Carb woes...

To read about the basic problem I'm having, check this thread here - http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=153960&page=3&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=2 - that explains most of it.

But now I know it isn't the fuel pump. I had a helper flip the fuel pump on/off switch while I held the fuel line, and sure enough gas gushed out, so it's definitely working. I decided to call my dad and ask him if he had any idea what was wrong, and he suggested that the float in the carb might be stuck which is why it wouldn't start, or sometimes barely start and then not stay running.

I went out, whacked the carb a bunch of times around the float area and it started up instantly! It revved up fine and stayed running. I drove it around the block, but as I was coming around the corner to park it back where it was it sputtered and killed... I would assume the float got stuck again. It could be some other carb problem, I suppose, but I do know for certain that whacking the carb is what fixed it (temporarily anyway).

So, what can I do about this? Do I need a rebuild kit or can I just take the top off the carb and adjust something?

All help is greatly appreciated!

 

<font color="green">AHHHH,

Troubleshooting 101.

Keep in mind there can still be a gph problem, but that comes later.

What kinda carb is it? doe's it have a strainer typr filter where the fuel line comes in?

If so, you may check it.

Slight possibility that there is some trash that became unclogged when you whacked it and became reclogged with the force of the fuel.

Otherwise, I would definitely check the bowl for trash, inspect the float, needle and seat. Open her up and see if the float moves freely.

Just be careful to see if there are any springs and/or bearings when you open it. Sometimes those little beggars take off and you'll play hell figuring out where from.

RASHY </font>

 

It's a 4-barrel Carter of some kind, not sure of the exact model. The float area's on the front of the carb. It does have a glass bowl sediment/water filter thing. Should I try emptying that out? It looks clean, but who knows.

 

<font color="green">If you think that it is a float problem then you might as well. The float should be in that sight glass area.
</font>

 

where the glass bowl connector enters the carb there might be hex plug with a brass screen tube underneath pull out the screen and clean it. do you have another filter? it could get clogged and then when the pump stops sucking the crap could fall back out... just a thought.

 

If you have a electric fuel pump you should install a filter between the gas tank and the pump (assuming you don't have an in tank pump). Wouldn't hurt to have another filter just before the carb also. Could also be a bad needle and seat - had this happen on a rebuilt 94. Replaced the needle and seat again and it has run great ever since. Another possibility is too much fuel pressure - might need a pressure regulator

 

I removed that glass bowl connector thing (note that it isn't a part of the carb itself, it's a seperate thing that connects inline between the fuel line and the carb), it had some kind of worn-out rubber gasket thing inside, with 4 "gills" sliced into it. It looked pretty worn out so I ripped out the inner "gill" part... that didn't help, but now that thing is leaking a bit. Ohwell. When I ran water through it it flowed just fine, and I took special note of it when I started the car back up after reattaching it. The fuel pump filled the glass bowl pretty much instantly, but again after a couple seconds the car killed. I shut the pump off and tried starting it with no luck, pumping the gas a lot to no avail, then gave up. When I looked at the glass bowl it was still full, so I'm pretty certain the problem is in the carb itself.

Needle and seat sounds like it's probably the problem...it MIGHT be getting too much fuel pressure too, but the car worked fine initially with the pump so that's definitely not the current problem.

Is it possible to just get a new needle and seat instead of a whole rebuild kit? They're kind of expensive for this carb, plus I don't want to rebuild anything more than I need to right now (it's WAY more complicated than any carb I've tackled before). Also, how much do fuel pressure regulators cost?

 

You may be able to get away with not buying a needle and seat by removing this one and hosing it off with carb cleaner, but if you CAN find a new one cheap, it would probably be worth it to be able to rule out needle and seat as a problem. If the new one still does it it's something else. All it takes is a spec of debris and it'll be messed up.
That little glass thing might have been some kind of Fuel pressure regulator. Maybe it IS getting too much fuel.

 

Hey wow Man...it just goes full circle. Sounds alot like the problem I am having with my 97's. What a great thread this is. Keep it up Gents. I need more info too!
The needle sticking was the first thing I thought of because, as MAchinos mentioned, I slapped around on the carb inlet when my Ugly P.O.S. <tm> would not start initially. After that it was way cool tits.
Keeping an eye on this thread for sure...Lay it on me now!

