Whining about my carb problem

[DeltaMustang65]

Taken directly from fat0eknee's latest topic:

I took out my mustang for the first time in months yesterday. This was after I read a topic here about mustangs getting in accidents when they sprung a fuel leak after sitting too long. It was pretty fun, the single mothers and their kids were checking me out. Anyway, this is leading to a bit of a nagging issue I've been having since I stopped driving my mustang daily.

My mustang doesn't seem to want to start unless I take the top of the air cleaner off. I checked the choke clearance and although I haven't actually measured it (since I highly doubt it's the problem), it hasn't changed and it's wide enough to stick a standard screwdriver shaft through. It starts fine if I drive it regularly, and it runs great even after being in storage. The little 289 can still howl those tires nicely, not the screech those little ricer tires have, but the sound of spinning tires that have some semblance of traction. There's still the tiny lag at about 1/3 throttle, but I'm assuming that's because I never got around to getting it professionally tuned since the new intake and carb were installed. All in all it's not a big issue, it just seems very odd to me and it'd be nice if I knew what the deal is.

P.S. I just got my "user ride" page done. I was looking up info on factory parts and I was wondering if Ford used cast aluminum pistons? For some reason, I had it in my head that they were iron, but what do I know.

[DeltaMustang65]

Nobody else has had this problem? Weird. I wonder if it even IS a problem or if it's something that normally happens when a car is in storage. I wouldn't know, simply because I've never had a car in storage before.

About the piston question, I know it's a stupid one. I read they were alum. from the factory, which struck me as odd for some reason. I just didn't want to look like a total dork and write something obviously wrong on my first "user ride" update. Sorry for the lame questions.

If someone would be kind enough to let me know what's up, I'll go ahead and delete this topic. Thanks.

[Gearhead999]

Pistons are aluminum. They use to be cast iron, but after WW II I think all cars/tks when to aluminum pistons. Lighter, better heat transfer, etc.

Sound like your carb is messed up. Maybe it is bleeding down and the float bowl is empty. Are you sure it isn't hanging up on the cover??

Get the carb fixed and then you should be OK.

What other questions ya got?? Fire away, alway glad to help or inform if I can.

[DeltaMustang65]

I don't think the carb is messed up. I got it new about a year and a half ago, but I haven't put too many miles on it since the car has been in storage since the end of the summer of '05. It only does this the first time I start the car after it's been sitting a week or so.

The carb doesn't leak gas and the linkage doesn't get hung up, although I'm still using the old 2 barrel linkage. Should I get the correct linkage for the carb I'm using now or does it matter? Now that you mention it though, it is kinda slanted...maybe that's what is causing the little lag at 1/3 throttle?

I don't think the float is empty. I can squirt gas down the carb by hand.

I work today, but I have this weekend off, so I think I'll poke around Mustangs Plus (screw Ford, I'm still gonna call it that) for linkage. I know they have those fancy kinds, so hopefully they have the original ones, too.

[rwhite65]

Have you ever adjusted the floats...all the small stuff at first that effects everything else. You really dont need a professional to tune it, with the guys help on here, youll get it tuned right.
Ryan

[DeltaMustang65]

I've never touched anything inside the carb. I just assumed that it came adjusted properly for my engine.

[rwhite65]

Originally Posted by DeltaMustang65

I've never touched anything inside the carb. I just assumed that it came adjusted properly for my engine.

You need to adjust the floats first, then we will go from there. Try doing a search on here for how to adjust them. If you cant find it, I will post and tell you how.
Ryan

[DeltaMustang65]

Sounds like a plan. I'll probably be able to get to the carb tomorrow morning, but I can look around for the procedure tonight. Mustangs Plus seems to only carry the same linkage that I already have, from what I can tell.

I DID get their export brace and monte carlo bar in the interest of stiffening up the engine bay for when I upgrade the suspension (got some questions in "corner carvers"), so I've got a busy day ahead of me tomorrow. It's been awhile since I've wrenched on this car, so as you can imagine, I'm a little excited.

[DeltaMustang65]

After installing my other junk, turns out I wasn't excited enough to get started on the carb. I'll get to it soon though.

I didn't find the actual float adjustment procedure on MW last night, but I'll look again. I think I should have the procedure in my holley modifying book at home, but I'm not there right now so I can't check.

Anyway, just thought I'd let ya know that this is gonna be on hold for a day or two.

