John Bloom Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 I realize the bottom of the vacuum tank is filthy in this picture, with gasoline and a brass wire brush I’ve cleaned it up, everything seems to be working well as I go back to the original fuel delivery method. What I’m wondering, is does somebody have a trick for getting the set pin under the float back in the small retaining hole in the bottom of the tank? I spent at least 10 minutes trying to drop that pin in with no luck. Is there a trick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 Me, chuckling. If there is? I haven't found it yet. Just car level (or holding VT level if not mounted), eyeing for center very carefully, I can usually get it within five tries. Of course, there was once, after about twenty or thirty tries, I walked away from it for about an hour. Being very careful, I can usually by lowering it slowly, tell if it is a hit or a miss just as the long pin hits outside the hole. Sometimes, just a bit of a jiggle, can then shake it into the hole. I love driving cars with vacuum tanks! Just part of the fun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bloom Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 Thanks Wayne. Good to know it isn't just me. I can picture the guys who built these back in the day having competitions for who has the longest running streak of hitting it the first time when putting them together at the factory...."That's 79 in a row, the new record"..... I'm going to get it spotlessly clean and fabricate a gasket and see about going back to this correct delivery system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dl456 Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 John, Im sure you realize that your pictures only show the inner tank and this must be removed to clean the outer tank and check the flap valve. The float guide pin is much easier to align with the tank out of the car . You show a wide flange inner tank that requires two gaskets. Dennis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bloom Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 32 minutes ago, dl456 said: John, Im sure you realize that your pictures only show the inner tank and this must be removed to clean the outer tank and check the flap valve. The float guide pin is much easier to align with the tank out of the car . You show a wide flange inner tank that requires two gaskets. Dennis Dennis, thanks for your comments and advice. hearing about problems and cracking the cover, I started soaking the screws and line attachements about a week ago. It all came off nicely. When I took the cover off and looked in, it wasn't apparent to me that the inner chamber came out. I posted last night out of ignorance, but did a lot of reading last night and figured out exactly what you told me. I was going to make my gaskets myself out of cork, but this morning I'm leaning towards getting the proper rebuild kit with gaskets, taking my time and doing this very thoroughly the first time. I'm really enjoying the car and waking it back up. it runs well off a nurse tank, the previous owner (who knew very little mechanically), took it to a guy who abandoned the vacuum tank system and put a red five gallon tank in the trunk and ran an electric fuel pump up to the carb. I am going back to original, Dropped the pan, cleaned the oil filter pickup, Olsons gasket, new oil, gas tank removed, cup open and cleaned and sealed, new sending unit fabricated, cleaned carb, it runs very quiet. I was hoping to put the whole fuel system back to original over the weekend and start running evaporust in it as I run it off and on over the winter in my garage. I may slow down and get the correct kit for this specific steward VT. I'm learning a lot. the oldest car I've had before this was a 52 Buick. Thanks for your input. Any recommendations for a Stewart VT rebuild kit? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 Parts and kits available here....I have used him several times. Nice stuff. http://www.classicpreservation.com/vactankkits.html 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, John Bloom said: Dennis, thanks for your comments and advice. hearing about problems and cracking the cover, I started soaking the screws and line attachements about a week ago. It all came off nicely. When I took the cover off and looked in, it wasn't apparent to me that the inner chamber came out. I posted last night out of ignorance, but did a lot of reading last night and figured out exactly what you told me. I was going to make my gaskets myself out of cork, but this morning I'm leaning towards getting the proper rebuild kit with gaskets, taking my time and doing this very thoroughly the first time. I'm really enjoying the car and waking it back up. it runs well off a nurse tank, the previous owner (who knew very little mechanically), took it to a guy who abandoned the vacuum tank system and put a red five gallon tank in the trunk and ran an electric fuel pump up to the carb. I am going back to original, Dropped the pan, cleaned the oil filter pickup, Olsons gasket, new oil, gas tank removed, cup open and cleaned and sealed, new sending unit fabricated, cleaned carb, it runs very quiet. I was hoping to put the whole fuel system back to original over the weekend and start running evaporust in it as I run it off and on over the winter in my garage. I may slow down and get the correct kit for this specific steward VT. I'm learning a lot. the oldest car I've had before this was a 52 Buick. Thanks for your input. Any recommendations for a Stewart VT rebuild kit? John: I cam sympathize! I did that twice last week on my 1925 Buick. I was checking if the valve seat had dropped. It did not. I had another spare Stewart tank on the bench to check and spent a long time trying to get it