Carburetor Problem - Pictures - Help Won't idle

[Nicholas7620]

My idle problem has gone away. I just got 35 mpg with my last tankful of gas. I changed the vacuum line from my distributor to the vacuum assembly and from vacuum assembly to the vaccuum gallery. I bought new vaccuum hoses. :rolleyes:

 

I'm not sure this made any difference. The idle problem went away. Maybe the air control valves are working better. It's more likely I have intermittent problem that is now in remission. :eek:

 

I'm very happy right now, :D for the past two weeks I haven't had any idle problems with my B210. The Datsun gods are smiling on my 76. The exhaust smells like crap at times but the idle is good and mileage is great. :cool:

 

Happy New Year all. :thumbsup:

[650savag]

I was going to suggest checking the vac. hose to the distributor (vac. advance). I was having the same problem with my 620 and it turned out to be a small slit on the bottom side of the vac. hose going to the distributor. It was hard to detect since it was on the under side. I put new vac. hoses on it and discovered the slit when I removed it to put on new hoses. That cleared up my problem.

[datzenmike]

You could test by disconnecting the hose at the carb and sucking on the end. With the distributor cap off you could see the vacuum advance twist the rotor counter clockwise. If you put your tongue over the end the rotor should hold it's position. If it slips back or you can't get it to move than this would indicate a faulty vacuum advance canister or leak in the hose. Flex the hose so any slits or cracks will open and leak.

[Nicholas7620]

You could test by disconnecting the hose at the carb and sucking on the end. With the distributor cap off you could see the vacuum advance twist the rotor counter clockwise. If you put your tongue over the end the rotor should hold it's position. If it slips back or you can't get it to move than this would indicate a faulty vacuum advance canister or leak in the hose. Flex the hose so any slits or cracks will open and leak.

 

I tried testing my air control valve by sucking on the vacuum line and it tasted like crap :eek: I did this about a month ago. No more sucking vacuum lines, unless you have a better idea. I suppose I could get a brand new piece of hose and wash it good and put honey on it. :) I replaced five vacuum lines and so far so good.

 

My idle problem didn't go away at once right after I replaced vaccuum lines although the vaccuum lines definitely needed replacing. Maybe it took a little driving around for the improved vacuum to kick in.

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I love my Datsun B210, it's running good. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Nicholas7620]

Different year 2010, Different Carb problem.

 

I was driving on the freeway headed home, doing about 75 mph when suddenly the car lost power and would no longer idle or run. I pulled off the side of the road and coasted down a long hill trying to get closer to home. :o

 

I opened the hood. I checked the window on the front of the Carb. The window gas level was at the halfway level. I was on the side of the road for about a half hour trying to start the engine, I would get a 5 second idle the engine would die. After a half hour or so, the engine started right up like nothing was wrong.

 

I drove for 5 minutes getting closer to home and the engine died again, same problem. After another half hour or so trying to start engine, it suddenly started up again and I was able to drive for another 5 minutes to barely make it into my driveway, (WHEW!!)

 

I stopped, put the 4 speed in neutral, and listened to the idle and engine speed, the engine ran a little rough. The engine speed could not be increased without the engine cutting out. It would idle nicely at only low speed for a few minutes. I couldn't "feather" the gas and make the engine RPM's increase.

 

Finally the engine died and wouldn't start for more than two seconds and die. I kept checking the CARB window and it was still at half way, checked the fuel pump and it was shooting gas out of the open fuel line.

 

I finally replaced the FUEL FILTER. ENGINE still won't idle for more than a second.

 

I had to stop working on the B210, I reread this thread. I guess Monday after work, I'll check the solenoid and make sure I still hear the clicking. I'm betting that the engine will run fine first thing until the engine warms up and then start cutting out again.

 

The carb and engine have been running great since June 22 through Aug 7 pm. I passed smog after replacing my CAT and EGR valve. Now this. I'm tempted to get a WEBER. Funds are tight. I'm not sure if a WEBER would cure a problem I can't understand.

 

I'm going to surf other ratsun threads and search the net for insight into my carb and engine problems. If you have any ideas, please post. I'll take pics on Mon. :D

[Nicholas7620]

> the B210 will only idle when the choke is on first thing in the morning.

 

Yes, this is normal. With original factory tune, this is even true of summer days. It needs the choke to run first thing.

 

Easy way to check the idle cut-off solenoid: Which engine off, key on -- pull the solenoid wire off. Listen for a faint 'click'. Touch the wires together, listen for the 'click'.

* If you don't hear it clicking, then it is not working.

* If it is clicking it is probably all right. Remove the idle screw and blow WD-40 up the hole.

 

Also clean the main jets. You can do this with carb on engine, remove the two plug screws on bottom of carb (below the site glass). The gas will run out, so do this with cold engine. Then unscrew the jets. Clean and put back together.

 

I'll give this a try too. I did blow some carb cleaner into the carb and didn't make any improvement. I'll remove idle screw and blow carb cleaner up the hole. :P I'll try to clean the main jets, by removing the two plug screws. ;)

[Nicholas7620]

I'm still having idle problems. NOW, the Bee will idle nicely at 700 RPM for 3 stops, then not idle at all for the next three stops then idle again nicely then not idle, "sheesh!!!".

