Healthy fuel leak on 46′ Hiawatha 3 hp

[Daniel Mickelson]

I have fuel leaking while running and it’s coming from the crankshaft, but below magneto. I’m guessing there must be a seal of some kind? The parts diagram that has been posted before doesn’t seem to show a seal

• This topic was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Mumbles.

[frankr]

There is no seal. Instead, they used a slinger to throw the oil off the shaft. It is then sucked back down to the carburetor for recycling.
Look for a badly worn crankshaft bearing. Or an obstruction in the return passage to the carb. It can be seen by removing the carb. It is a small hole at the top of the carb gasket.

[Daniel Mickelson]

I was wondering what that little hole was…when I cut a new gasket I neglected to put a hole in the new one, so I would consider that a blockage in the return passage hahaha. Thank you so much. I saw your post another member’s identical motor. You must have owned one of these before!

[frankr]

Daniel Mickelson wrote:

I was wondering what that little hole was…when I cut a new gasket I neglected to put a hole in the new one, so I would consider that a blockage in the return passage hahaha. Thank you so much. I saw your post another member’s identical motor. You must have owned one of these before!

No, I own about 12 of them right now

[Daniel Mickelson]

Wow! I may as well ask another from you…. fuel is leaking when running out of the shaft that the choke is adjusted with. I Tightened what I believe is sometimes called the “packing nut” and it got better but still has a slow drip. I haven’t pulled the shaft out before. Is there a gasket in there?
I also have fuel seeping seeming through the threads of a couple studs on the bottom of the crankcase! Any idea ideas why? I remember seeing passages in the crankcase between the block and crankcase….

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Mumbles.

[frankr]

I guess I should clarify, my collection is all motors of 1956 through 1963 vintage. While yours and mine were all made by Gale, significant changes exist. OK, having said that, the carburetors are all the same. For the benefit of others reading this, what you are calling a choke, is actually the high speed mixture adjustment, which also functions as a primer for starting. Since it functions as a primer, ir receives a lot of turning back and forth and regular packings do not hold up very well. For that reason, they used a special packing made of leather. Lots of other substitutes have been used, including Teflon tape, cotton string, rubber o-rings, etc. As for me, what I do is make my own leather packing from an old leather belt. Works for me.

As for the leakage at the studs, I don’t know what to say. Those are one of the significant changes I mentioned. My motors do not have those studs. But mine do all have crankcase puddle drains, which drip. I just wonder what they did for puddle drains on yours–if anything. I have worked on your style motors, but a long time ago.

EDIT: Forget what I just said about puddle drains. I was thinking about the 5hp motors. My 3’s do not have exposed puddle drains. Sorry about the mis-info.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by frankr.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by frankr.

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Daniel Mickelson

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