to drop in. Yes it is much easier if you can pull the inner tank. Did new gaskets etc. on the one mounted on the car. I had rebuilt it with new springs etc years ago. When I reassembled it and was not hearing it cycle...... Girrr..... Pulled the top again and yes the float stem did not drop in center. Spent another 10-15 minutes trying to get it to drop in. Unfortunately the 1925 Buick has about a 2" flange forward of the firewall so the inner tank can not come straight up without hitting that flange. All is well now. Now if only I can locate the gremlin that is causing the engine to run rough. As far as fuel delivery I have the Marvel heat riser system with the tube that sometines gets pin holes that may be the cause. I have spent 3 weeks chasing this down. Working through ignition first. Edited November 25, 2022 by dibarlaw (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old car fan Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 Dennis can sell you a rebuild kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPVT Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 I'm curious. When I switched my fuel system back from a jury rigged electric pump to using the original SW vacuum tank, I ran into carburetor issues, and had to enlarge the main inlet orifice in the carburetor. Hard to imagine the same carburetor setup working well for both pressure fuel feed, and gravity feed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 It should be fine stock with either one………. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bloom Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 When I bought the car it had a zenith updraft card, and seems to run well with that on a nurse tank. I do have the original Detroit lubricator, it is pretty beat up. Maybe at some point in the future I would have it reconditioned. I’m in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPVT Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 I assume the "nurse tank" was gravity feed, so it makes sense that everything would be OK. Mine had an electric pump retrofitted, with a Zenith updraft that worked all right, but I wanted to go back to the vacuum tank. . Once I converted back to the vacuum tank, though, the carburetor bowl would run dry because the unpressurized fuel delivery was no longer adequate for the carb that had been mated with the electric fuel pump (probably a later carb). By a slow path of trial and error, I gradually increased the inlet orifice on the Zenith until there was an adequate fuel supply under load, and the bowl no longer ran dry. None of which are problems you have, and therefore are irrelevant to this thread. Over and out.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bloom Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 25 minutes ago, WPVT said: I assume the "nurse tank" was gravity feed, so it makes sense that everything would be OK. Mine had an electric pump retrofitted, with a Zenith updraft that worked all right, but I wanted to go back to the vacuum tank. . Once I converted back to the vacuum tank, though, the carburetor bowl would run dry because the unpressurized fuel delivery was no longer adequate for the carb that had been mated with the electric fuel pump (probably a later carb). By a slow path of trial and error, I gradually increased the inlet orifice on the Zenith until there was an adequate fuel supply under load, and the bowl no longer ran dry. None of which are problems you have, and therefore are irrelevant to this thread. Over and out.... thanks! I learn something from just about everybody who shares their experiences with fuel issues on older cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-mman Posted November 26, 2022 Share Posted November 26, 2022 Get the rebuild kit as indicated. Not yet mentioned is using toothpaste and spinning the needle valves to clean and polish them. You can suck and blow on them while raising and lowering the float to test them before assembly. You can clean up the flap sealing surfaces on the inner tank with very fine sandpaper. (be careful they are soft) Then put the inner tank into water nearly up to the rim. The pressure of the water on the flap should generally seal it. It will let SOME water in slowly, but it should not flow in easily. I connected mine to the vacuum of a modern engine (15"-20" of vacuum) to verify that it could hold vacuum. The pot metal lids are notorious leakers. install a vacuum gauge into the priming hole. Turn it upside down and right side up. As the float goes up and down it will open/close the needle valves to test. Rigging up appropriate tubing and putting the fuel intake and output in a pail of fuel while connected to the aforementioned quality vacuum source and you can watch it cycle while you hold it. Yes! I have long wondered how they got the float pin into the hole on a production basis. I cant see any method but trial and error. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Boltendal Posted November 26, 2022 Share Posted November 26, 2022 Gave this float needle fitting idea a thought today, 3 or 5 small pliable strips in the thickness of the gap between float and inner tank, hanging on the outer tank, going towards the bottom of the inner one, would guide the float and needle in the center and should ease the fit. I agree with m-mman there will have been a production based methode. when build in nrs and assembled. when the float needle sits you take out the strips and lower the top to fit the screws. . Never tried , but will certainly do so the next time tackling one. Johan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old car fan Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 Here are the kits we make 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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