So I got this a week ago for $200 as a project/future daily driver. Didn't start when I got it but the prev owner said it had been running until he removed the head and some vac lines. He's broken off a bolt in the head (it was for the thermostatic valve) and was just tired of dealing with it after having spent $250 on a head job. This is my first carburetor-car and I wanted to try and learn as much about them as I could with this car. So keep in mind I know very little about carbs.

The fuel pump works. I'm getting spark it seems, because when I pour gas into the intake it lights right up! The starter works. I took the carb off and cleaned it (maybe not enuff) and removed the vacuum lines connecting to it, but it still won't start. The starter turns the flywheel, the fans spins a bit and a puff of air comes from the air pump, but no ignition.

Do I need to cap off the vac ports on the carb, or should it start anyway? I want to get this thing started with the stock carb just to see what the rest of the car is like, plus I'll actually have a benchmark of performance once I get a weber in the future. I'll take pics if you need to see any details and I'd like to get a video up tomorrow if it helps diagnose the prob.

Love the forum and the resources you guys have made available. Keep on truckin!

<br>
<br>

 

got it running

ok, so I took the carb back off. cleaned it out extra well. deleted all the emissions crap and plugged the vac lines. tried to start it, but no fuel. was starting to think my fuel pump was dead and was not looking forward to dropping the tank and spending a few hours huffing gas fumes.

then I remembered a thread where someone else was removing emissions and shonuff mentioned not to remove the gold cylinder with white wires located with the other emissions boxes. so i go check the bracket that i removed, and sure enough, err SHONUFF it was hidden, mounted underneath the bracket. plugged the sucker back in and wham-O, starts right back up. so I'm guessing that it's some sort of fuel pump relay?

started it up about three more times just to make sure it wasn't a fluke and then proceeded to remove the head. in the process of blocking off the egr port, thermo/vac port, and gathering matching bolts/studs for the intake and exhaust manis. I'll post pics later today.

 

Good to hear!

 

nice project

 

owww my brain is still fuzzy from cold medicene.

thats the ballast resistor, dont ask me why its on the other side of the eng bay, i dont know.




a fair warning about the stock carb, it really doesnt like to be F'd with. meaning removing and plugging the vac lines wont make it run better. you'll fight with it to no end.


look for a cheap weber 32/36 on craigslist, well worth the money.

 

gah! I guess I'll be shelling out for the weber sooner than expected. money, always comes back to the money.

DGV, DGAV, DGEV, DFEV? does it matter?

 

water choke

another question. what's the effect of deleting the water choke lines? nothing, i'm assuming if i get a weber with an electric choke, but what would it do to the stock carb? harder cold starts?

 

DGV = manual choke
DGAV = coolant choke
DGEV = electric choke
DFxx = reversed image version of the DG

in my opinion its all about the DGEV.

removes any half chance you may have of vapor lock with the coolant choke, is reliable like clock work or 3 screws to replace, no messy coolant.


DF's are more for a wheeler, but thats another tale.

 

head off



My bro cleaning the valve cover

 

Looking good! I like the zip tie on the cam gear! I usually use a piece of wood, but I like that better! I'm liking this pictures a lot too!

Somebody photoshop the license plate outta there!

 

it's not my plate. still haven't registered it over to my name. i never understood why it's necessary anyway. what's someone going to do with a license plate #? you never see people in europe bothering with hiding their plates.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but everytime I've bought a new car in WA, the license plate transferred with the car. Meaning, eventually, that plate will be yours. (Though, I think after so many years, WA will make you replace the plate)

You'd be surprised what you can do with bits and pieces of car information.

 

all somebody could possibly do with your plate number is make a police report.

could get your name and addy, but most likely anyone who's really gonna F with you already knows where you live.



in WA they force you to buy a new plate every few years, you have the option some times to keep the plate when you transfer the title.

if you have a 30yr old car you can get collectors plates, good forever. you could even get era correct plates for it using super old plates.

 

not starting again

put everything back together and tried to start but it didn't get any fuel. so I checked the pump by disconnecting the oil pressure sensor from the block and the pump worked fine. but when the sensor is connected there isn't any fuel coming from the line into the carb. couldn't figure it out. then I took off the valve cover and noticed that the timing chain had slipped a few teeth. I don't know how it could have happened since I was extra careful in putting it back (that was the whole reason I had to take off the timing cover in the first place). now I have to do it ALL OVER AGAIN, ugh. is this why it won't start--because the timing isn't aligned, or could there also be other factors involved?

 

I new very little about carbs before I rebuilt the Aisin on my mill
rebuild kit Part was only $40 something, A couple of cans of carb cleaner, and 4 feet of vaccuum hose should get the job done.
I'd mess with the choke until I was completely sure the carb has to come off.

 

If the timing is off, it might start and run but it will run horribly. Get the timing dead on and double check everything else. make sure you have the 3 needed things. Spark, fuel, and compression. And if you are getting everything but fuel, Do the old fashion way and spray a little bit of carb cleaner down the carb.

 

you need to set TDC

if properly set it will run just fine, a lil timing adjustment then its gravy.

read my "quickie headgasket" thread, theres a method for setting TDC on the chain without removing the timing cover.


you also should be able to rotate the motor 620 degrees and get TDC again.



then check for spark n fuel.



if i had time id swing by and kick it for ya but im booked solid for 2 weeks.

 

the carb is fine. I know so because I cleaned it and started the truck several times before I started tearing everything off. this is what's happening NOW: the fuel pump doesn't activate when I start the truck. I've pulled the line and just laid it on top of the carb to see if any fuel was moving, but it wasn't. the fuel pump itself is fine. when I unplug the oil pressure sending unit (the wire by the oil filter) and turn on the vehicle, fuel pumps right out. so the problem is before the carb. is there a crankshaft position sensor on these trucks that would prevent the fuel pump from working? in my green 20r fsm it says that the fuel pump turns on when the starter turns and there's oil pressure. the starter is working fine, and I don't see why I wouldn't have oil pressure so what else is there if my fuel pump is in working condition? and I really doubt it would be the relay since I didn't disconnect or move that or the solenoid.

 

No fuel to the carb
Check fuel in tank (I had to put a couple of gallons in mine and prime the fuel pump a good 30-40 secs before she made any sounds of starting.)
If the float needle valve isn't sticking (sometimes it gets gummed up after gas loosens varnishy deposits) and their isn't any fuel in the window I'd check fuel line route
or maybe the Fuel filter if it hasn't been replaced yet(<$15)
I was there once bro, just keep trying diff things out
What I noticed was the engine ran smoother when I redid all new vaccuum lines back to the proper emissions components.
i still have ABV and smog pump to set up, but she runs good enough to enjoy driving her again.

 

no, there's fuel in the tank. I'll work on it later. I'm just tired of looking at it at this point. I'll keep you updated on any results.