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Thanks for the clarification JW, you are (as usual) exactly correct.

Pat - before we go on and on speculating about one thing or another, just try a reasonably definitive test that was suggested previously in this thread. Just remove the air cleaner and with the choke valve open and the engine running at idle, look into the carburetor throat to see if you see gasoline coming off the main jets - if so you can ignore ignition points, coils, condensors, tappet adjustments and the like - you have a flooding carburetor as JW suggests. 99.99% of the time it's either the float (improperly set, bent, or leaking and no longer floating) or the needle and seat. Less likely but possible is excessive electric fuel pump pressure.

EDIT: Optionally, then accelerate slightly, enough to open the throttle plates a bit - gasoline should then come off the main jets is small droplets that then immediately atomize into a spray, any steady stream of gas is again indicative of the float and needle/seat issues mentioned above.

PS - main jets are located inside the barrel of the venturi, easily visible from above.

Hi Guys,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

Before I caught up with the latest posts, I initiated 'Operation Overkill' and replaced all HT leads, coil, filters, dis. cap and rotor (no condenser as there is an electronic pick-up under the cap). I also dismantled the carb, cleaning it and in particular,inspecting the float and needle valve.

While the carb was apart and the fuel pump running, I held the float up, thus closing the needle valve. It appeared to work satisfactory in stopping the fuel flow.

(NOTE, I AM USING A ZENITH 28ADA10 CARB, IT HAS GIVEN ME NO PROBLEMS TO DATE WHILE THE EE22 IS BEING REPAIRED)

I re-assembled everything and hit the start button, it seemed to run fine at first, even adjusting the Idle Mixture screws were now affecting the motor (previously, adjusting these had NO effect on the running of the motor. As I think was mentioned in a previous post, there was presumably excess fuel being fed in apart from just the idle mixture, resulting in the motor running rich.

Anyway, the rich running started again, with black smoke and a strong smell of fuel coming from the car. Further, I saw fuel leaking from around the top carb gasket, I can only think that it was FULL of fuel.

I can only assume, that as you have all stated previously, that it must be a float/ needle valve issue, even though these seem in perfect condition. I am attempting to get a repair/service kit for the 28ADA10 carb, which will hopefully include a needle valve and seat.

Of course, that big question is how did this problem occur so suddenly!

More anon....

Look for cracking in the top casting of the carb. The float and needle/seat might be working, butif the fuel is going around it, you can have this issue.

Also look at the way the seat is installed. Is there supposed to be a gasket under it on that carb?

Blackbeer gives good advice. In addition it would be a good idea to put a pressure gauge on the fule pump to see how much pressure it is putting out.

Had a similar problem on an earlier model. Drove me nuts until I found out the new needle valve seat was not machined properly and didn't seat properly into the carburetor casting.

Even though the needle valve was seating and sealing properly there was a small constant leak past the needle valve seat threads that raised the fuel level in the float chamber.

Finally traced it down by attaching a piece of clear plastic tubing to a drain fitting on the bottom of the float chamber. This allowed me to check the actual fuel level as the car was running.

I saw the fuel level was running high even though I had bench checked the fuel level in the bowl. I pulled the carb. off again and applied 2 - 3 lbs. fuel pressure, and now saw some leakage past the needle valve threads, even though I had the needle valve closed.

Check for a leak past the needle valve that is raising the fuel level in the carb. or a crack in the casting draining fuel from the bowl into the intake.

Good Luck!

Hi all,

I am writing to you today from a secure unit, the Wardens are very nice, they allowed me to write using a soft crayon.

OBVIOUSLY, the reason I am currently serving a long sentence for mass murder a spot of arson, pillage and plunder, is because I still have not sorted out my 'rich running' problem.

Despite compleatly rebuilding the carb using a repair kit (including new needle valve and seat), setting the float to the correct height, new coil, plugs, HT leads, set the timing and checking the points, its still blowing out black smoke and a strong petrol smell when cold mostly.

The situation has changed slightly since the above work though, it now seems to mostly only do this from cold and it seems to take a while for one or more cylnders to start firing, once these do fire, the problem seems to go away.

I checked the compression on each cylinder and they are all good with very little difference between them. All plugs are firing, at least to the plug top.

Assuming everything is good in the carb, electrical and compression department, what causes (presumably) some cylinders not to fire (due to flooding or other reason) and the excess or unburnt fuel to be exiting through the exhaust?

Thanks Guys, and chance of an Apple Pie and file?

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One additional thought:

I once had a problem with misfiring and finally traced it down to the plugs, even though I had put in a brand new set.

The car I was attempting to start was flooding and starting with a rich mixture, due to a high float level and leaking seat needle.

When I corrected the problem with the carburetor I couldn't get it to idle properly. A check of the ignition system showed a strong spark to each cylinder.

Changing the new plugs to another new set solved the problem. All I can figure, is, the rich starting condition fouled some of the plugs and they never got hot enough to burn off the carbon and fire properly.

Thanks for that, great point about fouled/misfiring plugs, will correct and report back!

The spark plug heat range is ABSOLUTELY CRITICal!!!!

What brand and what is the number ON THE PLUGS????? From that the heat range can be determined. wITHout actual apecific name and number from the actual plugs then we are guessing like a drunken gambler. IT's just that simple.

See LAST page of this thread:
http://forums.aaca.org/f134/bad-champion-spark-plug-experience-200717.html


What year is the car (not series) , what engine and what is the spark plug thread???