Need help with edelbrock 1406 carb

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1968 Dart 270

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I have a 1968 Dodge Dart with a 360 in it. Someone put an edelbrock 1406 carb on it. It drove fine until today when it got hard to start and wanted to die at the lights. Once you’d get it started it would run. Took off air cleaner and the barrels facing the front of the engine were pissing out gas. Gas was leaking out when I shut off the car. Need to drive it to get it back home. I’m guessing the float is sticking. Anybody have any experience with these carburetors?

I’m going to have to drive it about 10 miles home then it’s staying parked until this is sorted out

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I have a 1968 Dodge Dart with a 360 in it. Someone put an edelbrock 1406 carb on it. It drove fine until today when it got hard to start and wanted to die at the lights. Once you’d get it started it would run. Took off air cleaner and the barrels facing the front of the engine were pissing out gas. Gas was leaking out when I shut off the car. Need to drive it to get it back home. I’m guessing the float is sticking. Anybody have any experience with these carburetors?

I’m going to have to drive it about 10 miles home then it’s staying parked until this is sorted out

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With what you described I would agree on the float needle damaged or having garbage in it.
I’ll tell you a trick I use if I think garbage is in the needle.
Pinch off the fuel line and run the motor till it dies.
Then unpinch the fuel line and see if the big rush of fuel that refills the carb cleared the needle and seat.
 
Thanks trailbeast, I pinched off the line and the engine just kept running and running. How long does it take after you’ve pinched off the fuel line for the engine to finally die?
 
...or my trick: while it's pissing gas down the primaries, give the bowl a sharp whack with a rubber hammer, and it should stop. Don't get carried away.
 
How long have you been driving it? Have you changed anything lately? Did it come on all at once or did it get a little worse, then get bad fast??
 
Changed the oil yesterday and bought the Edelbrock air cleaner but that’s been yet. Yeah it came on slowly. At idle it started every once in a while having a hiccup. Ran fine when you were pulling away and driving and on the freeway. This morning came home parked for about four hours went with a friend out to lunch and it started doing it then. I just tried doing what trail beast recommended. And it seems to have made a difference. It’s not pissing gas like it was anymore and it starts up at the bump of a key. Let it run for a while and it started hiccuping again and now I see a couple drops in the front barrels after the engine is off I changed the fuel filter as well because I could see some sediment in it.
 
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Change the oil yesterday but that’s been yet. Yeah it came on slowly. At idle it started every once in a while having a hiccup. Ran fine when you were pulling away and driving and on the freeway. This morning came home parked for about four hours went with a friend out to lunch and it started doing it then. I just tried doing what trail beast recommended. And it seems to have made a difference. It’s not pissing gas like it was anymore and it starts up at the bump of a key. Let it run for a while and it started hiccuping again and now I see a couple drops in the front barrels after the engine is off I changed the fuel filter as well because I could see some sediment in it.
These carbs are known for being fuel pressure sensitive. If you research, you will find that they recommend you run a pressure regulator set at 5.5 psi or less. Without the pressure regulator when you get on it the pump will increase the pressure. When the pressure gets above 6 psi it bends the float tabs and resets the float height. I have ran into this on nearly every Edelbrock I have seen run. I rebuild mine and will be rebuilding 3 of them this week. They all get a cheap psi regulator now.

It's nice to run the fuel line on the fender away from the heat anyway. Adding a regulator this way will help keep the fuel cooler also.
 
These carbs are known for being fuel pressure sensitive. If you research, you will find that they recommend you run a pressure regulator set at 5.5 psi or less. Without the pressure regulator when you get on it the pump will increase the pressure. When the pressure gets above 6 psi it bends the float tabs and resets the float height. I have ran into this on nearly every Edelbrock I have seen run. I rebuild mine and will be rebuilding 3 of them this week. They all get a cheap psi regulator now.

It's nice to run the fuel line on the fender away from the heat anyway. Adding a regulator this way will help keep the fuel cooler also.

