Thread: New Edelbrock Intake and Carb...Now 283 won't start

Tweet

Hi all,
This is a great forum and I have learned lots from reading through all the great posts.

I have a 57 chevy 210 with a stock 283. The aging 2 barrel carb was slowly dieing so I decided it was time to replace the 2 with a 4 barrel. I picked up a Edelbrock performer series intake and also a Edelbrock performer 1405 carb that has sat for 2 years. Since I am relatively new to engines, I did a good deal of research before pulling the old intake off.

So this last weekend I pulled the old intake and carb off and get the new intake ready to be mounted. I mount the intake and all goes well. I install the carb, and no problems there. The distributor and coil were put back in and I retimed the engine.(I have double checked the timing about 10 times now.

The first time I tried to fire the engine up, I fired and sputtered for a bit and then died. Since, I have not been able to get it running...a small spark here an there, but nothing close to starting. I let it sit over night and go back out and it acts like it wants to start on the first turn over, but then it won't...then no more sparks...just the engine turning. I pulled the #1 spark plug off and I am getting spark, but I did notice that the spark plug had a strong gas smell to it. I checked my oil and my oil level was very high and smelled like gas. I had to of had 2 quarts of gas in the oil.

I have drained the oil and the oil was almost like water...just gushed out of the plug when I pulled it off.

What would be causing this? I didn't have this problem prior. Could the carb not be working right and just allowing the gas to gush into the engine? The are no leaks that I can detect.

Thanks for any and all help!
Ron

Thanks for the reply. I am planning on buying an Edelbrock rebuild kit for it, however, I might just try new floats to see if that fixes it.

When something like this happens, is any damage done? Once I change the oil and get the carb fixed, will I notice any issues?

Thanks,
Ron

I bought all new plugs to put in it. Even if I cleaned the old ones, they are still in need of replacement.

I will look at the carb tonight and see what I can find. Thanks for your help!

Thanks,
Ron

If I suspect gas starvation. I would pour a splash of gas directly into the carb to see if it runs then. If it does, then quits - its starving for gas.

No gas could be a clogged gas filter, stuck float, varnished up jets or gas pump problem (probably not the pump as it ran OK last week).

And you can rule out a possible ignition problem.

Bert

Hey Ron,

If you dont have a manuel for the Edelbrock, here is a HTML link.

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive/....html#contents

Also if you need, I do have the PDF file as an attachment if you wish.

Good luck.

PS. Handle those needles and floats with kid gloves!

So---How did you make out? Did you get it running?

Sounds like one or both of the float valves is stuck or has debris keeping it from sealing off the incoming fuel. Sometimes you can just clean the float valve with spray carb cleaner and they will start to work again. You will need to remove the top off the carb so you can access these float valves. Also you must be careful to ckeck the float level settings as well. Not rocket science but take your time and be carefull. Good luck, Topless.

thats an edelbrock carb for ya

Originally posted by gassersrule_196
thats an edelbrock carb for ya

Yep, I'm savin up for a Holly or Demon to replace mine.

Thanks for the replies.

I pulled the top of the Edelbrock carb off tonight to look inside. There are 2 floats inside. I could use a little carb 101 class here. What are the little pins that under the float(the ones that touch the float) and are these suppose to be free moving? Also, if I would turn the engine over a few times and then pull the top of the carb off, should there be gas inside the carb, where the floats are? When I open up my card, it is pretty much dry.

Thanks for the help.
Ron

Also,
After I turn the engine over for awhile and then stop, I can here something going on in the carb. Can't describe the sound. Don't know if it is pressure coming back up through the carb or could the gas be draining from the carb and into the engine?

Ron

Originally posted by ron_c
Thanks for the replies.

I pulled the top of the Edelbrock carb off tonight to look inside. There are 2 floats inside. I could use a little carb 101 class here. What are the little pins that under the float(the ones that touch the float) and are these suppose to be free moving? Also, if I would turn the engine over a few times and then pull the top of the carb off, should there be gas inside the carb, where the floats are? When I open up my card, it is pretty much dry.

Thanks for the help.
Ron

What the floats are resting on are the needles. And yes, you should have some fuel in the bowls where the floats hang down into. If you dont have fuel there, and you suspect fuel in the crankcase, I would meticulously inspect the bottom half of the carb for any damage, cracks, also inspect the jets at the bottom of the fuel bowl. Look for any signs that would allow fuel to enter the intake without being mixed with air. I'm no expert on carbs, I just happen to run a Edelbrock and thats what I would look for.


The link that I left for you on my first reply has a lot of useful information about the theory of operation and tuning of these carbs. Read through those pages and you might be surprised on what you learn.

Oh, one more thing.

I had heard before that a faulty fuel pump diaphram can weep fuel into the crankcase as well. Never actually witnessed this though but you might want to check on that too.

Put out your cigarette. Have your fire extinguisher close at hand. Pull off the gas line that runs into the carburetor. Get a buddy to hold a can under the open end of the gas line, and you go crank the motor over with the starter. If all is well gasoline should squirt out of the gas line into the can (and I do mean squirt---tell your buddy to hold the can so the gas squirts into it, not over it.) Assuming that gas does indeed squirt into the can, then odds are that your fuel pump is alright.---Yes, S10 streeter is right, a faulty fuel pump can leak oil into the engine cavity. About the only way to tell if this is happening is to pull the fuel pump off, hook up a feed line and return line to it, and pump the actuating lever by hand, untill it is actually pumping gasoline. If any gasoline is running out the hole where the actuating lever goes into the fuel pump housing, you need a new fuel pump.----Assuming that the fuel pump is delivering fuel as in step #1, and not leaking into the oil pan (step #2), check and see if there is a sintered metal fuel filter in the carburetor housing where the cas line attaches to it. (there is on a Rochester quadrajet---I don't know about Edelbtock carbs)---Take the filter out and see if it is plugged ---if you can blow air through it, its not plugged.
The way your carburetor works is like this.---the float is hinged to pivot up and down, and there is a needle valve which is activated by a small "tang" or lever attached to the float near the pivot pin. When you put on a new carburetor and the float bowl is empty with no gasoline in it, the float hangs down (gravity), and the needle is "open", meaning that the tip of the needle is not seated tightly against the tapered seat in the carburetor, so that any gasoline coming out of the gas line can fill up the float chamber. As you crank the engine over the float chamber fills up with gasoline, the float floats upward and the "tang" (lever) on the float pushes against the end of the needle valve, causing the needle valve to "close" against its tapered seat and shut off the flow of gasoline entering the carburetor. The adjustment of exactly at what level the needle valve closes is a very critical carburetor setting. It sounds to me, based on your post that the needle valve is stuck in the open position, and as you keep cranking the engine over and it doesn't start, the gasoline fills up the float chamber and since the valve doesn't "close" and shut off the incoming flow of gasoline, that the gasoline is "spilling over" directly into the intake manifold, then travelling down the intake runners and into the cylinders, past the piston rings, and into your oil pan. The free operation of the float and needle valve, and the adjustment of the float to the correct height are critical.

Thank you all for the replies. I have learned a lot.

Good news is that I have the old 57 running again. I have to admit that the carb was partly at fault and I was partly at fault. Being a newbie to this, I had a few things wrong. But the card did have a stuck needle in the open position. I replaced them with new needles and they seem to be working much better.

Man, the new intake and carb have really given my 283 a new life. Much more power than the stock intake and carb.

Thanks to you all,
Ron