Yes i searched, i didn't find much. Here's the deal 77 351W outta lincoln versailles. Stock intake and carb. If it sits overnight, it does NOT want to start. I'll crank it and it will fire off for half a second then die. I can do this 30 or so times. Even if i pump it, the same thing. After a few tries, I can depresss the pedal 1/2 to 3/4 the way and hit it, it will rev up then die again. Do that about 5 times and then it stumbles to life VERY rough and finally will idle smooth. If i start it after it's warm, it starts fine, idles great. no problems. Any ideas?
You might want to check the choke by looking down into the top of the carb and see if the choke butterfly is actually closing all the way when you think it's closed. Maybe the choke cable is loose or broken.
Has to have been modified, Ford never had a manual choke inb '77. What else has been changed? Is the choke butterfly opening all the way and has all of the hot air or electric mechanism been divorced from the carbie?
Yes it has one of those manual choke conversion kits on it, butterfly is opening and closing. I'll have to check timing next. What should it be, 8-10?
I would disconnect or remove the choke butterfly .If the motor is running right you dont need a choke in my opinion.They are more of a pain than they are worth (especially automatic chokes ) .I would rather baby sit the motor for a minute or so when its cold than deal with them sticking and gas fouling plugs on a 15 degree morning .I have had many with manual chokes as well but never used them .It sounds to me like maybe you have weak ign. spark or a timing issue .Just my $.02 ...
I thought of the carb leaking thing to ,but he says its not having any problems during the day when its warmed up.Not to disagree but it seems like there would be symptoms of a leaking needle and seat during the day .I had a qaudrajunk once that leaked from the lead plugs on the bottom side overnight and would be flooded by morning ,but it had a other symptoms during the day like a rough idle when it was warmed up as well ...
to test a leak - could i unbolt the carb, cut out a piece of white paper in the shape of its gasket, put it underneath the carb and bolt it back on, then check to see if it leaked on the paper? or is there some other way obvious way to check..?
Befor I did this I would hold the throttle to the floor when I started the car and see if it starts and clears out and runs just like it was flooded .My 2cents
Before you shut it down, take off the aircleaner. Then shut it off. If there is fuel dribbling down in the throat, you found it. However it might be such a minor seep that it won't show, so as above, when starting, take the aircleaner off and verify that the choke butterfly is open, hold the pedal down treating it as if it's flooded.
sounds like the fuel is going back to the fuel tank when sitting overnight. could be a leak in the fuel line allowing air in which will let the fuel run back to the tank. My car does this too, so I added a electric fuel pump to send fuel to the carb before start up.
If you add a manual choke to some carbs, you need to push the accelerator pedal down a little while you pull back on the choke, otherwise it won't choke all the way because there's a little cam on the side of the carb that keeps it part way open at the cam step for normal idle speed and it can only close all the way while it's on the high idle step of the cam. What you're describing sounds kind of like a car with no choke to me. Runs crappy until it's warmed up, then it's fine.
If the fuel is going back to the tank i would check the fuel filter, some filters have a check valve that keeps the fuel from going back to the tank.
ok im thinking it HAS to be the carb leaking. I just went out and cranked it over, held down the pedal and repeated a few tiems to clear it out, after a couple of stumbles ,it idles fine. I was planning on going with a 4 bbl and performer intake anyway, so i may just hold off on rebuilding the carb.
The Jalopy Journal
