engine trouble - Ford Muscle Forums : Ford Muscle Cars Tech Forum

Larryboy27 · 02-13-2013, 04:29 PM

hey guys, i am having a hell of a time starting and keeping my engine running.......its always been a little coldblooded but even in the middle of the day it doesnt want to stay running. FYI, its a 289 with a 4barrell and edelbrock intake....all stock other than that. this problem went away for a while but its back now in full force. here are the highlights

1. butterfly is closed completely when car is cold.
2. engine has an automatic choke
3. engine seems to flood VERY easy....can smell gas heavily
4. i have adjusted the choke and does not seem to be helping

as a side-note, the car idles around 500-700 initially but after driving around for a while and putting the car into park, the idle speeds up to 1001-1100............isnt it supposed to be the opposite??? any help you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Larryboy27 · 02-13-2013, 04:30 PM

i meant to say 1000-1100

RAGGAREN · 02-13-2013, 05:05 PM

what brand carb??? edel..holley..ford autolite....
could be a blown power valve....??

Larryboy27 · 02-13-2013, 05:41 PM

edelbrock

Larryboy27 · 02-13-2013, 05:43 PM

just seems to be related to the choke......

angus67 · 02-13-2013, 06:06 PM

did you adjust the two idle circuit screw correctly? idle would rise when id park, but that alot.
Find the directions for your carb online, and adjust it to their recomendations.
You might also have too big of a carb on it too. I have a 67 with a 289, auto, and a 600cfm edel. Heard thats about the limit for this little engine.
when I put the carb on the car, I couldnt get the auto choke to work rite, so I converted it to a manual choke. You might try that, too.

Larryboy27 · 02-13-2013, 06:39 PM

im reading online and i adjusted the choke just now. what is the "two idle circut screw"??? my carb is a 600 also. idk alot about engines but it seems to be getting too much fuel, but thats just me

RickRacer · 02-13-2013, 08:13 PM

You might have a bad float level, I had to adjust my Edelbrock carb once when I was having trouble with it running right.

I don't like electric chokes one bit! I've got a 500 cfm Edelbrock carb manual choke on my 289. I think a 600 is to big for a stock 289.

Angus67....How did you convert your 600 over to a manual choke? I checked with Edelbrock and they don't make a conversion kit that I know of. I'd love to convert my 600 over to manual choke and use it later when I add a cam.

Rockdodger · 02-14-2013, 07:36 PM

Some possibilities:
1. Leaky float.
2. Float level too high.
3. Choke malfunction due to:
a. The spring is in backwards.
b. It's not getting a full 12 volts. (The Ford factory
choke wire only provides about half of that.)

Larryboy27 · 02-14-2013, 09:08 PM

what i dont understand is that when i start the engine, it does not idle high like it should when it is cold. it idles around 900-1000. from what i understand, it should start out idling around 1500 and then when it warms up it should drop down either automatically or with a quick pump of the throttle right? mine does not do that......any ideas?

jerrym3 · 02-15-2013, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larryboy27

what i dont understand is that when i start the engine, it does not idle high like it should when it is cold. it idles around 900-1000. from what i understand, it should start out idling around 1500 and then when it warms up it should drop down either automatically or with a quick pump of the throttle right? mine does not do that......any ideas?

Again not a mechanic here, but my Holley 4 barrel has a fast idle adjustment screw which raises/lowers the rpms when the car is cold and the choke is engaged.

Maybe?

Larryboy27 · 02-15-2013, 04:12 PM

so would you recommend that i adjust that screw so that when my car starts cold that it will idle higher? what do i do if the idle doesnt drop down after the car warms up?

Larryboy27 · 02-15-2013, 04:34 PM

ive been making some adjustments the last few days. yesterday it was fine and today it wont hold an idle. if i hold the gas pedal down, it will keep runningn but it sounds like CRAP. sputtering and missing and shaking. when i let off the gas, it dies instantly. i shouldnt have to stay in the car with the gas pedal down waiting for it to warm up. oh and it REAKS of gas. this thing was running great all of january, but now it just doesnt want to start and once it starts, it wont hold an idle.....

jerrym3 · 02-15-2013, 04:38 PM

It worked on my Holley.

Once the car warmed up and the choke plate was vertical, the fast idle/choke linkage was no longer engaged.

The "typical" fast idle adjustment took over.

Find it, and when cold and not running, turn it clockwise.

Trial and error.

Mine was a bitch to get at.

But, I am assuming that your carb has a cold idle adjustment.

angus67 · 02-15-2013, 09:33 PM

You really need to adjust the two screws on the front of the carb. The engine must be warmed up, with the air cleaner you intend to use on. then turn the right screw in until the idle drops, then turn it out very slowly untill the idle starts rising, keep turning untill the idle stops rising, then turn the idle screw out until your idle is approppriate. then do the same to the left screw. once you have the screws were they stop the idle from rising, turn the other way just a tad. This will keep the motoor from smelling of gas. This sets your idle circuit. This is very first step in setting up your edel carb.
I did it back in 96. Maybe the kit isnt available now. I have like a clam lookin clamp that hangs of the passenger side to hold the outer part of the choke cable, then the inner core I bent a 'Z' in it to go in the teardrop shape on the choke plate rod, and sealed the hole that is down and to the rite of the teardrop with a wood screw and sealant. Adjusted the 'Z' so that when the choke knob is pulled all the way out, there is about a 1/16th of a gap in the airhorn.
Ill post a pic tomoroww.