leaking carbs and no power on 1975 Merc 8500

[tompowers85]

I have posted on here a few times. My carbs keep leaking. I have rebuilt and replaced almost everything in them. I replaced the needle valves twice. I replaced all of the fuel hose and found a broken hose clamp letting air in the lines. I have also replaced the fuel pump and everything in the lines from the tank up. When i prime the bulb the carbs start dripping and the bulb never gets real firm, and the more i prime the more they leak. Should i keep dropping the floats down? The carbs have gotten a little better, they were spraying gas out before i found the leaking clamp. I have already adjusted the floats to stop 3/16" earlier then the book says.I also cannot get the engine to run faster than about 5-10 mph. I refuse to go back out until i get the lines tight and i get more power when a load is put on the engine. Will the carbs flooding really bad make the engine slow down alot when i give it the gas. My compression is between 125psi and 135 on all four. Thanks

 

[Laddies]

Re: leaking carbs and no power on 1975 Merc 8500

Are the floats fuel logged, are you trying to install the tops with fuel in the bowls(it can cause the float levers to bind, did you change the needle valve gaskets, are they the right inlet needles, are the inlets dirty, are they defective. Just a couple of thoughts I hope they help. Stop take a deep breath and start over just like you had never seen the thing before, don'ttry to cut corners or hurry. This is something very simple and gotten you so flustered that you are looking by the trouble---Bob

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: leaking carbs and no power on 1975 Merc 8500

If my memory serves me, there are upddated floats for those carbs.

 

[tompowers85]

Re: leaking carbs and no power on 1975 Merc 8500

The floats are brand new. When i put new needles, valves and gaskets in last weekend i put them in with no fuel in the carbs. Will the carbs leak at all if the floats are set right? Right now i have the carbs down to a few drips.

 

[tengals123]

Re: leaking carbs and no power on 1975 Merc 8500

fuel leakage generally caused by defective or incorrectly set floats. But I guess you knew that already. Check height again, check sticking. cheers