When I blip the throttle, there is a quick stream of fuel that comes out of the nozzles at the top of the carb, but only as the throttle is moving to the open position. If I hold the throttle open, nothing comes out of the nozzles. Is that normal? How can I get more fuel while the accelerator is held down? Is that the accelerator lever on the side of the carb?

 

I just read the Edelbrock manual....so if it's running lean at constant throttle, does that mean I need to potentially swap out metering rods or jets? I am going to wait for my pressure/vacuum gauge to arrive and make sure I'm getting proper fuel pressure at WOT in addition to getting the A/F mixture right. I understood about the first half of the manual, but getting into calibration charts I got lost.

 

yes you could potentially need to do a rod or jet change but a carburetor with out proper air flow will cause issues both ways i would suggest if your engine ends up producing a good vacuum and good fuel flow then your looking at a carburetor adjustment weather it be metering rods springs jets something of the nature to it needing to be rebuilt. Did you overhaul the carb or was it in the box. Spark plugs should also show how the engine is burning the fuel. Dont let the charts get you all so need is just a smooth power band not to rich not to lean from idle to wide open a lot of it involves a simple road test. just tune it to meet what your engine can use. In the mean time one thing that will get you every time is vacuum leaks i have had luck using a spray bottle with water not to be guessing but its an essay check.

One more timing question check your timing one more time when the engine is stumbling in neutral just be sure it advances properly.

 

That is how accelerator pumps are supposed to work. The deal is that at idle the low speed jets control the mixture and with the throttle open the high speed jets take care of it (I can't say specifically how those are adjusted on your carb). A correctly tuned carb will give the correct mixture under all steady-state conditions, but carbs (and TBIs) don't deal with transitions well. The wet manifold is the problem. Air doesn't have much inertia, so when you open or close the throttle the airflow changes pretty immediately. But the additional fuel required takes longer to deliver, so as the air first starts flowing it goes very lean. Accelerator pumps are how carbs immediately send extra gas in just as the extra air is going in. So it only needs to work as the throttle is moving open.

By the way, the opposite thing happens when the throttle is snapped closed - the mixture goes rich. But that usually doesn't cause any problems, and there's not much to do about it anyway. It's not like you could have a decelerator pump pull fuel out of the manifold.

 

I have trouble replacing one thing at a time, so sometimes it's hard to pinpoint what went wrong, and what fixed a problem. This time though, I pinpointed the problem with certainty. The rotor that came with my new distributor had the metal tab on top bent up farther than it should have been. I think that when I put the cap on, it was not getting good contact with the center button. After running the truck a number of times, that tab got bent more and a bit mangled. I replaced the really cheap $6 rotor with a high-dollar $8 rotor and the problem was resolved. I still have some carb tuning to do, but I've been on 5 test drives, starting under various conditions and I'm pleased to say the truck starts hot or cold on the first crank, and runs like a champ through the entire RPM range.

 

Now that the truck actually starts and runs reliably, it's time to move on to some of the more fun stuff. The next stage is going to be to work on the suspension, going through and replacing all of the front-end stuff (tie rods, ball joints) and putting some decent shocks in. The current shocks have rust holes in them and have been painted over - not exactly the recipe for a smooth ride. The steering is a bit loose, so I'll see if the shocks fix it or if I need a new steering box. The rag joint is tight, so I don't think that's contributing to the sloppy steering. I do have a slight power steering fluid leak, so that will be investigated as well.

 

To Do List:
Replace broken steps - Old ones removed
Replace front & rear glass

Replace Fuel Pump - Done
Replace Fuel Lines, Regulator - Done
Rebuild Carburetor - Done
Set Timing - Done
Replace serpentine belts - Done
Replace coil - Done
Replace ignition switch - Done
New Spark Plugs - Done
Add PCV valve/breather - Done
Fix fender rust, add flares
Add Fuel Pressure Gauge - Done
New shocks - Up next
New steering components - Up next
New Starter - Done
Replace doors with non-rusty ones
Fix rust on bed
Repaint
Replace/rebuild steering box
Fluids:
-Oil
-Trans
-Differentials
New wheels & Tires (thinking 9.00/16 bias ply)
Fix wiring issues to gauge cluster
New speed sensor - Sitting in a box waiting for install
Add horn pad to steering wheel - Done
Rebuild carburetor Done
Replace fuel filter - Done
Replace/paint bumpers
Remove bed insert and diamond plate top rails - Done
Spray in bed liner
Replace all window rubber
Re-key door locks
Replace headlights
Fix non-working reverse lights
Add rubber pads to e-brake and dimmer switch
New floor mat
New shift boots (tranny and transfer case)
Re-install air conditioning
Fix any/all fluid leaks (mainly oil)
Replace rear parking brake cables - Done
Replace headers
Hook up rear gas tank (wiring and plumbing)
Reupholster bench seat
Probably much more.

 

Came across your build thread. Looks like you're having some fun. I am in the same boat of addressing the running right over looking right issues.

 

Now that it actually runs right, it's a lot of fun. Hope you get yours going soon too! I thought I'd share some pictures from today. I took it on it's first work trip to pick up a scoop of mulch. The truck handled it fine, so next time I'll try even more weight.











Next job is get the carb completely tuned up. Next part purchase will be shocks.

 

Your lady there seems to be having as much fun with the truck as you are, haha!

 

We like to party.

 

Yesterday I got the new speed sensor in. Am I correct in thinking that the speedometer and the odometer are both powered by the speedo cable? If so, I'm hoping that means my odometer works too now - haven't driven far enough to find out yet (25 foot test drive for the speedo)

So far, that means a grand total of two factory gauges working (speedometer plus volt meter, but that's easy) Next I would like to get the gas gauge working, then the tach. I bought a low RPM diagnostic tach and vacuum gauge to properly set the idle A/F mixture. It's still little stuff at this point, but it's nice to be making regular progress.

Still desperately need shocks.....

 

My truck needs suspension pretty bad as well, but I am having a tough time figuring out where my money should be going. Limited funds with having a kid...and a wife for that matter. That and I am actually trying to sell the truck. Not aggressively, but if it sells then it sells.

 

Let's see a picture!

In other news, I have the bumper off my truck, sanded and primed. Now I need to decide if I should go for silver, black, or blue to match the body. Opinions? If anybody has their bumper painted to match the truck, I'd like to see that for ideas. Go!

 

Rear bumper (since your front bumper is chrome)? I'd stay with silver. Personally I like some contrast in bumpers on these trucks. With your darker blue paint you won't get much contrast with black (and obviously wouldn't with body color). Some people like the monochrome look, but I'm not one of them.