I kind of doubt that 1/16" would make that much difference. A float setting
really out of whack would feed way too much fuel and you would know by the
smell and the black smoke in the tailpipe. Does it smoke and/or smell like
it is being overfueled? I would suspect a big vacuum leak especially as you
just got it back together. Put a vacuum gauge on it and check/block all the
vacuum ports one by one to see if you can find a leak. You can also use a
stethoscope to try and pinpoint a leak at manifold or carb base.
>From: "J. Stacey" <jstacey@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: "Imperial Mailing List" <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: IML: '73 resto' project - TQ carb question
>Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2003 07:31:30 -0700
>
>All,
>
>For those who don't care about the background to my request, I've put that
>part at the end of this note.
>
>I am doing a shade-tree, ground-up restoration of a '73 4drht. I've now
>got
>to the point where the completely overhauled 440 was first started up this
>weekend (Friday).
>
>I also put a kit in the Carter ThermoQuad carburetor myself. The engine
>finally started after several failed attempts, (too embarassing to say what
>things were preventing it from starting at first!). All in all, everything
>is quite satisfactory, and it is a real pleasure to hear her run after all
>these years, but there is still one small problem....
>
>The engine continues to run at about 800 - 900 rpm even with the primary
>throttle plates COMPLETELY closed and the idel mixture screws turned
>COMPLETEY in against the stops!!! I am wondering if this could be caused
>by
>the float level being too high? I have conflicting specs between the
>instructions that came with the carb kit and the FSM. I went by the kit
>instructions and set the float level at 1.0 inch (height of the bottom of
>the float above the inverted bowl cover w/gasket). After I had the thing
>assembled, I noticed the FSM says 1 1/16 inch, which would be a LOWER level
>of gas in the bowl.
>
>Are there any TQ experts out there that could comment on this? I don't
>really want to take the carb apart again, but obviously I will if I have
>to.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Jim Stacey
>'73 4drht slowly going back together
>Near Toronto
>
>
>BRIEF BACKGROUND
>
>I started this in the early '80's at which time I gutted the interior
>(except dash), removed all the front-end sheetmetal, etc. and stored all
>the
>parts in the attic of my garage. What was left of the car in tact - body,
>doors, glass, subframe, engine & tranny - was stored in various friends
>garages, delapidated sheds, etc, over the years until the fall of 2001 when
>the old girl finally had to come home at which point I could not ignore her
>any longer.
>
>I had the engine (which turned out to be a '68 high performance 440)
>totally
>rebuilt professionally with special cam and pistons. I removed and totlaly
>disassembled the stub frame, front suspension & brakes, steering, rear
>springs, axle and brakes and sandblasted and painted all these components.
>I removed all the dash, wiring harness, heater & A/C, steering column,
>parking brake, etc., from the interior - all that is left is the headliner
>at this point.
>
>I have re-painted all inside the cowl and air plenums, the firewall, and
>the
>floor (inside & outside with undercoating on the outside as well), back to
>about the rear of the transmission. (Only went that far back for now to
>accomodate installation of the engine & tranny).
>
>I now have the stub frame, front suspension, rad yoke, radiator, engine,
>tranny and first part of exhaust back together - all that is required to
>start the engine.
>
>I picked up some used rear quarter panels, and a bunch of other parts from
>Kerry P. in Feb '02. My son is good a MIG welding, so after I finish
>painting and undercoating the underneath side of the floor pan and trunk, I
>will start on putting in the new quarter panels. After that I'm going to
>study Kerry's latest 300 painting saga and start on the body work and
>priming. Don't think I'll ever have the nerve to try painting the car
>myself.
>
>I think MAYBE by the end of next summer I might just have her driveable.
>My
>goal is to take her to Carlisle in July '05.
>
>Thanks for taking the time to read my story.
>
>
>
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