I think I have a leak in the fuel system: how do I find it?

That looks like a most elegant solution. Worth a try!

If you don’t have a problem w/warm starts, the power valve is probably not leaking. The only way to tell it is leaking is to remove the carb from the engine, on the bench fill the bowl with fuel, and observe if any gasoline is dripping from the bottom of the carb. In my case the problem wasn’t actually that the power valve was leaking; it was that its gasket wasn’t sealing tight. The symptom is the same.

I have a bulb like this. Do you mean disconnect the tube that feeds gas to the fuel pump, attach the bulb to blow into the tube, see if I can blow air through it, thus finding an air leak? Or suck, because that’s what I think is happening.

I mean just install it permanently under the hood in the rubber fuel line going to the fuel pump. Several squeezes on the bulb will get gas to the carb bowl for a quick start. My brother uses one on his pontoon boat, jet ski, and '51 Packard.

You might even mount it close to the gas tank, along the right side, behind the cab. It probably pushes fuel better than it pulls. And you wouldn’t have to open and close the hood each time you needed it.

That sounds safe! a rubber bulb full of gas lying on the block. I don’t want a kludge: I want a diagnosis. If the fuel pump has failed (it has only 2K miles on it) I’ll get a new one. I don’t think it has. I think I have a leak. I didn’t ask how I could get fuel into the carb but how I can find a leak.

I don’t have much to offer as far as looking for a leak in your fuel lines besides the obvious (visibly check hoses, connections, etc.), which I’m sure you’ve already done. If it were me, and the problem started after the carb rebuild (thought I read that), I’d suspect something went amiss during the rebuild.

I don’t think there’s an easy way to check for a fuel leak like using carb cleaner to check for vacuum leaks, etc. But I could be wrong…

Kinda scary you would mount it that way. Anyway, your problem is a botched carb rebuild.

;-]

Where did you imagine it? If it’s in the engine compartment, it gets hot and risks spilling there. If not it’s still a hazard somewhere.

That’s a reasonable guess. Do you have a diagnosis? A method?

Hmm…you mount it in the rubber fuel line (ahem “rubber”) and it’s made of rubber…(tick)…(tick)…(tick)…AHA!

Brother mounted it nearer the fender.

The rubber of a fuel hose is more refractory than a squeeze bulb.

Your brother’s in a boat…

Obviously, I meant his '51 Packard…pay attention, please.

;-]