Are you certain that there isn't a vacuum leak?

 

DW - Yes pretty sure there's no vacuum leak. Sprayed carb. cleaner all around intake and no idle change. Visually inspected every thing as well.

 

Does it have vacuum powered wipers?

 

DW- Nope, Electric.

 

Well, well, well.

While waiting for the reman carburetor to show up, I replaced the sooted spark plugs, and converted my leaking oil bath air cleaner to accept a common K+N filter I had in house, made the distributor advance line in steel.

The carburetor showed up today- bolted it on and - woohoo!
Runs great, sounds great, drives great.

I hate topics that dead end- so long story short - the symptoms I had were all due to internal carburetor problems.
I wish I hadn't wasted all the time with checking everything else possible, but that's what I get for being a cheap Yankee, and I learned a few things along the way.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and help.

 

Yep the "spare" carb fixed mine but now you need to tear your's down and see what caused the issue so I can fix my original . If you had the same symptoms as mine, which it sounds like you did, it's a pretty scary backfire almost to the point wondering if the carb blew off the top of the intake!

 

bhalemail- Yes- I need to know what's happened to that carburetor- especially since I've had it apart at least 4 times...

Doing an oil change today (seems to have gotten some fuel contamination due to carb. issue) as well as going forward with other planned repairs/updates as well.

 

I had idle problems with low power. Being an old old car guy, I checked e erything like you especially vacuum leaks. No luck. Problem was intake manifold bolt were loose. Twice I have had to tighten them up. Point is, not first place one looks for a vacuum leak. Every oil change I check them . Not too many of us left running stock 215's. Only original once. Frank (new to site)

 

Happy to see your problem is solved. I'm guessing your backfire from the exhaust was solved as well. (I have a theory about it if it was) Funny how many people think electronic engines are more difficult than carbs and distributors, all have their issues.

 

F1-5288 - I love the 215, well most of the time anyway... Trying to keep my truck as original as possible.

CBeav- Interested to hear your theory. My thinking is that in the cold weather- backfiring through the carb. blew the diaphragm for the power valve. Lots of unburned fuel causing the afterfiring.