Flathead surging at idle

[ken ct]

Joe all kits for strombergs have leather pumps,even todays kits.If you have steel needle in the 97 kit you can use just the needle will interchange with the tapered rubber one from the 94if the 94 has the old style brass seat. Will not if its the one you use a wrench to install. PM if any ques. ken ct. The blue and black pumps are N/G,i would not use them.

[flatjack9]

Yes 170 is enough to boil the fuel.

[tiquer]

I have never had a ford with a new or rebuilt flathead, all of mine where pretty much Henry survivors. I did drive many daily as they where my only transportation at the time. More than one displayed the same symptoms as you described. Run fine for a while then out of the blue at a stop sign or red light it would start to serge and eventually stall. If you are quick a light tap on the carb would set the float needle and by the time you can get back in the engine would be running better and better till back to normal. Sometimes it would take a little throttle to clear it up, but I would be on my way again to where ever I was going. It might not happen again for a few days. My problem did lie at the float needle, if not too much pressure then maybe a little dirt or rust in the seat holding it open until the slight tap would seat it again. I am sure you will find the problem and it will not be to serious good luck and happy flathead motoring

[Firepower flyer]

Ok guys I spent sometime going thru the carb today and think it payed off.I disassembled the carb and soaked it in laquer thinner for a few hours and used a torch tip cleaner and cleaned and blew everything out spotless.I don't know if all these carbs are like this but I noticed that the base and main body didn't sit perfectly flush without the gaskets in place.I hand filed the body and took off the high areas,then used 320 grit on a piece of glass and got both sides of the base perfectly flat.I finished assembling it and it went together great.I used a very small amount of aviation sealer on the upper gasket to help any leaking and carb staining.Needless to say it runs good,I didn't get to drive it tonight but it idles awesome and is very responsive,with no surging.I also think I found a small vaccum leak on the copper tube from carb to distributer,it was cracked half way thru by the bend by the distributer.So between the carb and vaccum advance line I think I have it figured out.I will probably put a good carb kit in it over winter so I don't have trouble with the needle and seat and plunger pump.Thanks for getting my pointed in the right direction
Joe