Carb and fuel issue question

[skinu]

46 ,I know lots of cold weather tricks out here in Montana and they might be dangerous but lots do use them. get charcoal briquettes and get them goin right under the oil pan if you got no block heater,2nd gas in that cold don't vaporize so you can use starting fluid and need the choke held a little open with screwdriver in the carb.i know this isn't the norm but in a place where death by freezing can happen in minutes you need to know how to get going.once going set timing and check for vac. leaks.in that cold those magnetic heaters do not,DONT WORK, unless the motor is warm to strat with. do you have fire at the plugs,are the plugs clean,very important to starting
in cold.pour some oil or even tranny fluid down carb and that will up the compression also batt. probs are from dirty posts and seem to lose connection in the cold also put vasaline on them after cleaning. is starter cable loose and also check if float is hung up.when you get going keep high octane gas in it and heet .in older motors fresh oil keeps up compression and lastly rubber to metal line connects could shave rubber lines and stick the needle and seat. throw gravel ,kitty litter or dirt where your working we call it big sky garage-ing it,luck to you

[46binder]

So it started again, runs about 30 seconds, stumbles and dies.  Second start it runs even less and dies, third attempt and it won't fire at all.  Pulled spark plugs, all wet.  Took carb off to local carb shop, multiple problems.  If I got this right, it had a bad needle seat, some tubes were plugged, needed some adjustment on linkage.  Bad part was he said there was water damage, there had been alot of water, and there still was some in there when he took it apart.  Choke works fine, carb will be run on a dyno and guaranteed.   Choke problem is on my end, lite comes on, 12 V at wire, new oil pressure unit, theres something else behind the dash?  Don't want to drop the tank, hope all the water is out or thinned out after I fill the tank.

[bd]

If water is accumulating in the carburetor you need to drain the fuel tank.  The longer you wait the more likely you'll compound your trouble with rust forming in the tank.

Are you using a voltmeter or test light to check power at the choke stat?  Have you checked/replaced the Choke fuse?

[46binder]

I think I figured out why my choke light is on.  Carb was rebuilt, again, and new choke confirmed works.  1984 K30, 350.  Light stays on, and choke wasn't opening.  12 at wire, traced it right back to the firewall connection.  New oil pressure switch, but its single prong.  Light blue wire for choke should go to a two prong switch, which I dont have.  Should I put a T in the port for the one prong switch, and place another 2 prong switch there and wire the blue wire to it and then to the carb choke?  When I got the truck the wire was just frayed and cut, not hooked up to anything.  And I can't find a part # for it on Rockauto or autozones site.

[bd]

Use this 2-prong oil pressure switch and connector for the electric choke.  Look at page 9 of the 1983 Wiring Manual.  Three wires connect to the OPS.  Pink/white (ckt 350) from the firewall plug connects to one terminal of the switch.  Dark blue (ckt 931) from the firewall plug AND light blue (ckt 78) from the choke thermostat connect together to the other terminal of the switch.

You can use a 1¹/₂ to 2" long x 1/8" pipe nipple and tee fitting to connect both OPS's into the oil pressure tap next to the distributor OR you can thread one of the OPS's into the oil pressure tap in the left side of the block above the oil filter.  I prefer the latter arrangement to decrease bulk at the back of the intake and eliminate the possibility that the pipe nipple might snap off flush with the block in the future.

[46binder]

 Wound up installing new tank, sender, new lines all the way to the carb, and 3/8" line to brake booster.  Got rid of second tank, wires for Pollak valve are just hanging for now.   Will have to figure out what wiring to cut, hook up later.  Found wiring boot for oil pressure switch above oil filter just hanging there, PO installed a plug instead of buying a new $6 switch.  No spark from three plugs, so got new ones, and engine was really flooded.  Smelled some gas in oil, REALLY flooded, and changed oil again  and turned over engine without plugs and fuel line disconnected briefly to clear gas out.  Now the truck starts, and choke opens up like its supposed to with no dash light!  Only thing left to do is the vacuum wiring, what are the two vacuum switches on the firewall, pics on first page, and do I need them.   

