Hey folks!
Thank you so much. Your contribution to the solution of a beginner's
troubles with a (seemingly) unadjustable carb has overwhelmed me. When I
told my friends about the support I received from across the "big lake",
they wouldn't believe it. How did it work? What's this, a mailing list? And
"even" to me (with my little bit of experience in e-mails, internet etc.)
the idea of getting suggestions from so far away to the solution to a
problem which is right before my eyes is surprising.
Anyway, if you assume that I could locate the problem you're right. It was
the power valve, or rather, the power valve and me. My contribution to this
becoming a problem was that I didn't tighten the power valve sufficiently
when I screwed it in. Actually, I didn't dare to, for I thought that I might
damage anything!?
I did the one check which Dave Green (thanks Dave!) suggested. I removed the
carb and opened the cover below the power valve without turning the carb
upside-down. The cover was full of fuel. As I didn't think that it could be
caused by a defective power valve (I had taken the valve out of the repair
kit, i.e. it was all new) and as the number on the valve (no. 75) matched
with one in the workshop manual I thought that the reason for having the
cover full of fuel and a much too rich mixture was a relatively loose power
valve due to my turning it in unsufficiently. Indeed, with more force put to
the power valve I could easily turn it in much more which gave it a tight
fit. Can it have been that the vacuum beneath the power valve was (in
particular at low rpm) high enough to suck fuel through the loose thread of
the valve, irrespective of the gasket which was installed? Could this than
have filled up the cover with fuel from where the fuel made its way through
the "normal" passage to the main fuel well (or could it be that the fuel
found its way into the intake manifolds through the vacuum passage even?)?
Anyway. With the power valve properly fixed, I reassembled the carb (the
rest I assumed to be o.k; i.e. float, float needle, carb doesn't overflow,
size of main jets unchanged, accelerator pump in order, orange rubber piece
properly replaced and the spring mounted correctly, steel ball under the
main spray nozzles in place as well as the discharge weight), started the
engine again (with the air horn removed - thanks Bob, for the advice to be
cautious. I was very cautious and had all "hot" spots covered) and
.................... turned my head to watch out for the black smoke: -
None! Hurrah! Rpm at idle speed was also much more stable (though not yet
perfect) than before and unlike before the engine now did react on my
turning the idle adjusting needles.
So from my beginner's perspective things are fine, or at least I'm on the
right way and have no major problem (e.g. a crack in the carb) with my carb.
However, I haven't been to my mechanic yet to test the composition of the
exhaust fumes. Only when he confirms with his machinery what I see and smell
(no black smoke and no smell of unburnt fuel) will I believe that things are
really fine.
Thanks for the address of the homepage of "pony carburetors inc.". That was
very instructive. Not only did it give me the full designation of my stock
carb (autolite 2100 - BTW: Is "autolite" the name of the producer or was the
carb a product by Ford, as I gather from a remark in one of your posts?) but
also did it reassure me that I'm running (quote) "the finest two-barrel
carburetor that has yet to be made" (unquote). So no need for a change then,
in particular not now that everything is fine again!? No change might be the
more appropriate as opinions on what carb to change to seem to be varying
amongst yourselves.
Again, thanks a lot!
Roland
B 9471941
in Switzerland
e-mail: roland.flueeler@cantrade.ch
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