Flooded Carburetor - How To Avoid?

[andya_andya]

I have a sand rail with a 1600 engine. There is a big sandy hill in Mexico that I like to go up to the top then come down again. The tried and tested technique is to floor it in 1st gear all the way up and don't let off otherwise I will get stuck.

I ran up half way up the hill, stopped for 20 seconds then came down using mostly gravity. I then went back up the hill to the top where it is level, stopped for 20 seconds and then crawled down. The downhill section is very deep sand and quite steep and I pretty much slide down with the engine idling.

When I got to the bottom the engine died from a flooded carb.

How can I avoid this happening? I'm trying to understand it. Was it caused by feedling lots of fuel into the engine on the uphill stretch and then idling it downhill so there was limited air intake?

Should I wait longer at the top?

Should I keep the engine off idle going downhill? I guess put it in neutral and press the brake and accelerator pedals at the same time?

Thanks! Andy

[kpf]

The jostling around and steep angles can cause the fuel in the float bowl to slosh out through the vent tube into the venturi. Often times this can be prevented by adding a piece of fuel tubing to the vent tube to extend it upwards into the air cleaner. It just makes it so that the fuel has higher to slosh before spilling.

Here's an example: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9936060#9936060
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1971 Super Beetle

[Wulfthang]

Fuel sloshing out of the bowl and into the airflow due to turbulence, has been a problem for carburetor equipped engines since the beginning of engines.

My engine in my rail is a Ford V6 equipped with a Holley Flat Tracker carb. It ran perfectly no matter what I did with it except when I wanted it to go up steep hills. Then it would stumble and die and that's a Bad Thing on a rough loose rock old mining trail.

I fixed it by lengthening the vent tube under the air cleaner about an inch with a piece of plastic tubing. Problem solved.

[andya_andya]

Thanks for the replies! I will see where I can attach a hose. This is what I have - a Progressive.

Andy

[Stinky123]

You talking at Rocky Point?

[andya_andya]

[Stinky123]

I used to live in Ajo and went down there a few times a year.

Those progressive Holleys don't like to bounce. I have no idea how to fix your issue

[DesertSasquatchXploration]

You need to plug the vent then drill tap a hole on the outside out the carb lid for a nipple fitting run a hose straight up like a foot long with a filter. Some of the 32 36 carbs had a second vent that went to a Evap system you might have a undrilled boss sticking out on the carb lid that would be ideal.

[andya_andya]

Many thanks! I will look into doing that Andy