so the problem that happened today..was on my way home and the engine starts goin out, so i keep steppin on the gas when i do that i can here the gas goin to the carb but the engine is off. i had a little less then half a tank so i know i didnt run out. and i only have one tank hoked up right now (the one behind the seat) i have no idea where to begin to look for a problem

 

If you're sure you've got gas going into the carb, the next thing you want to do is check for spark. Pull one of the spark plugs out, hook the wire back on to it have someone turn the motor over while you hold the bottom of the spark plug to the motor (watch out for the fan, and you may want to put a glove on your hand). See if there's a spark jumping from the electrode to ground.

 

i did that late last week when i pulled out all the spark plugs and cleaned and set them. and had to fix the firing order.

 

just went outside and it started right up. drove it around the block with no problems. did notice a little leak from the carb

 

i had a problem like that. i had a pinched fuel line. my truck also did not like the cold. i would go out in the morning and would crank it for 20 mins and nothing. i would come back about about 2 or 3 in the afternoon and it would fire right up....just some thoughts

 

mine dosnt like to start in the cold either,it likes to "diesel" when i turn it off as the guy next door calls it.

 

The "dieseling" could mean the timing is too far advanced.

 

My 55 F250 239Y didn't start worth a damn if it was raining or foggy, finally replaced the 55 yr old plugwires,cap,rotor. Runs like it should now. hahahaha. Early 70s stuff ran on after shutting off the key aka dieseled. We just left it in drive to kill or let the clutch out in gear if it was a stick.

 

Changing the ign timing won't help as the ign is off and the engines still running,sorta. The lean fuel mixes of the early 70s left hot carbon that would let the engine " run on". detroit finally " fixed" the issue with electric valves on the carbs that killed the fuel flow. Ahhh the smogdog years.