<VV> A picture of the defective melted carb in

[NicolCS at aol.com]

Melted internal parts in carbs aren't all that uncommon but we usually  never 
see them because the car quits immediately and the mechanic throws the  
carburetor away.  Fires in carburetors are managed by metal air  cleaners, fire 
arrestors and combustion resistant materials inside the air  cleaner.  We have 
all witnessed backfires.  I had one singe my hair -  thank goodness I was 
wearing safety glasses.  Backfires and subsequent  carburetor fires are especially 
common on newly rebuilt engines where the  timing isn't quite adjusted and 
folks tend to pour raw fuel into the carbs to  assist in the initial start-up.  
Corvairs seem to be especially prone to  stuck floats and fuel overflows - 
perhaps because Corvairs generally have 2  or 4 40 year-old carburetors.  It's 
really common to have a stuck  float after a "dry-carb" new startup.  The usual 
remedy is to tap on the  carb body (near the filter) with the handle of a large 
screwdriver.  This  will usually "jog" the float loose and allow it to rise 
and stop the fuel  overflow. Be careful out there you and your Corvair are both 
unique and  irreplaceable!
Craig Nicol