Before I removed the carb and reed valve block this morning, I put my
dad’s 60 year old automotive pressure / vacuum gauge on the crankcase pulse port,
and pulled the engine over. The gauge did oscillate both ways, but it was
hard to actually get any reading while the needle was bouncing around so fast……..
not that there would be any specs anyway……… but a good excuse to use pop’s
old gauge.
I then pulled the reed block off, removed the crusty old O-ring, and installed the biggest O-ring in my kit, which
I had to stretch a ways to get on. The reed block is held onto the block via the
carb studs, so I installed the carb and reed block. I didn’t tighten the carb nuts all
the way tight, as the O-ring appeared to be “squeezing out”.
I rigged up the B&S fuel pump to suck out of a jar of mixed gas to see if it
would pump while spinning the motor over with the drill. It would
not pump a lick. 🙁
I then took off the pulse line, and held a finger over the pulse nipple
while cranking the motor over……. ZILCH for pulse!
I had pulse before I took the reed block off, so I took the reed block off again
to examine. While the O-ring appeared to be sealing around the flange, the
inner body of the reed assembly was apparently suppose to be seating on a
mating “flat’ on the center main bearing area. It must not have been because
of not tightening the carb nuts all the way, for fear of squeezing out the O-ring.
Decided to put a “two size” smaller O-ring on, and went ahead and tightened
down the reed block until the nuts were tight. The O-ring is bulging some,
but appeared to be seating.
Would the original O-ring have been a “flat” O-ring?
I would think a flat one would be better suited.
I rigged the jar of gas back up and tried the B&S pump again.
It pumps nicely now, and orientation of the pump didn’t seem
an issue. I think I’ll try out the original Oliver pump out tomorrow
to see what happens.
VIDEO ………
Prepare to be boarded!