datzenmike Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 Carb not Hitachi made, probably Chinese knock off. Choke must close when starting cold to run right. It will run rich until the choke shuts off. Is it electric choke? can't tell from picture. Is it hooked up??? Quote Link to comment
bilzbobaggins Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 In the first few pictures the carb you got can be seen. It looks empty. How long has the truck been setting before you took those pictures? Took a while in the ga heat for my hitachi to evaporate out? Needle and seat randomly sticking open causing random flooding issue? How clean is your fuel tank? Thought l18's all had electric chokes as well? Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 It is a manual choke. I have the choke closed when starting cold and gradually open it up as it warms. The engine was plenty warm when i went to drive it. Choke was open and then i got the symptoms i described. The carb is new but not a hitachi. It has never sat very long without being run. Like i said just yesterday it ran great after i punched it a couple times. Obviously it is getting too much fuel since the plugs are chalky and black. Quote Link to comment
bilzbobaggins Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 I'd see if I could get it running good again and when it starts bucking you, pop the hood and look at line on bowl. Has float depth been verified? Why is the bowl emptying overnight? Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 It does not empty overnight. Ill be more specific. The pics are after it had been sitting a couple of weeks. Ill try some plugs and see where that gets me. Is it worth running anything other than the ngk b6es plugs? My local store doesnt have them so ill have to order them in. Quote Link to comment
Doctor510 Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Use the NGK Does the local store have the BR6ES or the BPR6ES? They will work Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Do like doctor510 suggests and ask for the br and/or bpr lines of ngk. They will run in the engine identically. The R means resistor in the plug, which has to with radio interference. The P is for protected electrode, which means it sticks out from the threads a little farther than the original design. Not enough to cause damage or get hit or anything. It's just a revision of the design. 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 I know you meant 'projected'. 2 Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Yeah I see the carb is empty in the photo. If this does this with in 1 or 2 days the gas must be going inside the cylinder and fouling out the plugs. Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Yeah Mike, that. Stupid auto correct, plus to lazy to read my own posts apparently. Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Before I burn up some new plugs. I actually had some of the NGKs at home. I cleaned them up the best I could and tried them out. It started up pretty good, but was not idling well. I had my timing light on it and set it to somewhere between 10 and 15 degrees BTDC. It ran really rough and I tried to adjust the carb to smooth It out, but it still shutters, vacuum gauge all over the place. It seemed the only way I could get it to idle decent was to advance it a lot. I could even turn my fuel mixture screw all the way in and it would still run. Even when it seemed like it was idling okay and even reving up as soon as I took it on the road it wouldn't go. The plugs were instantly chalky and black. Are all the signs pointing to this Chinese knock off carb being a dud? Or perhaps I am not taking the proper steps in tuning the car? 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 9, 2015 Report Share Posted October 9, 2015 Any adjustments on the carb will only affect the idle. You can't change or adjust the primary and secondary jet size from the outside. I have no idea what this carb is jetted for. Jets may be too large and getting too much gas.??? who knows?? Before messing with the carb... is the valve lash set? Tight valves will cause terrible jumpy vacuum readings. You must have a proper 800 (ish) rpm idle or other factors enter that throw the idle off... such as vacuum advance and mechanical advance. If the idle is too high the idle mixture screw will have no effect. Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2015 I have adjusted the valve lash and checked them twice so I am pretty sure that is sitting okay. I have yet to get the car to idle at 800 rpm properly. It does seem like the car is getting to much fuel. I can try again to dial it in. So would the process be. Get the car started. Set the timing to 10 to 15 degrees before TBC. Start with the mixture screw and have it a turn and a half out. Then use the idle speed screw to dial it down to 800 or so and then keep playing with the mixture screw? Doing all of this after it has warmed up? Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 9, 2015 Report Share Posted October 9, 2015 Yes. You need a good strong vacuum signal so valves set and timing around 10-12 to start.t the idle below 900 or ignition advances vacuum and mechanical may come into play. idle mixture in and out to find the spot where it idles the fastest and smoothest. This could be close to a full turn where just guess where the middle is, is good enough. The idle will have risen or should have so return the idle to as low as you can and begin again. Turn the mixture screw in or out to get the fastest smooth idle and then turn the idle speed down. Repeat as many times as needed until you can no longer improve the idle quality and your idle is 700-800 RPMs. This only sets the idle mixture which has it's own fuel supply and adjustment. Once the engine revs above 1,000-1,200 RPMs you are getting out of the idle circuit and the engine is beginning to run on the primary barrel which has it's own non adjustable fuel supply. This is another reason why the idle speed must be lowered as the primary barrel will make the idle mixture impossible to adjust. 1 Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 I could even turn my fuel mixture screw all the way in and it would still run.?????? to me I seen people screw the speed screw in to much to get a idle as the idle jet is plugged. 1 Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 I think this has all been user error. I followed the steps. Got the timing set then messed with the carb and it is running really nice now. It could probably be dialed in a little better but i am happy with it. Timing seems to have been the main issue. Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 You sure?????????? 3 pages later to find out to ajust the distributor. I think still something up with this 1 Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 Time will tell. Im going to try and drive it everyday to see if it holds up. Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 One question. After i drove for a while and the engine was hot I shut it down and when i tried to restart. It did not want to fire right off while hot. It took some extra cranks and a little gas to get it to pop off. Another fuel issue? Quote Link to comment
mhub91 Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 Yes, most likely fuel issue. I see in the previously posted pics that you do not have a fuel return line... I realize the L16 and L18 do not have these? But someone else more knowledgeable can verify this, as I have only ever had L20. But the L20 runs a fuel return line to promote constant cycle of fuel which does a few things; helps cool the fuel, helps control fuel pressure, and will allow the fuel to return to tank when engine shuts off to stop it from boiling inside the bowl from the exh mani heat - which causes a hard start when hot. Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 drive it around hot then when you park it open the hood and watch the carb sight glass and see what happens if it starts draining while your out there or in a few minutes. then try to retstart. the mechanical timming is fine. its carb or electrical. More likely carb Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 That makes sense. I could see the residual heat from the engine percolating the fuel in the bowl causing it to start hard. I imagine I want to keep any fuel lines as cool as possible and would I also need some sort of heat shield to help with this? Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 if your running a water line to it i think your fine. Unless your really think its cooking. But I run Mikunis sidedrafts and no heat sheild/ no water line and on really hot days I can tell but once I get off idle it seems fine. 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 As mentioned this is not the correct factory carburetor but a cheap knock off. All L engines use a thick gasket between the under side of carb and the intake. L20Bs also have a thick phenolic spacer and a metal heat shield above that. This is to reduce heat transfer. 1 Quote Link to comment
Motschrocker Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 You sure?????????? 3 pages later to find out to ajust the distributor. I think still something up with this Well you are correct. I think. I took it for a day drive about 30 minutes everything went fine. I took it for an night drive and everything seemed to be running great but i am ashamed to say i ran out of fuel. A friendly fellow iowan stopped and we got some gas. Put it it and fires it up. I got back on the road and it instantly bogged down. It idled fine but would not move. I turned the idled speed up and had to really get on it to get it moving. I got it running highway speed and got it home but i had no low end power. I havent looked it tonight. Fouled spark plugs? Something else along those lines? Quote Link to comment
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