Time for a timing adjustment?

[deuce_roadster]

Float level? Maybe a float that is half full of gas? I didn't see anyone mention this. If your carb has an economizer valve, the gasket for those can be an issue as well as the valve itself.

[34fordy]

Sounds like a new Uncle Max Stromberg 97 or a rebuilt from CharlieNY would be a good idea. CharlieNY runs every rebuild on his test engine so when you receive it you KNOW it is right. If that carb is a 94 I see that one is listed for sale today in the swap section. It would be a good one to send to CharkieNY

[Squadron]

Originally Posted by Flathead Fever

First thing I wonder is how they set the timing up with an aftermarket distributor and no timing fixture to line it up with. We're getting to the point that most mechanics have never worked on points and carbs. and a pre '49 flathead is even worse. There are no timing marks on the engine, the distributors timing is setup in a fixture and then the distributer is mounted to the engine. We don't know what was done with your timing when the high-tech distributor was installed. I was mechanic during the points era, there is absolutely nothing wrong with points, except getting good quality replacement parts.

If you know the timing correct, I would turn the idle mixtures screws in all the way until they are closed (gently close them) and this should kill the engine at idle. If it doesn't it means the carb is getting fuel from somewhere it is not supposed to, like flooding over.

What fuel pump are you running and what pressure is its rating. Early Ford carbs cannot handle the pressure of modern fuel pumps. There are only couple electric fuel pumps with low enough pressure that will work unless you run an additional fuel regulator. It's always best to stay with the stock mechanical pump.

Got it - I've been convinced to not do an aftermarket distributor. What's on there now looks original as far as I can tell - it's the one they used in 47 (round type). Good shout about the lack of markings, I was wondering if they were just worn off!

[Squadron]

Originally Posted by 34fordy

Sounds like a new Uncle Max Stromberg 97 or a rebuilt from CharlieNY would be a good idea. CharlieNY runs every rebuild on his test engine so when you receive it you KNOW it is right. If that carb is a 94 I see that one is listed for sale today in the swap section. It would be a good one to send to CharkieNY

I'm gonna drop some pics below. I didn't pull the carb yet or anything, I spent yesterday cleaning plugs and searching for any sort of aftermarket fuel pumps on the vehicle. None that I could find.

I'm going to see if I can figure out how to adjust the timing today. It's possible that the mechanic didn't really know how to work on this timing so I'll figure it out myself.

[Steve51]

Power valve leaking, ruptured, or wrong one should be 7.5 hg. Modern power valves do not seal properly on these old carbs without a slight modification. Don't know if new copies of the old carbs fixed that or just copied the old castings and recreated the issue.
Otherwise its the jet sizing or the float level or a combination of any of these. It was the leaking power valve in my car that caused a rich running issue. Hopefully you kept the old carb and it is an OEM unit? I would rebuild that. It's really not that hard but if you don't want to do it yourself send it to someone who specializes in them. The average mechanic at the typical repair shop won't know what to do with a carburetor.

[tubman]

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The reason that some power valves leak is that Holley actually makes two different types. One configuration for the modern 4 BBLS and another, almost identical configuration for the older 94's. The later valves will screw into the older carbs correctly, but not seal. You can see the difference if you know what to look for, and the later valves can be turned in a lathe to fit properly. It is better to get your parts from a reputable dealer, like Daytona parts. I have heard that lately there can be problems with incompatible power valve gaskets, but have not experienced it.

I believe that the standard power valve in a 94 is a 6.5.