New to this Carburetor stuff..Help car wont start.

[dsinka01]

Ok so i got this carb used first of all. It is an edelbrock 1406 performer carb with electric choke, and when i crank the car, the only way i can get it to fire at all is if i FLOOR it, it starts for 4 or 5 seconds and dies. Now since im new to this, im wondering.. i dont not have my intake port on the back ( that goes to my brake booster) blocked off , it is just sucking air. (bad idea????) also on the front of the carb , there are two ports, driver side has a vacuum cap on it, the passenger side is open ( i think these are for vacuum advance or something?) my distributer is a MSD and doesnt use any vacuum. should i block the other port off? I'm getting spark, im getting fuel. I really think im getting too much air. Then again, like i said im new to this carb stuff. ANYONE, is there a way with the mixture screws on the front of the carb to find a good starting point? ( like screw them all the way in , then back out a turn or two???)


side note, the car is on blocks so i dont need the brakes yet, that's why i dont have the booster vacuum line on. (didnt think it would be an issue)

Thanks in advance guys, you have never let me down yet. Love this forum.

Derek.

 

[88LX5.Oh]

Vacuum leaks are bad. Cap the ports, see what it does, go from there.

 

[jrichker]

Fix all the vacuum leaks and disconnected vacuum lines first.

Idle mixture screws:
Turn the screw all the way in and then back out 2 1/2 turns. A vacuum gauge is the best tool to use for idle adjustment. Once it starts to idle, turn each idle mixture screw until you get the highest vacuum reading. You may have to turn the screw in or out depending on your carb setup. I would recommend to turn them in first and, if the vacuum doesn't peak, turn them out until it does. Adjust one side and get it right and then do the other side. It should not make any difference which side you start with.


Check your fuel pressure - the vacuum gauge should have a low range fuel pressure scale on it. The pressure should be in the 4-6 PSI range. Do the test with the engine not running and then again with the engine idling.


Some thing to think about...

1.) Do not use an EFI in tank fuel pump with a carb. You will never get the pressure/flow regulated properly. Either go full EFI or use a tank/fuel pump/fuel lines out of an 84 or earlier Stang. Fabricating your own setup is possible but there are some snags to overcome.

2.) Do not attempt to leave the EFI in place in an attempt to control either the electric fuel pump or ignition. This will cause problems that may be difficult to trace.

3.) If you try to use your current tank, you will need to pull the fuel pump out and fabricate a pickup tube & strainer sock to replace the fuel pump. Or you can have a sump fabricated and welded onto you existing tank. Many welding shops will not weld fuel tanks because of the dangers involved if the tank isn't purged properly.

4.) You will need an external electric fuel pump unless you change the timing cover for one with the mechanical fuel pump mount on it. Rip all the EFI wiring out, and the computer controlled fuel pump won't work. You will need to add a relay & switch and wire in the existing inertia switch for an external low pressure electric fuel pump. Do not try to wire the fuel pump without the relay. The 15-20 amps the pump pulls will overload the circuit. This will take power away from other items on the same circuit or cause the fuse or fuse link to blow.

 

[BadBlue68]

I agree with the previous posts, plug the vacuum leaks! Other than mess up the way the engine runs/idles, those leaks can cause damage to you engine. Since your car is not on the road, it may not be an issue now, but when it's on the road those leaks are past the air filter and will suck in dirt. It won't be over night, but over the course of time that can ruin your engine.

 

[dsinka01]

thanks guys for the info, I plugged the vacuum leaks i had, i checked the fuel pump relay because well i wired that in myself and that's enough said...but that is now correct . I also adjusted the idler screws. THose things helped tremendously and helped cause this issue. THANKS (88LX5.OH, JRICHKER, and badblue68) I appreciate the help!!. While doubled checking all these things and plugging leaks i found that my msd distrubutor wasnt seated all the way down and when i started it, the dizzy actually turned causing the timing to be out. this was due to and aftermarket oil pump shaft being about a 1/8 too tall, (damn rookie mistake) but it's fixed now. IF you guys want to check out my video on youtube just go to youtube and in the search box type in DSINKA01 and you should see it. this is the first motor ive ever built and had a sh!t ton of help from stangnet members. I want to thank you all for the help! I'm not done with it but the fact that i even got it started is an accomplishment for me. let me know what you think plz.... thanks

dsinka01