302 with holley 4barrel. I can pull a list # if needed The car always started very reliably even with no choke on and colder weather, although it's not even cold now. Anyway, I figured I had to make a float adjustment a week ago because the rich smell of the exhaust was overbearing. It has not been driven in quite some time but the floats seemed to take the adjustments. When I cracked the screw for the front bowl, fuel immediately rushed out so I adjusted that to the the bottom of that hole. I think the rear bowl was low so I got that to the same. Seemed to run fine for that moment. Yesterday, I go to crank the car and it would not fire. It was in fact getting fuel to the carb and I watched the squirters work. It still had a very had time starting and eventually started, but wouldn't stay running. After a couple minutes it would but again, the richness was killing me. I tried to readjust the idle mixture screws; they are 1 whole turn out from in. But still does not seem to idle very well. Why did this run better before yet still wanted to choke me out? What should I do?
High float provided fuel with just vacuum built cranking, needed no pump shot. Yes it was very rich, now you'll have to pump it a few times(my 428 requires 7 or 8 to even get a cough, Comet usually just as many). Idle mixture is usually 1½ out, adj for smoothest idle warm, can add a ¼ out to help cold idle.
On one of his shows, Jay Lenno featured several past CHP vehicles. Said the old carbed stuff about choked them. These were restored, supposedly properly tuned vehicles. If I'm going to start one of mine, I always open garage doors cause it's gonna stink. Basically it's just the way old vehicles are. If you have lumpy, low vacuum cam that allows the power valve to remain open, idle will be excessively rich. Also if power valve is leaking.
i have it in a garage and even with the door open my eyes were burning. i had a trans am with the quadrajet and I don't remember it being close to this. don't know what cam is in it but it's not lumpy or radical. maybe it is the power valve then
Is the fuel level correct after the float-level adjustment, or is it dumping fuel? Have you adjust the idle mixture screws with a vacuum gauge? Have you checked ignition timing? I suppose a blown power valve could cause a rich condition. Has the engine back-fired through the carb?...
Blown power valve is no doubt can be the worst offender. Fuel on one side of diaphragm and vacuum on the other, makes for a bad combo. Usually run poorly and flood often.
- not sure but it idles and revs up fine. actually i did notice fuel coming through the throttle shaft but no more - not yet - I have not touched it since I set it years ago, before this - has not backfired car sat for way too long while i lived away from the car as i made trips to finish rust repair. then i moved it from fl to georgia where there's significantly more elevation
