Starts but won't stay running?

[danielnorton]

been away from the forum and my sprite (at least working on her) for about a year and now I am having some problems with getting her going.. She's a 1967 - 1275 with duel su's Basically I can get the car going, but after about a minute of idle the car dies, if I pump the gas it also dies. I checked the fuel pump - (disconnected the feed to the carbs) and it flows fine, Even though I have fuel stabiliar in the tank, I wondering if the gass could be bad - been about 2 months since I last filled her and started up (at that point I put in the stabilizer)

When it does run I get some backfire and smoke from the carbs sometimes which instantly stalls her.

Any advice would be helpful, I checked the vacuum lines as well and they seem fine.

-Daniel

 

[jlaird]

Have you checked that the float valves are working correctly.

 

[danielnorton]

Just opend up the float chamber everything seems clean and running smoothly.

Also just pulled the spark plugs, they are very black..

 

[wheelwright]

I have seen the rubber inside an su tear or stick to the housing after prolonged storage,due to the additives in gas.also ck your dashpots for oil,fuel filter,any gas leaking out of the carbs?

 

[spritenut]

Check for a stuck on choke, not so much the cable, but the actual chokes on the bottom of the carbs, just push them up with your finger, if they snap up, they were stuck and probably fouled the plugs if they are real black.
Also, modern gas melts the modern rubber fuel hose, look for black mung inside the floats.

 

[jlaird]

Surely is a rich condition.

 

[danielnorton]

thanks, No leakage, there was a little gunk in the float chamber. I'll check the choke in the morning.
How much oil should be in that dash pots? The little dip stick is saturated, but the level is not so high, should they be filled to the top?

 

[Shealey]

I have a different approch. Dash pots could be causing your throttle trouble, I agree with that. But if you have not messed with the car for a couple months, check all electrical connections. A weak ground will cause weak spark and fry the points. Check the points for pitting or titting. 90% of carb problems are electrical.

 

[Bayless]

on carb problems being electrical. The oil in the dash pots is to keep the mixture from going way lean under acceleration. That doesn't seem to be your problem. The level being wrong should not make it quit unless you blip the throttle too much but that should more likely cause a lean mixture, not indicated by black plugs. If if is a carb problem, it really sounds more like a sticking float or choke.

 

[BugEyeBear]

Gas should be fine after just 2 months. ESPECIALLY with fuel stabilizer added!

THAT SAID, fresh gas is a relatively inexpensive piece of mind...


(Slightly OFF Topic Q DOES ANYONE REMEMBER Woody Allen's movie "Sleeper" where he wakes up in the year 2173 & finds a 200+ year-old VW and it starts instantly!?!? I wonder what sort of fuel & battery was installed? (MUST have been a DieHard....) <LOL>
Also loved the "Orb", the "Orgasmatron", and that they'd discovered that all the foods thought to be "healthy" in the 1970's were actually harmful, and vice-versa...
Great Movie!
(sorry, I REALLY got off topic there.....)


"Cheers!"
-Bear-

 

[jlaird]

No question in my mind that it is carbs, black plugs, too much fuel.

Needle valve or choke stuck open a bit.

 

[dklawson]

I agree with Jack. Daniel said the engine will start, runs for a couple of minutes, then dies and the plugs are very black when he checks them. Daniel went on to say that there was fuel in the float bowls and everything was flowing. Perhaps flowing too well?

Check the float valves again, make sure they're shutting off the flow and that the level isn't too high.

 

[danielnorton]

will do, I'm leaning toward that being the issue as well, now if it stops snowing I'll be on it