I have a 64 GT with a 289 using the Edelbrock 1403. It ran fine for months but the fuel economy was poor. A local club member said out of the box the floats need re-setting to 13/32" rather than the factory setting for the AFB of 9/32". I drove it 15 miles with no problem. Then it started to die out on me. My friend said check out low fuel pressure from the electric pump. I installed a new one that puts out 9psi max and have the regulator set at 5.5. I installed new filters too. Nothing I have done has remedied this problem. My investment is stuck in my garage!!!
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I would put the float back and see how it runs. If the problem goes away, but mileage is still poor consider a jet change."In the heart of Arkansas."
Searcy, Arkansas
1952 Commander 2 door. Really fine 259.
1952 2R pickup -
If you bought the 64GT as an investment, you are probably gonna be disappointed someday. Regardless, the problem you describe sounds like you maybe shoulda left the floats alone. I agree with 52-fan, reset them and see how it runs. First though, remove the line where it comes into the pump and blow back through it, and listen for gurgling in the tank. Might be you have some debris clogging the line.
As for poor MPG, several possible factors come into play: type of transmission, rear gears, how you drive the car, time spent idling, type of roads you drive on, choke setting, etc. I'd expect the carb to get 10-18 MPG, depending on above factors. Good luck!Last edited by JoeHall; 01-29-2020, 07:03 PM.Comment
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Agreed...DO NOT SCREW WITH THE FLOAT HEIGHT.
BAD move by your friend.
Contemplate metering rod and or piston spring change for a mileage problem.
BUT...if you have other problems...
1. Make sure that you have no vacuum leaks, anywhere.
2. Make sure that you have the idle mixture screws adjusted correctly.
3. Make sure that you have the ignition timing to 34° to 36° total. Higher than the book..!
4. You can even go lower on the fuel pressure. 4 to 4.5 is more than enough. High pressure actually raises the float level..!
MikeComment
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One more thought... Loosen you gas cap and see if that affects the problem. I have seen vent tubes plugged by mud daubers and/or rust. This will create a vacuum in the tank if the cap is non-vented, and if the tank is near full, it can actually starve the fuel pump.Jim Bradley
Lake Monticello, VA
'78 Avanti II
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Thanks all for the tips. My friend in the SDC club is a respected mechanic in our local chapter and meant well. That being said I set the float level back to Edelbrock specs of 7/16". The car won't even run now! So I am at a loss at this point as to what to do. There are no more people alive that can be trusted to work on a carburetor around here.Comment
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Remove the fuel line at the carb and place the end in a clear container; turn the key on so the fuel pump comes on, and watch to see how much fuel flows into the container. If it appears to be a, "healthy" stream, then fuel supply to the carb is not the problem. On the other hand, if it is not coming out in a strong stream, then fuel supply is suspect. If so, first remove the fuel cap and recheck. If still weak, check for a restriction or pin hole or obstruction somewhere in the line. If it has a pinhole between pump and carb, there will be a strong gas smell. If between the tank and fuel pump, probably not. Do not despair, this is not difficult at all.Comment
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With the fuel line disconnected and aimed in a bucket I turned on the pump. The stream does appear to be quite weak and I can easily stop it by putting my finger over the line. When connected to the carb, after running the pump a minute or so the engine starts and will idle indefinitely. But if I run it at about 2500 rpm for a few minutes it will sputter out and die. Sure sounds like the fuel supply is not keeping up.Comment
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Best bet is to first disconnect the line at the inlet side of the pump, then blow back into the tank and listen for gurgles. That way, in the event of debris in the tank blocking the line, you will have cleared temporarily, enough to reassemble and test the engine again. OTOH, if it still starves, look for pinhole(s) in the line. You can definitely figure this out, perseverance WILL pay off! !Originally posted by jostanton1 View PostComment
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Joe...I know you said it in post 7...but to restate, before you blow air in the line to the tank, REMOVE the fuel cap! cheers, juniorOriginally posted by JoeHall View Postsigpic
1954 C5 Hamilton car.Comment
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I had a similar problem and all the adjusting, changing carbs and fuel pumps did nothing because I had several pin holes in the fuel line, there was no smell of gas because the fuel line was under vacuum, I replaced the fuel line and all is well again.Comment
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Unless you have a filter in front of that electric pump it will soon get partially blocked with debris, it will pump but barely. pull the tank and clean it out, blow the kines clear while tank is off. catch debris from line in a rag, you will be surprised! Luck DoofusComment
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I installed a new Stant fuel cap that was recommended for the car. Low and behold the darn thing stalled out each time I accelerated from a dead stop when it hit 40 mph. It did it 3 times in a row and would start up a minute after I let the pump run. I loosened the cap and And it drove fine for the last 15 miles with no issues. So perhaps a dumb question, but does this car require a vented gas cap?Comment
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Yes. $12 at Studebaker International. Page 184.Comment
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Been doing this for years, drill a tiny hole through the rivet in the center of the cap,this will insure venting. with all the part number consolidating and such it's hard to find the correct style of cap. Luck DoofusComment
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