 

I took the plunge and removed the entire carb since nothing else I was doing seemed to work. Oh man, is it a mess.

When I got it out and removed the top half of the carb a TON of orange-colored rancid gas, sediment, grime, etc. just poured out. I doubt this carb has ever been opened in the last 48 years. Considering how much crap came out of it it seems almost certain that the problem(s) were due to debris plugging up something.

This thing is completely unlike the other carbs I've rebuilt (a 1bbl Carter from my '47 Chrysler and a 2bbl Carter from my '78 Dodge). Everything hangs down from the upper plate of the carb instead of sitting in the middle section. The needles and seats (two of them, one in front and one in back) are inside the carb, not in the fuel line fitting like on the other carbs, which is kind of a PITA. The sucker also weighs like 10 pounds or so, thanks to the absolutely MASSIVE base plate (everything about the hemi is massive...)

I'm going to go to NAPA soon and see if I can get a rebuild kit, since I'll need new gaskets and the accelerator pump is pretty crusty. The needles that came out were completely spotless, very clean, but it struck me as odd because they didn't have a rubber tip around the pointy end like the other carbs. Maybe they're supposed to, I have no idea.

The other thing that was really odd is that the butterfly valves closest to the driver, the set without a choke flap, were REALLY filthy. I mean like caked with grime and stained, spotty gold in color. The other set were sparkling clean and silver. I'm not sure what that means, but it's perplexing.

And while I'm at it, I might as well ask about aftermarket carbs. Pretty much the only engine mod I'd like to do in the forseeable future is get a Hot Heads aluminum 4bbl intake and a new carb to replace the stock ones, or at the very least just a new carb. The stock one has a crapload of gadgets on it, half of which I don't even know the function of. What I worry about most is the kickdown and linkage in general...assuming I could just bolt a brand-new 4bbl aftermarket carb on, how hard is it to set up the linkage?

 

I don't know anything about the Chrysler trannies and their kickdown cables, BUT, I have a SBC with Holley 600 and a 700R4 (which are usually a PITA to set up the kickdown) and Holley makes a bracket for that application, only about $20 and it takes the guess work out of it. It works very well.
I've heard that on TH350s and 400s, you can just wire the kickdown cable to something so that it is always being pulled if you have a linkage issue. I don't know if it is true.
I doubt Holley makes an adaptor for a 1955 Chrysler auto, I couldn't find one on Summit's site, but they might. Which auto is it? I don't know Chryslers at all.

 

It's a Powerflite. They only used them on Chryslers for 2 or 3 years, after that it was just the lower-level Mopars.

 

Find out how precise the kickdown needs to be, you may be able to rig it. If not, call which ever carb company and see if they have a bracket for you, Lokar may have one, too.

 

You say this is a 55 Chrysler Hemi? If so, it's probably got a Carter WCFB 4 bbl. THey were used a lot on 55-56 Chevy dual four intakes (power Pack). I had a 392, 300-C engine with dual WCFB's on it THey are a weird carb. Does it have two brass tubes running from left to right? across the top of both the primary and secondary venturii's ?
BTW, an old Rochester 4-jet (4 bbl) might bolt on as well. I think ? they are a small, square 4 bolt pattern.
Possibly a Carter AFB 4 bbl will bolt on.

 

If it is a small base 4bbl and you are interested, I'll post pics of the adaptor I made for my Y block. Let me know.

 

Welp, I fixed it. I haven't tried it on the highway yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll be just fine. It did require a carb rebuild, although it was only $28 at NAPA. They actually had one in stock right behind the counter, I couldn't BELIEVE it...they didn't even have one in stock for my '78 Dodge carb when I ordered that kit.

I know that cleaning it out and rebuilding it fixed it, but I'm curious as to what exactly was wrong anyway. The only things that I replaced (other than gaskets, all of which were fine before I ripped them taking apart the carb) were the accelerator pump, needles and seats. I always though the accelerator pump only did anything when you were actually pushing on the gas pedal, and if the needles and/or seats were worn out I'd think it'd kill from flooding, not from getting too little gas...