[DeltaMustang65]

Well, looks like my carb book "super tuning & modifying holley carburetors" has the float adjust procedure in it. Looks very simple, too. I'll give it a shot tomorrow if I get the time, and let you know how it goes and if I need to adjust anything else.

[DeltaMustang65]

Ok. After class today, I'm going to head back home and adjust the float and see if that helps. In the interest of trying to get ahead of the game, what else should I be looking at on the carb once that's done?

[DeltaMustang65]

Well, that was fun. Seems the carb was pre-adjusted to where it was dripping 2-3 drops of gas per second, so I adjusted it so that it dripped once every 2 seconds. It helped, the little lag is all but gone now, and even then I might be confusing it with the secondaries opening. Do you think that the carb was getting a little too much gas for it's own good?

Thanks for the suggestion, Ryan. I'm not quite so intimidated by carburetors anymore.

Where do you suggest I go from here?

[Rev]

Originally Posted by DeltaMustang65

Well, that was fun. Seems the carb was pre-adjusted to where it was dripping 2-3 drops of gas per second, so I adjusted it so that it dripped once every 2 seconds. It helped, the little lag is all but gone now, and even then I might be confusing it with the secondaries opening. Do you think that the carb was getting a little too much gas for it's own good?

Thanks for the suggestion, Ryan. I'm not quite so intimidated by carburetors anymore.

Where do you suggest I go from here?

Are you talking about dripping gas into the bores at idle? There should not be any dripping at all. Only at higher rpms should you be able to see gas flowing from the ventouri boosters into the carb bore. I'm wondering if the needle and seat is leaking? That will certainly make gas drip into the bore at idle creating a rough idle and black smoke from being too rich.

Adjust the floats so that the gas level is right at the bottom of the plug or if you have a sight glass right in the middle of the sight glass. At idle the only gas getting into the bores should be from the idle circuit which is not visible.

Rev

[DeltaMustang65]

Oh, crap! I'm sorry Rev. I got disconnected the first time I was typing that up, so the 2nd time I was too hasty. I meant that I adjusted the floats so that the gas was barely creeping out of the plugs in the side at about a drop per 2-3 seconds. This is what I'm going for, correct?

If I'm good, what should I be looking at next?

[rwhite65]

sorry, double post.
Ryan

[rwhite65]

Ok, what kind of Carb do you have again? After adjusting the floats, what problem are you experiencing now?
Ryan

[DeltaMustang65]

It's a Holley 4160. I'm not having any problems while the car is running anymore. I just need to let the car sit for another week to see if it will start up right away.

I wasn't asking what to adjust because of a problem this time, I was just wondering what else should be adjusted or checked on the carb because it was just bolted on out of the box and untouched for about a year.

Also, would "Sta-Bil" fuel stabilizer cause a hard starting effect? The gas is a little over a year old and it's had the stabilizer in there all this time. As long as I take the car out or start it up once in awhile, the gas won't go bad, right?

[rwhite65]

If you are happy with the way it is running now I would say you are fine. Mine starts a little hard when it has sat a while, but that is what I get when I have a mechanical fuel pump, and no choke.

When my car sits for a while, the fuel tends to work it's way back to the tank. My clear fuel filter near the carb can be empty after sitting for a little while. If it starts good after you get it running for the first time after it has sat, I would not worry troo much about it.

Ryan

[DeltaMustang65]

I have one of those clear filters, too. After about a week or so, it'll be half full. Maybe it takes a while longer to start up because the fuel is slowly working it's way back up?

You're probably right about leaving it alone if I'm happy with it. If it's not broken, don't fix it, right?

[DeltaMustang65]

Well, I finally got back to the car after a couple weeks or so, and it's still having a hard time starting. I tried to start it twice, for 5 seconds each and the engine will turn over fine, but nothing else. The third time I'll give it another 5 seconds and the engine will sound like it's TRYING to fire up. Then the 4th try it'll fire up after a few seconds.

I'm thinking this is just something that I'll have to deal with if I'm not driving the car regularly, unless somebody has any other suggestions. I've made no changes to the car between the time I didn't have this issue and the time where the issue started. I WOULD think it's a side effect of the STA-BIL gas treatment that I put in the tank before I put the car away, but that would also make starting when warm difficult, wouldn't it? Anyway, I just thought I'd give an update since it's been a few weeks.