440 runnin better

[71chmark]

I can't get the stupid thing running right.  If I do I'm going to sell it and get an 09. 40 year old cars just don't seem the same as I remember them.

[LAA66]

 40 year old cars are kinda finicky when an extra dose of cam and some aftermarket parts are fitted. It takes some work but that's the fun of it.

 It sounds to me like maybe a vacuum leak. Although, my 650 DP runs rich when it get really hot too. I think there is some sort of fuel bleed happening cause it leaks into the manifold when just sitting. Thought it might be a power valve but that was replaced recently. Looking forward to some additional input from the forum.

 As for the pushrods rubbing, have you also checked (shimmed) the rocker arms horizontally to align with the valve tips? That would be just as critical as the pushrods hitting the heads.

[Chryco Psycho]

lowering the float level is difficult , as you lower the float it pushes fuel out he side pulg as it has nowhere for the fuel to go so I will bet the float level is now too low , raise it back up , the car will not run properly with the float level too low
 the stalling when warm could just be the power valve , check the manifold vacuum at idle in gear , if it around 7" or lower you need to install a lower rated power valve to keep the engine from floooding in gear
 let me know what you find

[nivvy]

dont give up mark..... I wanted to smash my car with a hamer a million times.... I paid 1100 for my custom BIGS dominator and it stll needed adjusted as I put on new fully ported aluminums and bigger headers was fouling out alot of plugs till i got it right....  but once you figure it out it will feel like a huge sense of accomplishment...  no way would I trade my car for a new challenger....... quit being so silly   


Im wit cP on the power valve.... 

[71chmark]

For the front bowl I took the sightglass off and the fuel barely trickled out.  I raised the float level and when I pulled the sight plug it seemed too high as it poured out for a second.  I sloshed the fuel out and lowered the float.  No matter how much I lowered it it would still just trickle out the sight plug.  The rear bowl is right at the base of its plug and fuel doesn't come out unless I give the car a slight nudge.  I'll get a vavuum gage today and check the vacuum.  This is a brand new carburetor.  I would think that the factory installed power valve would be OK for my application but it is obvious I don't really know what I'm talking about. Thanks for the advice.  Whether I keep the car or not, I have to get it running right.

[nivvy]

you have clear sight plugs.... 

[71chmark]

No. Take em off put em on take em off put em on take em off put em on take em off put em on take em off put em on take em off put em on take em off put em on...you get the picture.  I have a low pressure electric fuel pump. An old mallory from long ago.  It works fine and doesn't need a regulator.  I'm wondering if the bowl isn't gradually over filling and finally flooding out the motor. The rear bowl seems to hold but not the front.  I don't leave the pump run but just start it and stop it until the bowl starts to overflow.  Shake the car to lower the level do it again and again but the front bowl always seems to start to trickle out.  It could be that the front bowl isn't sealing when at the proper level.  Shouldn't level stop increasing when the float is all the way up? The rear bowl seems to do all right.

[71chmark]

Checked on of my spark plugs.  Black and wet.

[Chryco Psycho]

you may have bent the float so that even with the float lowered it is set too high , you may need to remove the bowl & straighten the arm on the float

[71chmark]

Found a piece of crud on the needle. The float was adjusted so far down the adjuster had become disconnected from the needle assembly.  Put everything back together (twice because I forgot the accelerator arm) and adjusted the float.  Level comes just up to the bottom of the bowl and stops.  Starts and idles well.  Still seems loaded up a little when cruising which I think is partly due to the plugs being fouled.  I should be able to burn them off after which I guess it's timing, air/fuel mixture and finally jetting.  Does that sound like a good plan?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Found a piece of crud on the needle. The float was adjusted so far down the adjuster had become disconnected from the needle assembly.  Put everything back together (twice because I forgot the accelerator arm) and adjusted the float.  Level comes just up to the bottom of the bowl and stops.  Starts and idles well.  Still seems loaded up a little when cruising which I think is partly due to the plugs being fouled.  I should be able to burn them off after which I guess it's timing, air/fuel mixture and finally jetting.  Does that sound like a good plan?

You are moving forward, but the plugs won't burn clean if your jets are too large.  It shouldn't take long for them to burn clean, so if you drive it 10-15 minutes and they are still fouled, then move onto jetting down.

  Mike

[71chmark]

Thanks

[71chmark]

Starts up and idles good. Seems to have power.  Start it rolling and it's working way to hard.  Plugs look all right and I think the carb is OK.  Ordered a new chrome ECU and ballast.  Possible weak spark or ECU breaking down when loaded up and or hot.  Need to check my fuel pressure also when I get a new log with a place to hook up a fuel gage. I also suppose I could have some vacuum leakage around the intake or carb.  I have yet to get a vacuum gage.  It's on my list.  Yesterday it seemed like it was going to be fine. Got about a quarter mile from home and it started to miss and bog.  Exhaust doesn't smoke and I don't seem to have any backfiring.  Thanks for listening to my problems.  I'll get it. 

[mikerallye]

Sounds like the one I had.  Blew a power valve on initial startup due to a backfire. I had little experience with holleys at the time. It wet all the plugs and I replaced them, but it continued to wet them. Finally replaced all of the plugs except #6 (I did not want to get under it and change it; am I the only one what changes #6 on a big block from underneath?) and put a edelbrock 750 on it and was done with it. A week later I changed # 6 still wet; it never dried! At the time, I probably should have fixed the Demon carb but Summit swapped carbs w/o any hassle.     Good luck.

[71chally416]

Yet another "My Holley type carb is screwed up" post. This site needs a whole section for that.