First off, hello everyone. My name is Jerry and this is my first post to this forum. I recently bought a 63 C10 long bed with the 230-6 and 3 on the tree. It ran rough when I bought it, but it was good enough to get it home. In the process of trying to clean up the fuel system, I seem to have made it worse. I put some fuel treatment in it, a new filter, a new fuel pump, and I rebuilt the carb. It will start, but that often takes a bit and when it does it seems to only run until the bowl is dry and then it dies...yet the bowl has fuel in it. I checked the output from the pump (didn't measure PSI output) and it seems to be putting out plenty. The last time it died I took the top off of the carb while it was still on the engine and it was full of fuel. I did notice that it doesn't give that squirt of fuel when I pump the throttle. I'm thinking that's the key to this, but I can't figure out why. I'm on the edge of buying a rebuilt carb, but before I do I wanted to see if any of you have suggestions. Thanks in advance!
First question is have you actually flushed the tank, is there crud in it to begin with, if there is you`ll never get it running right..it will continue to plug up...
Yeah, it's all flushed out. Clean fuel comes out of the line when I turn it over. I also forgot to mention that it'll stay running if I squirt carb cleaner, etc into the carb, but as soon as I stop it dies.
Stalling If the acellerator pump doesn't squirt each time the thottle is opened , the carby needs cleaning out , no way 'round that . I hope you've installed an InLine clear plastic fuel filter right at the inlet of the carby ? . Pressure on carbrated vehicles is really low @ 2.4 PSI MAXIMUM , all you care about is volume , you appear to be good there . Between the carby and intake manifold is supposed to be a heat spacer , it often cracks , allowing in air making the engine lean out and stall . I hope you first set the points gap (.16" or 33 degrees dwell) and then the timing to 4 degrees BTDC and then gapped the spark plugs to 0.35" before touching the carby as 99 % of all carbuetor problems are in fact , electrical .
Thanks for the advice. The only thing I haven't done it the timing/dwell part...and that's cause it won't stay running long enough!
Basic Tuning Remove all spark plugs and Dist. Cap & Rotor , connect Dwell Meter and crank the engine , adjust the points gap/dwell as the engine is freely cranking over . When it's inspec. (33° for a 6 cylinder) stop and snug up the points screw then crank it again to test , then set the static timing to 4° BTDC by using test light and hand turning the engine until the test light *just* comes on as the 4° mark lines up as you're slowly turning the engine by hand in the direction it runs.... Snug up the dist. clamp bolt and button it all up and you're done ~ this takes all of one hour the first time or two you do it , then you'll know how and can amaze your freinds . Once these two are set , LEAVE THEM ALONE as you sort out whatever is causing the stalling out .
That works Nate...we`ve alays just set the timing marks, plug in the timing light, turn key on and rotate dist ( correct rotation on #1 )until timing light fires, lock down the dist and your done.
Points Gap & Dwell Setting the Dwell fist is an important step so many skip . By running the dwell correctly , you increase saturation of the ignition coil and so create hotter sparks . Spark plug gaps too are always set too narrow ~ on points equipped engines you never want to use less than .035" , even on a 6 volt system . If you follow the basics step by step , you'll soon have this old rig running very well indeed , even if it smokes like a mosquito fogger....
