carburetor troubles again..

[Invigor]

i've got a 1987 dodge ram van with a 318 2bbl holley carb, it idles fine, but runs very very very rich (like $20 fuel in 3 days, city driving about 20minutes a day). exhaust smells like a skidoo's..

i've so far replaced the choke vacuum pull off, that didn't help. would it be recommended to take it apart and check the float, needle and seat? if it's choke related, how do I go about it?

I ran it home today with the engine cover off, air cleaner box off, and just the bare carb exposed so I could watch it..when I was driving at about 50kmph and stomp on it, it backfires, once it even backfired off two pistons.

i've checked vacuum lines, but there are only about 3 and they all seem to be ok.

can anyone recommend anything?

thank you!

[scotchy]

Sounds like your timing is out John. I would check that first. Motors that are out of time will also burn more fuel. If either the float, needle or seat were pooched you would either have a lack of fuel or fuel would be pouring out the top of the carb. That's just my experience. Hope it helps.


Scott

[Invigor]

Sounds like your timing is out John. I would check that first. Motors that are out of time will also burn more fuel. If either the float, needle or seat were pooched you would either have a lack of fuel or fuel would be pouring out the top of the carb. That's just my experience. Hope it helps.


Scott

hmm, if worse comes to worse, I'll have to adjust that, but it'd be a ***** of a job :P

cary figure's my jets are set wrong...but I don't have the proper tool to re-adjust them. it's kind of a hex screw looking thing

[Invigor]

i'll also add in that the other day i was at homedepot and on the way from there to my house (about 5 minute drive) it ran GREAT! very smooth and lots of oompa..but that only lasted until I got home..next time I got in it was back to the same ol'


would bad timing cause it to backfire in the carb? sounds possible to me if compression and spark is happening at the wrong time

[Quinster]

sounds like a gummed up carb to me, needle and seat probaby aren't lining up or the inside of the carb could be varnished over. I am not too familiar with carb shops there, but I would either get it rebuilt or exchanged. As for vacuum leaks the other place that is overlooked is the gasket between the carb and the intake, they will petrify over time and can cause all kinds of trouble.

HTH

Quinn

[Invigor]

As for vacuum leaks the other place that is overlooked is the gasket between the carb and the intake, they will petrify over time and can cause all kinds of trouble.

HTH

Quinn

I've heard for that you take a can of carb cleaner and jet it all the way around the gasket, if the idle changes, it's leaky :>:smurf:

[Quinster]

:banana: tis true, I could ask around the car clubs I am involved in for information on a good reliable carb shop for you if needed.

[cary Henderson]

its actually propane ..but don't do it to that van...:(

[Invigor]

does anyone have a timing gun I can borrow :D

[jevan23]

cary figure's my jets are set wrong...but I don't have the proper tool to re-adjust them. it's kind of a hex screw looking thing

If you need any sort of hex screwdriver looking thing, gimme a call, iz gots many, many different types of hex type screwdrivers

Unfourtunatly, my timing guns in Brandon :mad:

[Quinster]

I have 2...come for a visit!:D

[Invigor]

woot. got a new carb, new wires, new plugs, new rotor, new rotorcap.

run's like new! put in some synthetic oil...i'm unstoppable!

[cary Henderson]

synthetic oil eh...gonna wear you snowmobile suit while driving too!
found it was great for starting in cold but engine never heats like it did before.
(i also added duralube) froze my butt for a whole winter..but never plugged in once!

[Invigor]

it's all about the z-max man

and I can do burnouts now!

[cary Henderson]

come on in winter chevettes can do burnouts!!:roflmao:

[Invigor]

exactly, which means something's going right for my 318 lol

[cary Henderson]

just teasin..nice to hear you're fully mobile .. just in time for gas prices to climb eh...!
So who blew up what oil refinery this time???