Starting After Carbs Rebuilt

Sent my carbs out to be rebuilt (Apple Hydraulics). It ran prior to taking them off.
Put everything back together - made sure to check the jets were at correct levels and centered. Adjusted the idle screws per the manual. Am getting gas to the float bowls. Fuel pump is working. Taped the chokes to starting choke position (tried it open as well).

I get nothing unless I use starting fluid when trying to start. Starting fluid fires it right up, but won't stay running.

What else am I missing?

Re: starting after carbs rebuilt

dmherr said:

...taped the chokes to starting choke position ...

Click to expand...

What does this mean?

Which carb setup/which Healey model?

Do you have spark?

Re: starting after carbs rebuilt

sorry
67 BJ8 - HD8 carbs

taped the choke cables so they were fully into the cold start position - since the air cleaners are not on yet

Re: starting after carbs rebuilt

Fires with starting fluid but won't stay running says no fuel at the jets. You say you have gas to the float bowls but have you confirmed you have gas in the float bowls? It's possible the float valves are stuck or not set right.

I suggest removing the dashpots and the pistons and look down at the top of the jets - you should see fuel inside and just below the top of the jet if the floats are set correctly and the float valves are functioning correctly.

Depending on what the float level is set at, you may not be able to easily see the gas, so if you don't see gas in the jet, have a helper pull the choke quickly. If you have gas at the jets, there will be a slight spurt of gas upwards (basically the jet dropping causes a pump action and squirts fuel, so the faster the pull on the knob the bigger the squirt) make sure you have safety glasses and aren't directly over the carb....it's a small squirt but you don't want to chance getting any gas in your eyes. In some cases it's a very small squirt, so don't panic if it's just a small dribble, you just want to see any surge to confirm there is gas there.

Also, you can remove a float lid and see how much fuel is inside - the fuel level in the float chamber should be about level with he top of the jet (with the float in place - it will drop some if you remove the float).

Dave

Re: starting after carbs rebuilt

or ... you could turn it over for a couple seconds, then pull out a spark plug and see if it's dry or wet, or smells like fresh gasoline. Dry would indicate no fuel leaving the carb; wet means there's a fuel flow problem.

Tom M.

Re: starting after carbs rebuilt

If your choke cables & brackets are not installed, you could use a wire hook to pull sharply up on the choke levers and see if you have fuel per Dave above. That way it could be done without owing the "Dreaded" assistant any favors .

Dave
took the dashpots and checked as you mentioned - big squirt on each side when pulling the choke. did not notice gas below the top of the jets though.

still wont stay running with out the starter fluid

how important is it to see the fuel just insuide the top of the jet? the chamber around the jet was wet from fuel

Re: starting after carbs rebuilt

thanks

pulled the cables up and taped them to the dash pots to simulate the "full" choke position

dmherr, that's good news, means you are getting fuel to the jets. Not seeing fuel at the jet may just be a result of the float setting.

The starting fluid may be masking a too-rich situation since it is much more volatile that gas (I have never used staring fluid so I'm not too sure).

At this point, I would go back thru your initial settings and confirm everything is at a good starting point. You should not need starting fluid IMO. If you haven't already, check other engine settings, timing, compression, etc.

NutmegCT may be right and you are too rich, so try cranking it for a bit with no choke and, if it doesn't start, pull a plug or two and see if it's wet of if you smell gas.

I have no personal experience with Apple on carb rebuilds but I wouldn't be too quick to change any settings, they have been around quite a while and AFAIK are professionals.

If you confirm all is set right and it still doesn't start & run, I would contact Apple and see what they suggest. Follow-up/warranty support is part of what you paid for - so, get your money's worth....

Dave

Re: starting after carbs rebuilt

"Also, you can remove a float lid and see how much fuel is inside - the fuel level in the float chamber should be about level with he top of the jet (with the float in place"
-----------------------------
The "transparent float bowl", allowing one to see the fuel level in the bowls would be just one of several applications in my line of transparent components, others being the "transparent distributor cap" allowing one to see the nature of the spark at the breakers, and the "transparent valve cover" allowing one to see the workings of the valve train and top end lubrication, etc., all of these while the engine is actually running.