This is another reason I wish people would just leave these cars stock. All the mopars I had that were left factory original were ultra reliable. Chrysler engineered all those parts to work together perfectly. Then someone plays mix-n-match.
This person didn’t even have an air cleaner that fit the car correctly on it. When I brought it home I looked at it and the element had about an inch of space above it where it didn’t touch the top of the housing. Air and dust could just go right over the top of the filter and into the engine. I bought that edelbrock air cleaner because it fits the carb they had put on the car.
The plus is that the car has no rust and runs like a top until this.
Anyway the car has the factory block mounted mechanical fuel pump. Don’t know what the PSI is that it puts out,but what you say makes sense since it did it after I was on the freeway. If the floats bend under pressure sounds like that happened.why wouldn’t edelbrock make these to withstand the pressure of a normal mechanical fuel pump? The fuel line is stock. I’d prefer not to drill holes or mount it on my fender if I had a choice. The car is all original execpt for the 360 engine and the engine is factory except for the intake and carb.
So I’m curious,what do you charge to rebuild a 1406? What regulator do you recommend? Where are you located maybe I could send mine to you. Or can you recommend a better carb for the 360 for a daily driver that would work with the edelbrock intake. Something that doesn’t need a regulator?
 
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This is another reason I wish people would just leave these cars stock. All the mopars I had that were left factory original were ultra reliable. Chrysler engineered all those parts to work together perfectly. Then someone plays mix-n-match.
This person didn’t even have an air cleaner that fit the car correctly on it. When I brought it home I looked at it and the element had about an inch of space above it where it didn’t touch the top of the housing. Air and dust could just go right over the top of the filter and into the engine. I bought that edelbrock air cleaner because it fits the carb they had put on the car.
The plus is that the car has no rust and runs like a top until this.
Anyway the car has the regular block mounted mechanical fuel pump. Don’t know what the PSI is that it puts out,but what you say makes sense since it did it after I was on the freeway. If the floats bend under pressure sounds like that happened.
So I’m curious,what do you charge to rebuild a 1406? What regulator do you recommend? Where are you located maybe I could send mine to you. Or can you recommend a better carb for the 360 for a daily driver
These Edelbrocks are great carbs. They are more tunable than most any carb. Changing the fuel filter can allow crap to get in the float seat and clog it. If you watch a fuel pump work with a gauge you can see how they go higher with speed, you can also see how they pulse. A regulator limits the pressure at a good level and eliminates the pulses also. That is a good thing. Where are you located? What is your elevation? I use the usa made Edelbrock or Holley regulator. 4-15 psi and set it at 5.5 psi. Get a gauge for it. Ebay is a good place to look. What distributor are you using? What do you know about the 360 in the car? Year? Cam?

I'm in Iowa. You can message me too.

I wanna see more pics of this 68 Dart.
 
The Edel carbs are NOT sensitive to fuel pressure. The fuel system is a DIRECT copy of the original Carter AFB design, which was designed to use up to 10 psi of fuel pressure. Carter even produced a chart for tuners to set float level/fuel pressure because one affects the other.

The reason Edel says 5.5 psi is because the fuel level varies with fuel pressure & the carb is calibrated @ 5.5 psi. With 50 + yrs of working on these carbs, I have found they are relatively insensitive to fuel pressure or float level changes, except perhaps for extremes.

Current problem is most likely caused by:
- leaking float
- worn needle & seats
- bad filter [ letting dirt pass ]
 
The Edel carbs are NOT sensitive to fuel pressure. The fuel system is a DIRECT copy of the original Carter AFB design, which was designed to use up to 10 psi of fuel pressure. Carter even produced a chart for tuners to set float level/fuel pressure because one affects the other.

The reason Edel says 5.5 psi is because the fuel level varies with fuel pressure & the carb is calibrated @ 5.5 psi. With 50 + yrs of working on these carbs, I have found they are relatively insensitive to fuel pressure or float level changes, except perhaps for extremes.

