RE: {Chrysler 300} WCFB gas inlet control / flooding

["henry.schleimer via Chrysler 300 Club International" <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi John

I have rebuilt my 57 carbs myself.  Wouldn't trust others to do it.  Not hard, but you do need the service manual for the 300 plus the other technical papers that describe the 57 issues and what was done to the 58s to fix them.  (I didn't do them all 'cos you can't get the step-up rods).

Firstly, get a full rebuild kit and replace the needle and seats with new.  Shouldn't be the problem if replaced.  Tip upside down and try to blow through to make sure they seat.

Secondly, I do recall the floats are a close fit to body and must be centred to prevent rubbing.  Also check the gaskets don't hang over and snag the floats.

Other carbs do have this problem!  My 318 Valiant flooded and died while idling in traffic in the centre of the city (embarrassing).  The 600 Holley on it was pumping fuel out the vent and down the throat.  A few hits with the handle of a screwdriver fixed it and got me going again.  Crap design that lets the float get snagged.

Assuming you have done all of these things, the carb is really clean, filters are clean and fuel hoses are new; there is one other issue not often mentioned - leaking brass floats.  And old float can get holed through the solder join and let fuel in, sinking it.  The following video explains this about Weber carbs that catch fire.  Go to minute 14.30 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBb_wVQ2-as

Hope this helps.

Henry

-----Original Message-----
From: chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of John Grady
Sent: Sunday, 14 June 2026 8:06 AM
To: club chrysler <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: {Chrysler 300} WCFB gas inlet control / flooding

I wonder if any in club have any insights into this extremely aggravating and in a way  dangerous problem It seems every  time ( well, at least half the time ) after say a year or two of storage , I go to take out a C or D one of the WCFB overflows gas Sometimes a rap with a plastic hammer makes it seat most of the time no . 

As other carbs seem not to do this , has  to    be a real  technical reason . The gas does dry out,  so soon sits inlet valve  open in storage 

I think the originals had all brass needles , no rubber tip  , but viton supposed to be a lot better .That is true. so not the rubber per se? 

I had one on 57 dodge very poorly "rebuilt    " for 400$ by Daytona carb ( details have bern put up before , but they wrapped throttle shaft with .001 shim stock instead rebore and bush   ) Clueless . 

That carb also did this repeatedly , on and  off car maybe 4 x .   
Finally decided to go through myself 100 % . I rebushed  it  , wow, finally idle mix adjustments work right . 

But also chased this flooding after sitting thing . I found one float was scraping side wall of float "bowl"  a bit -- they must have bent it on its pivot mount , so not perfectly centered in its " tub" , It is quite fussy about that! --  has to be perfect gap equal each side . That fixed this one .. this may help someone with occasional flooding  .
But much  more to this , I think on  modern needles, the body  may be on large side vs bore for them ,???  they get deposits from dried gas and hang up  ? no real reason  imho as engineer why one would fit it so close on OD, especially if a  viton tip ? Let it find itself , not hang up  ? I bet it seals better if a  lose fit , -- no different problem in essence than an old  fashioned     conical toilet float, just  tipped over -- has same leak issue if it cannot self align , and be able  to do that, it  will leak on one side held high . 

Maybe someone else has been down this rabbit  hole?   Has   some clearance numbers ? Was this spec'd on original wcfb? had to have been , maybe  adding a few thou on diametrical clearance fixes all this  ? 
Any crud will make it stick in a close fit imho only  matter of time,  degree and luck 
I do  not want   my 300's catching fire as matter of luck   .
fyi
..jkg  

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