Interestingly, the pin and float were still in position , not hanging loose.

I had to remove the pin and float to re-install the valve and spring.

What happened inside the carburetor to cause the valve and spring to fall out is a mystery to me. Debris in the bad fuel? Backfire coughing through the carb? Pretty weird.

1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)

1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)