 

I just keep driving the Bee I can tell when the idle is bad because the car slows down faster when I take my foot off the gas to come to a stoplight or stop sign. It sure is sweet when it idles at 700 RPM.

 

I have an intermittent "non idling" event all during the same errand or drive, I'm wondering whether I'm running the right carburetor. There was a change in carburetors between the 76 and 77 B210 and the carbs are not backward compatible.

 

I'm wondering when I bought a rebuilt carb if I got the 76 model AND not a 77. Does anyone know what the change was between the 76 carb and 77 carb. They have different part numbers in my book and my book indicates the 77 carb can't be used on the 76. :(

[ggzilla]

The carbs are backwards compatible except for emission standards. They will run fine if you swap them. I'm running a 1980 A15 carburetor in my 1972 A12 right today.

 

 

> will idle nicely at 700 RPM for 3 stops, then not idle at all for the next three stops then idle again nicely then not idle

 

Most simple explanation is that the anti-diesel wiring is loose. Another not-so-rare cause is a bit or dirt/water in the fuel bowl. Remove the jets and put them back. They are on the outside of the carb, no need to remove it.

[Nicholas7620]

The carbs are backwards compatible except for emission standards. They will run fine if you swap them. I'm running a 1980 A15 carburetor in my 1972 A12 right today.

 

 

> will idle nicely at 700 RPM for 3 stops, then not idle at all for the next three stops then idle again nicely then not idle

 

Most simple explanation is that the anti-diesel wiring is loose. Another not-so-rare cause is a bit or dirt/water in the fuel bowl. Remove the jets and put them back. They are on the outside of the carb, no need to remove it.

 

Thanks GGZILLA I was wondering what the diff was between 76 and 77 carb. I can stop worrying about the difference since I passed smog this August with current carb.

 

I'll check Anti-Diesel wiring. I bought a circuit tester after "head lights going out" thread. I've cleaned the solenoid and found the gas to be a little milky black in the solenoid and the wire was showing a little wear from not unplugging connector before screwing off the solenoid :o .

 

I'll try removing the jets. I just changed the fuel filter last month.

[ggzilla]

Remove the two nuts at the bottom of this photo, then unscrew the jets.

Fuel will run out, so do it when the engine is cold. Then put the jets back. That should let any gunk out.

 

[Nicholas7620]

WOW, awesome PIC GGZILLA. :o I'm working on the BEE today. I have a new windshield washer pump to install and new battery cables. I'll unscrew the jet access screws, and clean jets, the engine is ice cold. I'm charging up the camera.

[420n620]

make sure you put a rag under the jet access screws to catch the fuel.

[Nicholas7620]

Good Morning Everyone,

 

It's 8 AM, and this is the patient before surgery, I'm removing the carburetor to get to the jets and idle screw and I'm putting in a new windshield washer motor and battery cables.

 

 

The next two pictures try to reveal the location of the Jets (Thanks GGZILLA). They are under the two screws

 

 

This is the Hitachi Carburetor with the two screws removed, the jets are inside the holes and have to be screwed out. I removed them one at a time and cleaned the jets with carb spray right through the hole and returned the jet to the carburetor BEFORE starting on the next jet.

 

 

Here you see the carburetor jet, it is very small and has a hole :o in the middle.

 

 

After cleaning and rescrewing the Carb Jets and cover screws. I turned my attention to the gas mixture/idle screw, which you see pictured as a screw with a pinhead :huh: on it. I then turned my attention to the screw hole stuck my red hose in the hole and let it blow with carb spray. :P :D It was wet when I finished. ;) :P

 

You can barely see the screw hole from this shot but trust me it's there and I let her have it with the carb spray :P ;) .

 

Next picture you can see the new washer motor behind the fuel filter. It's a good one. I was blowing washer fluid over the windshield onto the sidewalk behind the BEE.

 

 

Here you can see my new battery cables, they are guage 2 :P :D , the cables are big enough to run a diesel truck. :) After my headlight probs, brake light probs and circuit tester, I'm into electricity ;) :P :D .

 

[Nicholas7620]

The bad news is the BEE won't idle nicely and keep idling. The carburetor is running rich and you can see fuel running into the carb, I've been here before.

 

I suspect my FLOATS may have picked up dirt that was at the bottom of the carburetor bowl when I had the carburetor tipped upside down. I drove the BEE to Rhonert Park 14 miles and back doing freeway and city driving. Now when I lose the idle and the engine dies. The motor is very difficult to start, the motor doesn't just fire up at once like before.

 

I looked at the carburetor window and the fuel was over the top of the window. I don't know :huh:, I see a silver dot in the middle of the carb fuel window that I never noticed before.

 

I think it's difficult to clean the floats on a Hitachi. How do you go about cleaning the floats.? :( :) . I'll read some ratsun threads. I remember some discussion somewhere about a spring and not losing the ball bearing that is inside the spring. :o :D .

