I have a 71 'cuda with a 340 4 speed. The engine is built largely to stock specs with a slighly larger cam. The Thermoquad on it is a '73 340 carb that was rebuilt two years ago. After taking the car out for its first drive of the spring, it started running terrible. I could hardly get it started to drive it home after stopping at a store near my house. It appears to be flooding. When I got it home, I popped the hood and there was gas leaking almost everywhere from the carb (both above and below the resin body, from the accelerator pump opening, from the throttle assembly, between the carb and manifold). Gas was pooled in the low areas of the intake manifold.

I tried tightening the screws that hold the body together and they all appear to be tight. What would cause this? Did the gaskets dry out and shrink over the winter? Would stuck floats cause this?

I'm going to pull the carb apart and rebuild it again, but don't want his happening again in a year or two. Any thoughts?