Apple Hydraulics’s rebuilt both sets of my BJ8 carbs for my cars . Bolted them on cars fired up right away with no fiddling . Just minor adjustments to idle and mixture once the car was running .
You need to see if the plugs are getting wet and stop feeding it starter fluid .

thats exactly what i was expecting as well - start right up with some minor tweaking.

As i mentioned before - everything was running when i took them off and haven't adjusted anything else in the interim.

i am going to take the dash pots off again - reset the jet height so it is flush with the bridge and see if that makes any difference. i had adjusted them down 2.5 turns "according to the book" but it was supposed to be after the engine was warm. so it may be too rich or lean one way or the other

will advise and thank you all for the advice'

keeping my fingers crossed

dmherr - did you ever pull a plug after cranking, to see if the plug was wet or smelled of gasoline?

reset the jet height to flush with bridge....nothing happening

pulled out a spark plug - was not wet and did not smell of gas

cranked it over with key on and plug out - no gas vapor coming out.

i'm stymied!!

DM - Jet height flush with bridge won't run. Far too lean. Almost no SUs work that way.

Basic setting per Des Hammill - Jet drop for HD8 should be .060"/1.5mm to start with, then do your tune up. IIRC this would be 2 full turns down on the mixture screw. IIRC the mixture screw is .030" per turn.

Maybe your timing is so far out that's why it'll only fire with the starting fluid.

Make sure your spark is OK with static timing.

1. Is your fuel pump working correctly? Take off the fuel line at the carb, have an assistant crank the engine while you hold the line over a can or jar. Fuel should squirt out.
2. Float levels may be wrong - not allowing new fuel to flow in carbs.
3. Plugs are dry. Fuel is being prevented from reaching plugs. All of them?
4. Call the rebuilder and tell them what is happening. Maybe they messed up something in the carbs. Most folks use Joe Curto. I knew him years ago. He's built up quite a business. Perhaps he would be willing to offer a suggestion or two.

thanks DM

i will reset the jet height the way i had it - basically 2.5 complete screws turns below flush - the way the book had it and will leave at 2 turns per suggestion. the timing was great when i pulled the carbs so going to leave that alone. plenty of gas flowing as i had to plug a leak at the banjo fittings and the pump has a rapid click to start. only pulled one plug to check - but will pull the balance tomorrow after a fresh crank

,,,, and i will call Apple in the morning as well

thanks everyone for the advice

dmherr said:

thanks DM

i will reset the jet height the way i had it - basically 2.5 complete screws turns below flush - the way the book had it and will leave at 2 turns per suggestion. the timing was great when i pulled the carbs so going to leave that alone. plenty of gas flowing as i had to plug a leak at the banjo fittings and the pump has a rapid click to start. only pulled one plug to check - but will pull the balance tomorrow after a fresh crank

,,,, and i will call Apple in the morning as well

thanks everyone for the advice

Click to expand...

DM - the above looks like an argument for lack of spark. Suggest setting your points and checking your static timing. If you have extra swap out your condenser and coil. Make sure your points are not shorted to ground. Make sure there is 12v to the coil with the ignition on.

With the chokes you've already demonstrated you have gas in the carbs by the "squirts" from your chokes - the car will run at either 2 or 2-1/2 turns down.



Old adage: 90% of fuel problems are electrical.

Since it fires up reliably with starting fluid, I would guess that the problem is not a lack of spark.

Hi DM,

I appreciate that you may be getting gas to the float chamber, but, how much and how consistent is it flowing. Have you initially checked the input screens after installing the carburetors? Now, after all the activity, the dirt and sediment that was sucked up from the tank and/or pump and lines may have been dislodged from the screens (if any settled there) and may now be in the float bowl or pin entry. If true, this would allow the carbs to perform at times but not assure consistent operation.

Before thinking all is OK, I would pull the lines and check the screens. If any foreign matter is found, I would then pull the carburetors and go through them for additional matter. However, if the screens appear clean, I would take the chance that all is well.

By the way, if you have a filter positioned close to the carburetors, I would look on this speculation as a non-carburetor happening.

All the best,
Ray(64BJ8P1)