[Nicholas7620]

I went out and checked my carb window and saw that the fuel level is nearly at 7/8 ths full. There's a little silver disc showing in the window that I don't recall seeing before. It's difficult to see in the PICs I just took but here are the PICs.

 

 

 

Do you have any thoughts on what that silver disc does, or the pupose? :o

 

 

I read a thread that was very interesting. The thread ended up with buying a rebuilt Hitachi for $140 instead of spending the time and effort to fix the old carburetor.

 

My carb is a rebuilt from Recarbco in Pittsburg, CA and cost me $300 plus. I remember sending the Carb back while the Carb was under warranty and Recarbco found a bad "O" ring. But I continued having problems. Tonight I put in a new fuel filter.

 

I'll keep searching the threads for float problems and procedure for removing the cover and adjusting the floats.

 

I had a great run of 200,000 miles on my old Hitachi but the last 32,000 between my old and rebuilt Hitachi have been interesting and fraught with idling problems :D .

[ggzilla]

Looks like something is loose in there. There's not supposed to be a silver anything visible in the window.

 

No need to clean the float. Just clean the seat. Guys do it mostly by rapping on the top of the carb right where the fuel inlet is.

 

Otherwise just adjust the float -- do not remove the carb from the car, just remove the top. And while you are at it, remove anything that's not supposed to be in there. There should be nothing loose in the fuel bowl. Pics and proceedure at http://datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=Float_Level_Adjustment

[Nicholas7620]

Looks like something is loose in there. There's not supposed to be a silver anything visible in the window.

 

No need to clean the float. Just clean the seat. Guys do it mostly by rapping on the top of the carb right where the fuel inlet is.

 

Otherwise just adjust the float -- do not remove the carb from the car, just remove the top. And while you are at it, remove anything that's not supposed to be in there. There should be nothing loose in the fuel bowl. Pics and proceedure at http://datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=Float_Level_Adjustment

 

Great Link GGZilla,

 

You made me rethink the possibility of buying another rebuilt carb for $200. I got a another great link from Dguy210. http://datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=Carburetor_Adjustment

 

I went out just now and took 2 PICs of my carb window. The fuel level has dropped and the silver disc is off to the right side of the window.

 

 

This PIC is slightly better.

 

[Nicholas7620]

I got my newly rebuilt carburetor last Friday Oct 1, 2010. :D I isolated my idling problems to carb floats that wouldn't consistently shut off the fuel flow and made the engine exceedingly difficult to start and impossible to idle. In the process off trouble shooting I replaced my vaccuum lines with fresh rubber hoses, which helped. I managed to pass smog twice as my floats intermittently worked then failed to shut off the fuel flow.

 

I decided to get a newly rebuilt carb because I didn't want to take apart my old carburetor and there was a silver disc floating around the fuel sight glass. I didn't want to take on the complexity of rebuilding my carb not until I had a newly rebuilt carburetor installed.

 

 

The old Carb next to the newly rebuilt carb.

 

 

 

 

 

I finished installing the newly rebuilt carb Friday evening and have been driving my BEE all weekend without any idling problems. :) I drove to Santa Rosa in heavy bumper to bumper, stop and go rush hour freeway driving without any idling problems. :P :D

 

I drove to San Rafael and back home to Petaluma and the A14 engine purred like a kitten. I'll check my mileage after my next refill. So far everything is great. The engine idles at a 1000 rpm which is a little high but I'm not going to mess with idle and mixture adjustments for a week, my thinking is I'll "break in" :o the carburetor.

 

So far so good. The engine starts right up without any difficulty. Checking the sight glass the fuel level is in the middle. I'm cautiously optimistic ;) .

 

I'll take apart the old carburetor and look for that loose silver disc and other impurities. I have a clutch issue to deal with first, then ball joints and maybe during the winter I will take apart the old carb at my leisure. :rolleyes:

[Nicholas7620]

Howdy everyone, I'm updating my National Carburetor purchase.

 

It's almost November 18th and my newly rebuilt carburetor is working great. I'm idling at all stops; the engine no longer dies and the engine is easy to start. The choke works great. The carb I received was for a '77 B210; I have a 76 B210. Some of the rubber boots had cracks and a vacuum line had a crack but nonetheless the carb works great.

 

I'm getting 25 mpg in town and 35+ mpg on the freeway. I wanted to switch to a Weber because some parts of the Hitachi are not accessible during a rebuild. I'm staying with the stock Hitachi carb :o because of Cali smog laws. I think a brand new Hitachi is slightly superior to a Weber. I wish I could find a brand new Hitachi. :)

 

I kept my old 76 Hitachi because I want to see what the floats looks like inside. I think I weakened my floats because my fuel return line was plugging up. Evidently the gas tank/fuel line became dirty from letting my B210 sit in the driveway for six years. I'm pretty sure I read one of Hainz's posts and he mentioned you could blow out your floats with a plugged fuel return line.

 

I'm having a blast zipping around in my Datsun. :P :D

[that-son]

about 4 years later...  thanks for the update.  was going to ask if anyone's had experience with them.  i'm considering a national carb for a z22.  glad i decided to try the search function again.  it kept giving me a not authorized message even though i was logged in.  anyway, thanks again.