[Captkaos]

There are alot of pics on the first page, which one specifically?

[46binder]

Well, looking at past posts and google images, one vacuum line is an esc tip switch, on the right side of firewall, and I guess I need that.  Second is a switch behind the brake booster, and thats for a trans tc, but it sounds like its for a 700r4, but I have a 400 trans.  Then theres a vacuum 'collector' ball on the drivers side, and that sounds like it hooked up to the cruise control that I removed.  So I don't need that.  I only have one more vacuum line on the back by the dizzy, and its a metal line, possibly from the trans?  Don't know what that was. 

[Irish_Alley]

if you want to post a pic right click on it, then properties. then copy the address (url) and paste it on here with the img code so it looks like [img]address(url)[\img]

[46binder]

well I went on a short vacation, South, away from the cold and snow.  Took the truck for a short spin, and it stumbles when accelerating.  So bad I can't drive it yet.  Will have to check the timing now, and see if I have a possible vacuum leak.  Fuel system is all new, and I did new plugs, wires, rotor, cap.  Truck idles great, choke opens as its supposed to.  Didn't have this problem before, but I do know carb before rebuild was set extremely rich, and had no working choke.   

[46binder]

Some more success, found a vacuum leak, I think I fixed the vacuum line routing.  Drove the truck, still a slight hesitation, but seemed to go away the more I drove.  Switched the vacuum line for the dizzy advance to manifold vacuum not ported on the quadrajet.  I also have only 10" vacuum on idle, and when I give it some gas it goes up to 20-21.  I don't think the choke was open all the way at that point though.  Still, its good to go on driving. 

[thefarmboy21]

"You should run a rubber hose from that metal line up to the carb. Preferably use ported vacuum so you aren't introducing gas vapor during idle."

Isn't that the tube that runs to the fuel pickup/sender? I thought that was to vent the fuel tank, wouldn't hooking it up to vacuum cause the tank not to vent correctly??? I just stripped all my smog crap off but I thought I should leave that unhooked?

[46binder]

Drove the truck to work yesterday, and went to drive it again, and it wouldn't stay running.  Then I saw gas on the ground, the external fuel filter I put before the carb was empty, and when I started it again, I saw the gas was squirting from the bowl vent, which is not hooked up, I am missing the charcoal canister it goes to.  I just had this rebuilt, new lines, tank, etc.  Called the carb guy, he said most likely its contamination between the needle and seat.  Sound likely?  Guys at work are now giving me more crap, since the mechanic here told me to toss the quadrajet from the beginning.  The carb guy said bring it in and he'll fix it no charge.  Any opinions?

[timthescarrd]

Charcoal canister or no, there should never be fuel coming out of the vent, just vapors.  The quadrajet can be a good carb when working right. Sounds like maybe your float isn't working. Older floats can start to take on fuel and then they won't work properly. Best way to tell, is to take the float out, put it in a can of gas for a few hours and see if it sinks to the bottom.  It should stay floating on top of the fuel, if it sinks then it is bad.  The old brass type floats can get pinholes in them allowing gas to get inside.  the new black foam ones have a coating on the outside that wears down and then the foam soaks up fuel.

[Irish_Alley]

tell the "mechanic" hes not a good mechanic if he want to just toss a quad. most back yard mechanics go by hearsay and if someone automatically judges the quad by what they hear instead of witness they arnt a true mechanic. the quad isnt a bad carb its just an O.E. carb. so it has some years and miles on it. just like any other carb you put on there give it 20 years and it will be running like crap also. you can rebuild one for way less then a new carb and yet it will be tuned in to your truck no need to change needles or jets cause its set up from the factory unlike holley and edelbrock. but it does sound like a float problem