Current problem is most likely caused by:
- leaking float
- worn needle & seats
- bad filter [ letting dirt pass ]
And then letting said dirt lodge in the needle seat. Super easy fix
 
The Edel carbs are NOT sensitive to fuel pressure. The fuel system is a DIRECT copy of the original Carter AFB design, which was designed to use up to 10 psi of fuel pressure. Carter even produced a chart for tuners to set float level/fuel pressure because one affects the other.

The reason Edel says 5.5 psi is because the fuel level varies with fuel pressure & the carb is calibrated @ 5.5 psi. With 50 + yrs of working on these carbs, I have found they are relatively insensitive to fuel pressure or float level changes, except perhaps for extremes.

Current problem is most likely caused by:
- leaking float
- worn needle & seats
- bad filter [ letting dirt pass ]
I will find all of the information that says different and post it. I think the new metal is cheaper than the old carbs as my 55 year old carbs do not have this issue but the new ones do. Even Edelbrock admits this on their website. You can lower the fuel pressure and they will still seap until readjusted. Add a regulator and set it and the problem is gone forever. This isn't an old float thing this is a new carb issue. I also wonder if the new fuel pumps aren't pushing more pressure than the old ones.

If you go to their website and read their trouble shooting guide it even says it right there. Yes pressure adjusts float level but under higher pressure, higher rpm's it does bend the tabs.

You aren't the only one who has been rebuilding these for 50 years.
 
DM,
You can postulate all you like. Everything in post# 11 is true & correct.
Page 9 of the Edel tuning guide states a fuel starvation issue could be caused by low fuel pressure & 4-5 psi is reqd, MINIMUM. NOT MAXIMUM.

Further, Edel carbs come with the small 0.093" n/seats. The comp series Carter AFBs came with larger 0.1015" n/seats, with sizes as large as 0.120" available. Larger n/seats changes fuel level & makes fuel level harder to control, but up to 10 psi was controllable.

The metal in Edel carbs might be cheaper, but it does not cause flooding unless it is porous or seals fail to seal.

The OPs problem may well be a float issue, either leaking or binding.

You must be working on different Edel/AFB carbs than the rest of us. As long as the pressure is kept under 10 psi, the float tangs do not bend & claiming that 'high rpms' bends the tangs shows a lack of understanding how carburetion works. A LOT of fuel is being used at higher rpms, fuel level drops, & the float tang is less likely to be in contact with the needle. One of the causes of lean mixture at high rpms is insufficient fuel supply through the n/seat, float is lower not higher.
 
Very Simple carb to replace needles and seats and
set floats. That would be my vote.
I watched a video on it online. I’ll try that on Monday when the speed shop opens up that sells the parts.
I’d like to get this problem licked so I can drive it again.
 
The Edel carbs are NOT sensitive to fuel pressure. The fuel system is a DIRECT copy of the original Carter AFB design, which was designed to use up to 10 psi of fuel pressure. Carter even produced a chart for tuners to set float level/fuel pressure because one affects the other.

The reason Edel says 5.5 psi is because the fuel level varies with fuel pressure & the carb is calibrated @ 5.5 psi. With 50 + yrs of working on these carbs, I have found they are relatively insensitive to fuel pressure or float level changes, except perhaps for extremes.

Current problem is most likely caused by:
- leaking float
- worn needle & seats
- bad filter [ letting dirt pass ]
Is there a filter in the carb itself too? The one I changed was an inline filter.
 
DM,
You can postulate all you like. Everything in post# 11 is true & correct.
Page 9 of the Edel tuning guide states a fuel starvation issue could be caused by low fuel pressure & 4-5 psi is reqd, MINIMUM. NOT MAXIMUM.

Further, Edel carbs come with the small 0.093" n/seats. The comp series Carter AFBs came with larger 0.1015" n/seats, with sizes as large as 0.120" available. Larger n/seats changes fuel level & makes fuel level harder to control, but up to 10 psi was controllable.

