first and foremost let me start off by saying....... I am running just the middle carb and the other two are blocked off.. ok didn't want it to get into a discussion of setting up multiple carbs these things have been a nightmare so far but making progress as I keep going.. started off with not being able to idle.. when I could get it to idle with the choke on it was pouring gas through the mains down the barrels... after doing some work I noticed the butterflies were not sealing off around the barrels in the base very well at all... used another base and butterflies that I could get to seal off.. which it didn't have the right stuff to have a choke linkage attached to it.... so off to the lathe and mill we go... bored the shaft hole out on the one side and made a bushing for the shaft to make the choke fit and work.. run the mixture screws in all the way by hand and backed them out 2 turns... idle but so so.... another 1/4 turn out and it would idle good. felt pretty good that it worked... I believe the other base was leaking a good bit around the throttle shaft due to after taking the throttle shaft out the bushing that was on it was pretty loose on the shaft and then with the butterflies not shutting was causing fuel to be pulled through the mains at idle.. now to the newest problem at hand.... I take it for a spin down the road and seems to be running decent... just putting along to make sure the tires don't fly off and anything else comes up during first drive... I ease my speed up and using my smart phone for a speedo when I hit about 42-45 MPH it just misses really bad and I have no acceleration... back it down to 40 and it seems to cruise ok... I am running 43 mains and a 65 power valve... the top of the carb is open due to not ordering an air horn or filter yet.. this motor was pulled from a running hotrod and nothing has been touched as far as timing goes.. so I figure that the timing should be ok.. I slow down and put it in second and it seems to accelerate good and not stumble when I get up into the rpms... any thoughts hamber experts? glad its on the road but the reason I took the banger out and went to a v8 was to get above 45 not stay there hahaha
Somebody On here said "75% of carburetor problems are ignition". I tend to agree. You need good spark, check point condition and dwell. Is the cap, rotor and wires good?, new plugs with the proper gap set. I would bet most carb rebuilds don't have the emulsion tubes pulled and cleaned or replaced. Here's a great link to Rumble Seat's Odyssey, When you get to his page ,scroll down and click Rumble Seat's flathead vision. May he RIP. http://www.flatheadsrus.com/index.php
I too would guess ignition. But before you go there. Two questions. Do you have BASE covers to seal the other two unused carbs??? Can you screw in your idle screws all the way and shut down your carb? Sorry four.... What type of flathead and what type of Distributor??
I know you said the other carbs are blocked of but did you just shut them or put a solid plate under them with 2 gaskets? If they are just shut you have an air leak and if you used a solid gasket it may have sucked a hole in it. Good luck on your project, Gary
I cut a piece of 18ga sheet metal for the bases and put two gaskets on it. 49 flathead Mallory distributor I haven't screwed them in but I had to thread them out to get it to idle properly.. If that answers that part of it. Yes just south of new philly Dover I contacted you about this COEs a few weeks back Thanks for the reply, plate with 2 gaskets. Sprayed with carb cleaner at idle to make sure no leaks also. They are new plugs but I think they had fouled once.. Picking up a new set just because after work today. How far should the gap be?
Duh, Sorry Jared, I never put that together... Use only Autolite 216 and the NGK-B6L plugs at 025 gap If you screw in your idle screws you should see a significant drop in idle. If no drop, then you have a vacuum leak or your power valves are the wrong size. You indicated you havent checked timing. You should look into that. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/flathead-problem-59ab.929157/ With issues with your carb rebuilder, I am inclined to think you just may have a carburetor problem, Try Double checking for vac leaks with a UNLIT propane torch. Am traveling out of state tomorrow, wish I could stop down this weekend to help you sort it out.
UNLIT propane torch. . . . . . . Never heard of that, I bet if you have an air leak the idle would raise, right? Brilliant
I will give that a go! Never heard of that.. Makes sense.. No worries, safe travels! It's not going anywhere anytime soon so maybe if ya have some free time sometime we could work it out. I plan on re work in the pedals and some other stuff this weekend, might make my way back to the carbs.. I will post any updates if I have any
I have run into stutters and stumbles like that when the engine was lean. Lower gears let the rpm come through the lean spots faster and get over them. You sure the air flowing over the top of the carb is not messing with it? What's it do if you mash it to the floor? Will it run its full rpm range? How is your jetting compared to a stock carb for the same size engine? Are all three carbs the same? Can you swap one of the others to the center for a check? Joe
Well it always seems to be simplest thing.. Figured the quickest and easiest thing I could do is put together a make shift air horn.. Went down the road and flew right past 45 and on up to 60 before I let off.. Tires are not balanced and are firestones bias from Coker so it got to shaking pretty good.. Seems to run and accelerate a lot better also.. Must have been to much air disruption and leaning it out also.. Now onto the other problems I need to get sorted out with this thing for spring
Great news. I would not have suspected that. Learn everyday. Am running bias cokers too. I'd advise running them at 15 pounds. Smoothed the shaking right out on both vehicles at different weights. Wearing like iron.
Little tape will make everything work for a minute or so... Offers still stands if ya happen to be down this way your more then welcome to Stop in.
I might have to look into that.. I haven't balanced these at all.. Just mounted them here at home.. I have head both ways people have good luck with just a normal balance job and others have to use other routes.. I built a lifted truck with 38.5" tires on a ranger.. If they can be balanced I think these should be able to haha
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