gauge (depending on which way it needs to go) or just bend the tangs a bit and try it again. Either way it's going to be trial and error until the fuel level is correct. A note on choke cables. Be sure the cables are adjusted so the nozzles fully return to the top when the choke is off.

Let me start with a correction. The fuel level is supposed to be 1/16" BELOW the tops of the nozzles. The reference point you're looking for is the smallest hole in the fuel nozzle. The small hole that the jet needle slides into. The optimum setting is to have the fuel level about 1/16" below the tops of the nozzles, with the nozzles at 2 1/2 turns down. The fuel,1/16" below the nozzle tops, will allow the nozzles to be lowered a bit to richen the mixture without the fuel puddling over the nozzle tops. You may need a flashlight to see the reflection of the fuel surface in the nozzles.

It's possible the floats are a bit low.

The typical symptom of a leaking needle valve is over filling the float chamber. A little leakage will influence the performance, a lot of leakage and fuel would be running out of the over flow tubes and or the carb throats. Needle valves are pretty resilient. I don't think that you have a bad one but since you're in doubt and have new ones, put the new ones in. The easiest method of checking the fuel level in the float chamber to see if a needle valve is leaking is by pulling the domes and pistons. The float level in the float chamber is the same as the fuel level in the nozzles. If the needle valve is leaking, the fuel level will probably be over the nozzle top.

Briggs & Stratton engines used an aluminum flywheel key as a "failure mechanism." The keys were often offset after years of use.

I've not tried the 10 turns down but I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) the 10 turns down, is read with the float removed. In your last sentence you said you removed the dome. If the float was still installed, the fuel level should have been 1/16" below the nozzle tops at 2 1/2 turns.