I recently got a beater E150 and have been teaching myself to fix it. To date I have replaced the tires, the smog pump, the alternator, lots of radiator hoses, and I've given it an oil change and also changed out the radiator fluid and flushed it because it was full of rust.

The most recent problem was a fuel leak from the pump diaphragm on the carb, so I bought a Holley kit and pulled off the thing and replaced that diaphragm as well as the secondary one and put in new needle and seat assemblies and the gaskets everywhere I took something off. Someone had exposed the factory sealed idle screws already and stripped them so I can't adjust the fuel air mixture, which sucks because it seems to run very rich

I put the carb back together and put it on and the engine will start but the rear fuel bowl is pouring gas out where the tube that collects gas fumes would go if I had hooked it back up, which I haven't yet.

I took the bowl off and took the needle out and it seems to be moving freely, and the float seems to be buoyant. I did a new dry float adjustment and put it back on but it is still pouring gas out of the hole.

Should I pull it again and try to clean it? What could be wrong?
I am broke, I was going to use the van to drive to another state for a job opportunity, so should I get a new carb with the last of my money or should I just sell this thing? Can anyone recommend a cheap, simple replacement? I want to rip my hair out, I'm so pissed. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Also, it won't idle at all now. It will only stay running if I'm pushing on the gas. Am I stupid to mess with the carb as a novice... probably.

 

I guess you could try adjusting the rear float even more, if you can look down the carb when the truck is running you will probably see gas dripping into the secondaries, you are keeping the engine running by opening the throttle blades and letting more air in. Which is why it won't idle any more.

When you say you replaced the secondary one.. are you talking about the gaskets? The secondaries should not have a accelerator pump, and if it does then some smart person thought they could convert the 4180 to a double pumper.

 

Sounds like your float has to be way too high...You turn the screw inside the brass nut clockwise to lower the float. I just rebuilt my carb also-its all great...You sure you put the gaskets in correctly on the 2ndary bowl?

Easy enough to pull the carb out and double check it all...

 

As far as the secondary one, what I meant is the large rubber diaphragm that is behind the choke assembly, which my exploded diagram simply calls a secondary diaphragm. It's beneath a big round cover.

I adjusted the float lower and it helped, but it seems there is still some issue with the rear fuel bowl. The front fuel bowl is where the gas goes in and the accelerator pump diaphragm is on that side, but when I took the carb out I took off both fuel bowls. I might have put the gaskets on wrong. I'll pull it again and take the bowl and plate off and make sure all the gaskets are in order. If all else fails my brother works for the county road and bridge and the mechanic that works there said he'd walk me through everything for a few bucks and a twelve pack.

Thank you for the advice, I was so upset yesterday and didn't know what to do. I feel batter now.

 

Look carefully at the pieces on the secondary fuel bowl..You have a metering block and a gasket between that and the carb body. Then you have another gasket and the metal piece that you screw on to the metering block, then you have the gasket that goes on last as you put the outside of the bowl on...make sure also that all the holes match up on the ones on the metering block as there are passages in there that have to line up.