318 sb with a four barrel carb

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169dart4y

169dart4y

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Well I have had a couple of issues lately with my 318 not starting up after I have driven for a half an hour, then turn the motor off unload the kayak and gear and go to park and it just turns over and is real touchy about flooding it.
So the other day I was checking the idle speed and noticed what looked like a constant stream of air bubbles in the clear fuel filter. The bubbles were in the front side of the filter and even if I reved up the motor it still has a stream of bubbles. I never noticed this before and the car runs fine besides being touchy about starting after it is warmed up.
Thoughts might be the fuel pump is going out? The Fuel is boiling in the fuel line, it's not that hot here only in the low 70's to maybe 80 lately.
I have posted before about the hard starting and I'm not the only one with this problem, I might just have to try the 3/4" spacer under the carb.

Any thoughts would be great. Ted
dodgedartCassiniranch006.jpg
 
Fuel pump.

I've been dealing with this problem on a '55 Dodge Coronet (still a mechanical fuel pump), when the engine would heat up the pump would start pushing more and more air through the lines, to the point of dropping the fuel pressure to 0 and stalling the car out. I've been able to resolve the issue for the most part with a new fuel pump. Its actually a high volume Carter pump for a 318, mounted to the 270 poly with an adaptor. Part # is M6270, will bolt right up to your 318. Pump is made in the US too, not like the cheaper Carter models.

A spacer isn't going to solve your problem btw, the fuel isn't boiling in the carb. The pump is getting hot because it's bolted to the block, and you're seeing the bubbles before the fuel even reaches the carb. I'd also check the condition of the fuel lines between the tank and the pump to make sure there aren't any dents/crimps in the metal line, and check any rubber lines for deterioration.
 
I've had a similar issue with my car not starting during a certain window of time after shutting it off, usually around 30-45 minutes I think. I just put a brand new pump on it when I got the car, I usually just have to hold the gas down a bit and help it clear out. It's gotten a little better since I've been driving it. It used to be a total bear in a parking lot when it was tough starting. It would idle like crap and I'd have to keep my foot on it to keep it going, but as soon as you drove 30 mph for a block it would run like nothing ever happened.
 
Map63Vette said:
I've had a similar issue with my car not starting during a certain window of time after shutting it off, usually around 30-45 minutes I think. I just put a brand new pump on it when I got the car, I usually just have to hold the gas down a bit and help it clear out. It's gotten a little better since I've been driving it. It used to be a total bear in a parking lot when it was tough starting. It would idle like crap and I'd have to keep my foot on it to keep it going, but as soon as you drove 30 mph for a block it would run like nothing ever happened.
Click to expand...

That sounds more like a carb tuning issue. If the carb is set too rich, the engine won't want to start as easily when its warmed up (although it will start great when cold). It could also be that the choke isn't working properly.

You can also get hot start issues from the starter, more specifically a starter that's going bad. But when that happens the engine won't crank at all until the starter cools down.

There are a lot of other things that can cause hot start issues, but Ted's issue with the air bubbles visible in the fuel filter points more specifically to the pump.
 
Hi I'm running a carter AFB , How might I lean the carb ? The two strait slot screws at the front of the carb?
What turn them clockwise a half a turn each?
 
169dart4y said:
Hi I'm running a carter AFB , How might I lean the carb ? The two strait slot screws at the front of the carb?
What turn them clockwise a half a turn each?
Click to expand...

Edelbrocks tend to have fuel perculation problems.Edelbrock,Carter,same family. Best to get them off the manifold with either a heat insulator or spacer. My slant car with a Ede 500 had the same symptoms,put a phenolic spacer on it,hot fuel issues solved.

The 2 screws in the front are for air/fuel. They should be adjusted for highest vacuum,or RPM.
Do a google search for tuning youf AFB,and you will get all the necessary answers.
 
Come to think of it, I'm not sure my choke was hooked up at the time since it was still summer and the car didn't have it wired when I bought it. I have the same AFB carb on mine, I turned my screws in till it bogged a little then backed them out a quarter to half I think when I did it. I've also gone by ear some. In particular when I was coasting down a hill in gear I would hear the exhaust popping. I had the same issue with my motorcycle and found out it was a lean idle thing. Backed the screws out another eighth to quarter I think and it's been running good since.
 
169dart4y, where abouts in Northern California are you? Im between Sacramento and Marysville.

Just Curious. Good to know there are A body guys around!
Cameron
 
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