The metal in Edel carbs might be cheaper, but it does not cause flooding unless it is porous or seals fail to seal.

The OPs problem may well be a float issue, either leaking or binding.

You must be working on different Edel/AFB carbs than the rest of us. As long as the pressure is kept under 10 psi, the float tangs do not bend & claiming that 'high rpms' bends the tangs shows a lack of understanding how carburetion works. A LOT of fuel is being used at higher rpms, fuel level drops, & the float tang is less likely to be in contact with the needle. One of the causes of lean mixture at high rpms is insufficient fuel supply through the n/seat, float is lower not higher.
Thanks for all the additional information. It’s good to know that this carb can be run without a regulator with the stock fuel pump. I’m sure more than likely the issue is dirt because the previous owner had one of those clear plastic fuel filters in line and it did have a very small amount of sediment on the bottom.
I tried kinking the hose like trailbeast said but couldn’t get the engine to stall,tried whacking it when a rubber hammer too. I made it home but it died twice when I came to a light. Funny thing is that it still runs fine on the freeway or when you pull away. It just idles like crap and stalls at lights and is super hard to start because it’s flooding
 
Is there a filter in the carb itself too? The one I changed was an inline filter.
No filter inside those carbs. Just external. "It’s good to know that this carb can be run without a regulator with the stock fuel pump."

Don't be too sure, I have seen new "out of the box" fuel pumps put out 10# of pressure. That is 5# or so too much especially for a Carter/Edelbrock carb. You won't know if it's too much pressure until you test it. It's all part of diagnosis.
 
I don't care what the Edelbrock instructions say. I and MANY people have experience in the field that says Carter style 4 barrels do not like much more than 6 PSI maximum. It's simply something that you have to deal with on a combo by combo basis. My experience has been that by about 7.5 PSI, the fuel pressure overcomes the floats and floods the carburetor.
 
I don't care what the Edelbrock instructions say. I and MANY people have experience in the field that says Carter style 4 barrels do not like much more than 6 PSI maximum. It's simply something that you have to deal with on a combo by combo basis. My experience has been that by about 7.5 PSI, the fuel pressure overcomes the floats and floods the carburetor.

you're right you know..jpg
I have experienced it. ANd with a new Car Quest replacement fuel pump.
 
There are metal screens, you can use the big one immediately as fuel enters carb, OR there are 2 small ones leading into needle and seat(pretty sure that's where they're located)
Google Mike's Carb Parts, great guy, good stuff.
I have never used a psi regulator on any of the jalopies I've owned, maybe I got lucky? Never an elec pump either.
Is there a filter in the carb itself too? The one I changed was an inline filter.
 
Dragtop,
You probably didn't get lucky by not having a reg. The FACT is these carbs will handle 10 psi. I will see if I can up load the Carter chart that says so. I have run 9 psi at the drag strip, zero issues, as a quick test to slightly richen the mixture.
[1] Carter recommends on all performance applications to use a hi delivery competition series mech pump 7.5-8.5 psi & 85 gph fuel flow with 7 psi elec pump mounted at the pump to supply it.
[2] Carter mech race pump, M4862, 8.5 psi, for Chrys BB engines. M6903 street pump, 6 psi.
[3] In my Motors Manual, the hemi has a 6-8 psi pump; many other pumps for AFB equipped engines have 5-7 psi pumps listed.
 
Got to be a needle and seat problem with it overflowing gas.

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Simple carbs to take the top off of.

Needle and seat right there hanging from the top. Usually the rubber tip on the needle gives out first. The seats are simple solid brass. hard to wear them out, but they can corrode.

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I use a 1 quart tin can with a gas hose ln it to start engines when there is no fuel supply. Raise them above the height of the carb and let it Gravity feed.

Can take your fuel supply and fuel pump out of the equation for a test this way, see if the carb still leaks when idling.

Saftey first, plug your gas line from the tank, and drsin your fuel pump and guel filter before the test. Don't Want to be spraying gas around .
 
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