Strange hose

[Micky]

If you found a 1/8" hose connected at one end to the motorscooter carburetor, but couldn't figure out where the other end went, would you plug the hose or leave it open?

What if you noticed that the hose was 2 inches long, bent 90 degrees

1/2" from the carbueretor, and cut on one end at a 30^ angle like some string beans are cut? Change your answer?

What if you found a place with a few motorscooters in stock, mostly junk and the second one he showed you had a very similar carburetor with the exact same hose on it, 2", cut like a string bean at the other end?

Do you think it's important to actually have the hose or can I just leave the port open? I lost the hose and it was torn at the connecting end anyhow. What's the purpose of a 2" hose versus nothing at all?

[burfordTjustice]

You cannot get hosed with out it.

[Stormin Mormon]

It's patriotic. Hose say can you see!

Not sure what the function is. Might be for pulsajet, or vaccujet. That's what Briggs and Stratton called a couple of their carbs.

Might be why your scooter starts but won't run.

[Micky]

What about the 90 degree bend? Does that matter?

Maybe I can use some wire to put that in.

I looked for some hose but couldn't find any today before it got dark. I have a ten-foot roll from HD that I'm going to return. I thought of cutting 2" off it but rejected the idea. Then I thought of cutting 2" off of some hose in my car, but the new cars don't have much slack.

Tonight I'll check the basement. There are two inches of everything down there.

[Micky]

Hard to believe but stranger things have happened.

[Tony Hwang]

Did you tried to start scooter with that hose plugged or open? Any difference?

[Tony Hwang]

Tried to start the scooter with the hose plugged or not?

[gfretwell]

Sounds like a vent and they put the hose on to get any fuel that may come out to get away from the carb (or to make it harder to get dirt in) There is a similar hose on a Mercury outboard VST. It just dead ends down in the lower cowl.

[Micky]

No hose but both with the port plugged and not. Didnt' hear a difference. But I only tried a tiny big with it it plugged, because that junk scooter downtown had the exact same hose. complete with the cut on the end.

[Micky]

It has to be to keep dirt out. There's no sign of gas residue anywhere.

What I shoudl have done, could have done in the 30 seconds the thing was running, is put my finger on the nipple, to see if it's sucking air in. Or a piece of paper like a diaphragm. Tomorrow.

I found lots about VST engines, but coudln't find out what VST stood for or what made the engine VSt.

[rbowman]

Float bowl drain so it doesn't run down the side of the engine? Some sort of vent that would go to a carbon filter in California but contributes to global warming in the other 49 states? Those are usually gas tank vents though.

[Micky]

I'll keep that in mind. Maybe I can eventually have an answer.

Actually I'm sure I read that these little scooters are not legal in California because of inadequate air pollution guards. They are small but if there were 200,000 I guess it would add up.

[makolber]

Some carbs have a drain screw at the bottom of the fuel bowel. You can unscrew them to open the valve And drain the carb bowel at the end of the season. The hose just guides the gas away.

[Micky]

I looked but didn't see such a drain screw. I don't remember the manual having anything about that. But if I have to clean the carburetor I''ll learn a lot more about it.

I found some hose I'd bought by mistake and planned to return, so I cut a 2" piece. I hope clear hose doesn't melt too much faster than black hose. Of course if the engine never runs, it won't get too hot.

[Micky]

The hose, clear vinyl instead of neoprene, popped off over night. Put it back on but had no more success with the scooter today.

[Micky]

If you look at the *bottom* picture of this thing,

Both in the unenlarged and enlarged views, you can see the short hose. There's another black wire behind it, but don't let that confuse you.

The carburetor normally sits so that the brass opening, with the throttle plate inside, faces forward, and the bottom of the carb, the bowl, is shown on the bottom of this photograph. It seems to have some sort of drain, so even though this isn't exactly like mine, maybe that's how I could drain the carburetor. I'll look with a mirror tomorrow, even if it's cold.

Yes, I saw that one on Amazon won't ship to Alaska or Hawaii, I guess because they are too far away, or to California, because of the air pollution laws, or to Texas, maybe because they have California-style air pollution laws too!

[Micky]

An even better view of the strange hose is in this picturem, in the top one, expanded view. Maybe it has to do with gas overflowing the bowl? The hose points what is down when the carb is installed.

At the bottom it looks like a drain for the bowl, but I tried just now and couldnt' feel anything with my fingers or look at it even with a mirror. I can remove the carb but probably not until spring.