Dan's won't-run Scout

[John Hofstetter <hofs@domain.elided>]

>Subject: Plug wires
>
>I got new plug wires from Napa on Wednesday.  I got home, put them on the
>Scout, and it still won't start.  Had a friend look at it, we found gas in
>the oil (not good at all), and the carb was leaking again.  On top of
>that, I lost one of the the screws that holds the float bowl on. :(  So, I
>guess that it is going to get taken to the mechanic.  Hopefully it will be
>running without a problem when I get it back.  Just don't know how much it
>is going to cost. :(  
>So, what causes gas in the oil?  I rebuilt the carb last year, but I
>haven't changed the oil since I bought it, it hasn't been run that much.  
>Another thing.  Is it 'normal' to get smoke from the crankcase?  I don't
>really have an oil fill cap, and when the engine was still running, when I
>shut it off, I would get smoke from the oil fill neck.  
>This is all on a '66 w/ a 152, holley 1bbl.
>TIA.
>
>
>Dan Felix (taking a break from revising term paper)
>ICQ #19036198

Dan,
Is it possible that it won't start because it is badly flooded with gas 
that gathered in the manifold and cylinders when you were trying to start 
it before? 

My guess about gas in the oil is that the fuel pump diaphragm is leaking 
and gas is going into the crankcase through the back of the fuel pump. 

With gas in the oil, I would expect smoke to come out of the filler pipe 
and other openings.

If the fuel pump diaphragm is leaking as I suspect, is there gas getting 
to the carb?
Smell the opening to the carb. If the manifold is holding gas, there 
should be a strong smell at the carb especially if the throttle plates 
are open. If your problem is not that the engine is flooded, then I 
suspect your problem is that the fuel pump is not getting gas to the 
carb. Pump the accelerator and look for a spray of gas into the carb- if 
it sprays then the carb has gas in the float bowl.

John H.