Newbie in need of Carb Help....

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Kyle

Kyle

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Joined
Aug 16, 2011
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Location
dallas
Hi everyone I want to say thanks in advance for any advice you can give me with my current dilemma. I am new to this forum and really modding my car. I have had it for the past 7 years 5 of which it has been at my parents house while i've been stationed at various locations. I am about to get out and need to put a new carb&intake on a 71 dart swinger with a 318. It takes quite a bit to get the car to start (typically pouring a little gas in the carb) but once its on it runs perfect. Also after you have had it going for a while it while start just fine again. It's basically causing issue when its been sitting for hours. A few people told me its because I need a new carb. Makes since (to my small brain) since it has the original on it. I am wondering what are the advantages/disadvantages of an electronic choke over manual? Is this swap something someone with limited engine working experience can preform? I have found combo packs on both jeggs and summit. Summit is cheaper with more cfm carbs but no electric choke. Is there a huge advantage to this feature? This is a list of the things that my Dad has had done to it while i've been gone.

just over a year ago:
New head gaskets
new belts
new Batt
new altern
new volt reg
new siloniod
new plugs & wires
new distributor cap and points
Had it rewired to fit the shorting out problem
redressed the wiring at the firewall

Engine runs good always has its been other things that have been a pain chiefly the gauges not working and this recent problem I posted above. I looked around on the forum in the spare time I have had to try and find the answer but to no avail. Any help/advice is much appreciated!
 
More info would get you a more accurate answer. Is it stock? Manual or auto? You happen to know what gear it has? Anything else would be great, too.
 
It is stock and has a auto trans. Gear ratio unknown.
 
Kyle, I just had a carb rebuilt by Carbs and More in Laporte Tx. It cost around 225 and looks like a new carb, not just a rebuild. It arrives adjusted and ready to bolt on and go. You may try that instead of a new one, especially if it is numbers matching.
 
If I may add,my 360 was a tad hard to start after sitting for a bit turned out to be the dizzy cap was carbon up cleaned it and has been fine worth a look.
 
We just had the distributor cap replaced last year. You think it could be that already? Like I said in my post I don't know too much about it. I drove it for three years (high school and two in college) and never did anything to it besides change oil. When I drove it to MS my first assignment is when all the trouble started. Shortly thereafter I had it shipped back home. Ever since then we've been slowly replacing old worn parts. It was already a real solid car just need somethings redone to it since it had been sitting for about 30+ years in a garage. I will have it looked at though. It’s worth looking into rather than replacing the whole intake/carb setup.

@Tadams

That's actually a really good idea. I'm not trying to make it anything more than a more solid dependable daily driver while I save for a 360. Think i'll look into some carb shops around the Dallas area.

Thanks for the suggestions guys!
 
Electronic choke is awesome. Rather than fiddling around trying to get it to run correctly, let the carb do that for you. I just put an electric choke kit on my Edelbrock 1406 carb. The trick is to tap power off the downstream side of the ballast so it opens more slowly. Full 12v power opens the choke a bit too fast. Now I pump it once, turn the key and let the choke do it's thing. Highly recommended.
 
"The trick is to tap power off the downstream side of the ballast so it opens more slowly."- Mopar To Ya... How is this accomplished? Sorry if there is a super obvious answer, don't really know much about cars.
 
Kyle said:
"The trick is to tap power off the downstream side of the ballast so it opens more slowly."- Mopar To Ya... How is this accomplished? Sorry if there is a super obvious answer, don't really know much about cars.
Click to expand...

Power in, power out at the resistor. Use a voltmeter if you have one. One side will have more voltage than the other. Electric chokes use resistance to heat up the coils, thus opening the choke. Too much voltage and it heats up too fast. I am off to work, but I can take pics of mine tomorrow if you like. Do yourself a favor and go electric choke. You never ever have to worry about a thing. Pump it and turn the key. The PO of my car bought the manual choke version and didn't install the cable. He just wired the choke wide open. This car hated mornings. I spent $75 on a choke kit and consider it the best money I have spent on this car so far.
 
I hate to overstate the obvious, but the reason you're having trouble starting the car after it sits is probably that the gas in the carb has evaporated from sitting. It takes a few moments of cranking the engine for the bowls to fill up again. My car does it every time it sits for more than a couple of weeks. After you drive it, the bowls are full, so it starts right back up. My buddy blames it on the way gas is mixed, but I can't verify that. I do know that I lost a quarter of a tank of gas in a parked car over a 12 month period. No leaks, it just disappeared inside a locked garage.
 
@ Brian T It does get driven (by my father) about every other day. So i'm fairly certain that's not the problem or would that happen after say sitting overnight after being driven the previous morning? I drove it for two years fine before having this problem (being hard to start after sitting for more than 8hrs). It runs perfect though once started so thats how I came to the conclusion of needing to replace the 30+ year old carb. My bad though I probably didn't clarify that is does get driven regularly.

@ Mopar To Ya PIcs would be AWESOME!! I'm planning on using it as a daily drive like I did before I joined the military so from what you've said i'm sold on the eletric choke. I found a edlebrock intake and electric choke combo pack from Mancini i'll be buying this weekend... Now I just got wait til I get back to the states to play with it,BOO!
 
Yeah, the line about being stationed away led me to believe that the car was sitting. Now that I reread it, you are right.

Anyway, have you taken the top of the air cleaner off and verified that the choke is closing? Press the gas once, and the choke should close. If it doesn't close, you need to figure out why. If it does close, hold it open with a screw driver and manually work the throttle. Is there gas squirting from the accelerator pump?

It is always more fun (read frustrating) to try and fix a problem then to start throwing new parts at it!!!
 
Okay, I lied. I forgot that I decided not to run a longer wire and I tapped power for the choke off the positive post of the coil. It was very close and easy to get to and when running has 7.2v. Note that I just ran the ground wire to one of the choke thermostat's mounting screws and it grounds through the carb.
View attachment Choke 2.jpg

View attachment Choke 1.jpg

View attachment Choke.jpg
 
I just purchased the Edlebrock performer intake and 600cfm electronic choke carb. Do you think this new setup will have any negative effects on the current all stock original 318?
 
It will have a negative effect on your wallet every time you have to fill up!!

Sticking a four barrel and intake on a "all stock original 318" will not gain you much in performance. You will be able to hear the four barrels kick open and watch the gas gauge go down, but that's about it. To take full advantage you would need to change the cam out and also add dual exhaust.
 
It already has dual exhaust and i'm not looking to gain performance right away. Just want to make it more dependable for now. From what i've read on Edelbrock's website the performer is just a straight stock replacement with now real performance gains. I did however accidentally buy the performer RPM (somehow didn't notice the RPM in the title) so now i'm returning that.
 
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