Dear Tom and Ray:

I am not a mechanic, but I'm restoring a '73 Lincoln Mark IV. When stopping down hill on a right turn my engine often dies. It doesn't seem to do it at any other times. Could this be my carburetor float? Clyde

Tom: Yes. Not only could it be your carburetor float, it almost certainly, absolutely, positively IS your carburetor float.

Ray: Your carburetor has a float in it just like the one in that porcelain throne you sit on. As gas from the fuel pump fills up the carburetor, the float rises, and when it gets to the top, it shuts off the flow and stops the gas from pouring in.

Tom: Your float is probably sinking. It's so old that it has become porous, and under certain conditions--like when you're going down hill and leaning to the left (i.e. making a right turn), the float gets overwhelmed by a tsunami of gasoline and it can't float anymore.

Ray: And when it gets submerged, it can't shut off the flow of gas, and the engine floods out.

Tom: Unfortunately, "jiggling it" won't work. So put "rebuild carburetor" on your list of things to do for the next four or five weekends, Clyde. And good luck.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1995 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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