I just found this forum, hope you can help. I have a 1978 F-350 with 351M/400 engine, 9900 GVWR camper special, 4 speed manual transmission, no AC, 2WD, not California, and no catalytic converter, about 60,000 miles. The carburetor is 2 barrel model 2150.

It started pouring fuel into the engine, obviously the float needle valve not working. I rebuilt the valve with a NAPA kit. Question is how to set the float wet level as indicated in the service manual? It outlines the procedure but says to refer to specifications for the correct level. The factory manual set has a little book called specs that seems to have everything in it except the float level. Help please and thanks.

Don

 

Did you buy a rebuild kit for the carb? It should have came with instructions and a little ruler, but not always.

Not familiar with that carb, but it usually entails measuring the top of the float as if it were closed against some other part of the carb, typically the top of the float bowl.

Sorry I don't have specs for that carb though.

 

Welcome to the site.

This is a Carburetor Only question so I will move this thread to the fuel delivery forum.

Also, Some Manufacturer sites show how to work on their carbs

 

Yes the NAPA kit did come with a cardboard ruler of sorts. The kit instructions refer to a dry level as does the factory service manual. The manual says the dry level, which measures from a machined surface to the top of the float, is only good enough to get the engine running. You are then supposed to measure to the level of fuel in the bowl at idle rpm and make further adjustments to correct. It called this the wet level which I cannot find in the documentation. I've never worked on a Ford carburetor before. Is this the right procedure or is the dry level setting good enough?

Don

 

The listing in the factory manual will be under float level. You take the top off the carb, and measure to the rim of the fuel bowl from the machined spot on the float with the engine running. You can also set it with an electric fuel pump, if you don't want to run the engine like that.

 

I have a five volume set of manuals for 1978 Ford truck but cannot find the float level specification anywhere. The fuel section (vol 2, group 24, section 25 for carb 2150) says to refer to the "specifications" which is volume 5. All that is in there under fuel group 24 is a few pages regarding tank capacity and pumps, nothing I can find on carburetion. I have looked through the entire Volume 2 group 24. If the float level is ever listed it must be elswhere but I sure can't find it.

To set it I was planning to simply put 6 to 8 psi air into the inlet and add fuel to the bowl until bubbles stop. Will this procedure work? I don't like the idea of having an open bowl of gasoline on top of a running engine.

Don

 

I'm not sure if it would, I think the fuel inlet is above the fuel level.

 

I felt the same about an open fuel bowl and a running engine, but the first couple hundred times are the scariest; after that, you'll become an ol' pro !

The difficult part for me was bending the float's tang to adjust it. It seemed ridiculous to me that an adjustment measured in 64ths of an inch could be easily and accurately carried out when you are upside down in an uncomfortable workspace with poor lighting and plenty of sharp pointy objects to kneel upon as you try to bend a small piece of metal that is submerged in a flammable liquid that hinges on a delicate pivot that also holds a wee little spring that is supposed to help the float battle any fuel pressure surges that might overcome the fuel valve.

Mind you, not everyone will be carrying out such foolishness in a late night rainstorm with the vehicle stranded on the uphill side of one of the world's longest and highest cable suspended bridges or worse, inching along the Sea-to-Sky highway enroute from Vancouver to Whistler - a 30 mile roadway to hell - one fuel bowl fill at a time, when that aforementioned adjustment simply proves to be too elusive and nothing will satisfy the Goddess of Carburetors that night.

Fortunately I had an eight ounce squeeze bottle that I could use to fill the fuel bowl, and then start her up and go another 1/4 mile or so before having to repeat the process.

The unnerving part is the condition of the highway, currently being upgraded for the 2010 Olympics. Sheer cliffs on one side with a history of rockslides and avalanches, and Howe Sound on the other, one of the deeper fiord-like bodies of water on the coast. The shoulders are often less than vehicle width, and passing lanes are announced by roadsign every few miles.

It twists and turns, goes up and down for most of its length, and speeds range from 80 to 90 kilometers/hour down to 15 to 20 frequently and with little notice. Every few hundred yards is another warning sign advising you that there is no stopping on the highway due to the rock slide gamble, or no passing until you reach the passing lane. Zero overhead lighting and no cellular reception completes the picture.

Those were a scary 8 hours, which is how long it took me to reach civilization. There is nothing quite like the sound of Kenworth 18 wheeler gearing down frantically to make the slow to 20 hairpin corner around which you are broken down on the narrow wooden 2 lane bridge 50 yards later with your *** in the air as you apply just that little bit more pressure on the tang so that the float is 17/64ths below the top of the bowl, but not 9/32nds as this would result in fuel starvation.

Usually adjustments of 64ths of an inch are done by feeler guage, micrometer or some other delicate device, not the equivalent of 20 ounce framing hammer.......

........when you find the sweet spot - or should you find it - life returns to the bowl of cherries you once believed it was. I have suffered through this process so many times I can rebuild a Motorcraft 2150 blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back.

Why do I continue ? I am reminded of the humourous reply that the fellow who was banging his head against the wall gave when he was asked the same question. Why do I keep banging my head against the wall ? Because it feels so good when I stop !

Good adjusting !

 

The actual concept off wet float setting is the level of fuel in the Bowl.Measured from the bottom of the fuel bowl to the top of the gas in the bowl. .875 " is most common

 

Thanks for the reply White F150 Rob;

...mind you, it's about 3 years after the fact! But thanks anyway - a new Edelbrock 4 barrel solved my Holley & Motorcraft problems!

JT

 

That is the best fix for a 2bbl carb

 

LxMan1:

...I've had good service from my Edelbrock #1406 4 Bbl, but believe it or not, the Holley 2300 2 Bbl outperformed it in my application. It's a moot point, because as much as I preferred the Holleys I've used on this engine (the 2300 2Bbl and the 4150 4 Bbl), I wasn't good enough at tuning them to reach their true potential. Lots of fun tryin', but too many hours on the side of the road setting float levels, stopping leaks and extinquishing fires...

The Motorcraft 2150 is a nice dependable 2 Bbl, but no match for that Holley 2300 with 500 CFM of airflow!

Otherwise, I agree wholeheartedly with you.

JT

 

I agree. The 4300 series 4bbl was good performer years ago when I had one on a 351C in a 71 Torino.
I have a 1411 Edelbrock on my 351W and it performs as well as the Holley did. Better throttle response and mileage. Was the same way when I had my 460.

 

LxMan1:

Yes, the Edelbrock is a much more user friendly carb than the Holley with plenty of potential for fine-tuning. Mine was great out of the box, and now with some experience with it in the vehicle, I am certain I could squeeze a few more miles out of a tank of gas as well as a few more RPMs once I mastered the metering rod selection process. After learning how a carb really works through hands on experience with those Holleys, I am back to square one again learning about metering rods with the Edelbrock. Maybe if they didn't work so well out of the box we would be forced to learn about fine-tuning them better (and earlier...) than how they come from the factory.

Learning these things sure helps when you are faced with skyrocketing fuel prices where you must be mindful of economy in order to have the bucks to pay for higher performance. So the learning curve can pay realistic and practical dividends...

...I keep saying to myself hoping I can convince my wife that the hours under the hood are justified by making fewer trips to the gas station. The 4 barrel and manifold upgrade was a tough sell when gas prices were cheap at $4.00 a gallon a couple years ago (Canadian pricing) - I would hate to have to make the same agrument today with prices that recently peaked at about $5.75 or $6.00 a gallon. "She who must be obeyed" would never have agreed to increase my weekly allowance to pay for a new carb setup under today's circumstances!

All the best,
JT