[Cliff R]

I'm only working till noon today, then taking off for a long weekend. I will have a LOT of questions for you if you want me to get involved.

We have to make sure the issues aren't parts related first, fundamental second. Since the carb has been "modified" at some point, and was "rich" right from the start when it shouldn't be, I'm leaning towards a fundamental issue as the root cause. In any case with things like this it is best to scrap just about everything inside the carb (that's what I do when one shows up here with a muddied history) and start from scratch.

First order of business is to strip it down and measure all the "players". Pressure/leak test the casting, verify no cross-leaking between the fuel bowl and area below the DCR's, throttle plates all FULLY closed'/tightly sealed in the bores when closed, no miss-matched components installed (different top/bottom), no lead plugs driving into bypass air holes, or any bleeds or orifices made larger or smaller than the stock size over the years.

One has to keep in mind with these things that over the last 50 years many of these carburetors have been apart and monkeyed with mulitiple times. In almost all cases something will be modified or mangled, like the last owners "guru" buddy that ran a hand drill thru the jets to give it some "more power", or drilled huge holes in the throttle plates so it will "idle better, or simply "twisted" the throttle shaft not taking the time to hold the fast idle parts when removing the retaining screw. I could go on for days here. I've found over the years after having thousands of carbs sent here and custom tuning troubled units that you can leave no stone un-turned with these things and assume nothing.

In other words it's simply best in all cases, to pretend you know nothing about the carbs history and start from a clean slate. I'll also add here than more times than not you are a LOT further ahead to be working with a "virgin" unit vs one that's had a lot of hands on it as needed modifications will be simple and predictable.

I just ran into this a couple of days ago. I sent a customer EVERYTHING required to set his carb up EXACTLY for the application (late 1970's Corette with mild modifcations to the orignal 350 engine).. He owned the vehicle from almost new and was certian the carb had never been touched. So he installs all the parts I sent and makes all the settings we discussed. He also installs an A/F meter. The carb actually works pretty good but really rich right off idle, normal driving and heavy/WOT throttle. I'm talking down in the 10 to 11 to 1 A/F range. So we go back and forth with emails, I have him make multiple adjustments, and it's just not responding like it should. I finally went back to "basics" and had him send me some pics of the airhorn and main casting.

Low and behold someone had driven .045" main airbleeds into the air horn and main casting, stock size for that carb is .120".. How or why we'll never know but I'll remember the aggrevation it caused and the hours I lost of my life trying to help figure all that out! Good news is that it's now working like it should and everyone is happy and we can chalk it up to experience and move forward.........