My truck is crapping on it self.......ideas?

[Jeff Balazs]

Hey Guys;

I am recovering from surgery and have run into a problem with my daily driver 52 B-3-C.

It sat for a little over a month while I was incapacitated. As soon as I started feeling better I went out and got it started and warmed up. I drove it for a few days and it was running fine. Then I went out the next day to go to work and had trouble getting it started. When it did start it was running rough.....some black smoke was coming out the breathers and the tailpipe.....and it would not rev up.

 

I have been through the carb....checked fuel pressure...etc. I went completely through the ignition system.....new wires, plugs, Module etc.

I can't seem to figure out what is going on? I am not 100% right now and this is not helping. It is all of a sudden hard to start and when it does start it feels like it is loading up. I need suggestions of what to check next.

 

Thanks, Jeff

[greg g]

Black smoke is from a too rich mixture.  Float stuck, choke not opening, power valve not getting vacuum signal.  Might want to pull the plugsto see what they look like and do a compression check while they are out.

 

Pull the dipstick and see if your oil smell of gas.

Edited October 22, 2021 by greg g

[Los_Control]

Just now, Jeff Balazs said:

was running fine. Then I went out the next day to go to work and had trouble getting it started. When it did start it was running rough.....some black smoke was coming out the breathers and the tailpipe.....and it would not rev up.

 

Jeff I pray you get a full recovery and I love your truck ....

Sometimes when troubleshooting is best to start with the last thing you changed.

You say it was running fine. Then you went to work and it was not ..... Quit working and see if it runs better 

[Tooljunkie]

Float sunk. Common that they crack and fuel leaks in. 

[Jeff Balazs]

Hey Guys;

Thanks for your responses. 

I did not work on it until after it started acting up. The float is in perfect condition. Fuel level looks to be spot on.....with the top of the carb off. I tanked the carb and inspected everything. I got a kit from Mikes and went through it as I have done in the past. I even checked the fuel pressure as I have a full time electric pump and a Holley regulator. Everything is good and the fuel is clean. I had just changed the oil a few weeks before this began. It doesn't smell too gassy to me.

 

The plugs that were in it were very sooty after a few minutes of running. I put fresh plugs in along with new plug wires. I did a quick compression check with an old stab type tester I had.  It seemed fairly even but I have just bought a new tester and will check this again. My truck has a Pertronix module and matched coil. I had a brand new spare module so I swapped that in and even tried a new coil. Nothing so far has seemed to make any difference. It starts up but runs like crap....... 

 

I will do another compression check and hunt down any possible vacuum leaks but I am running out of ideas. This has been a real head scratcher. The truck ran just fine the evening before this started. Then the next morning it didn't.

Jeff

[TravisL17]

Have you checked the air filter housing? Would it be possible that a critter built a nest in there while the truck sat? After a couple days of driving the nest blocked air flow? Just a thought.

[Tooljunkie]

Only way to check float is submerge in hot water and look for bubbles. I guess shaking it will tell you if fuel is trapped inside. 
 

an overnight problem, and sooty plugs has a flooding issue written all over it. 
gauge on pressure regulator? I see you checked pressure. Try running lower pressure?

[Fernando Mendes]

Change the condenser.

[JBNeal]

Sounds to me like there might be a faulty ground wire somewhere...then again, in The Andy Griffith Show episode "Man in a Hurry", Wally described with sound effects what might be a clogged fuel line, and since the truck sat for awhile, that might be a possibility...I've had that happen before

[LazyK]

Butterfly valve in the exhaust manifold stuck closed?

[Jeff Balazs]

Thanks for your suggestions guys. This one has got me really baffled.

It is definitely not a nest in the air cleaner. The float is working perfectly and maintaining the proper fuel level in the bowl. I have checked the fuel supply and it is clean at around 2.5-3# pressure. Fuel filters are new. Have not found any vacuum leaks either. Had the distributor out when I changed the module and it appeared to be working normally. Also cleaned the draft tube breather and fill breather. I modified my exhaust manifold years ago and deleted the butterfly....so that can't be it either.

I am starting to run out of ideas. I will go at it again and disassemble the carb once more. I will also do a careful compression test this weekend.

This thing has really got me puzzled........

Jeff

[kencombs]

When working on the carb pay particular attention to the power enrichment piston and vacuum path from the base to the piston.   Lack of vacuum will result in a rich mixture as will a sticking piston

[Los_Control]

Crazy idea just a weird problem ... is it possible a critter moved into your exhaust and is now plugged up?

[Jeff Balazs]

Ken;

By power enrichment piston are you referring to the Step up assembly? I have been wondering about this as a potential source for the poor running conditions I have been experiencing. I will definitely take a closer look at this area next.

Thanks, Jeff

[The Oil Soup]

Is the fuel contaminated?

[lostviking]

Or old? How long did it sit?

[Jeff Balazs]

I don't believe that the fuel is either old or contaminated. My truck is a daily driver that was driven right up to my surgery. Then it sat for about a month and I resumed driving it. I did top the tank up the day before it started acting up. But I drove it about 25 miles after topping it up with no issues.

I have considered contamination as a possible issue. I don't think this is the case but it would be nice if there was an easy way to rule this out.

Jeff

[kencombs]

1 hour ago, Jeff Balazs said:

Ken;

By power enrichment piston are you referring to the Step up assembly? I have been wondering about this as a potential source for the poor running conditions I have been experiencing. I will definitely take a closer look at this area next.

Thanks, Jeff

That is the thing!  It as about the only thing that can effect mixture as you described it.   If the jets haven't magically expanded, the float level is correct and the needle/seat assembly is stopping fuel flow it almost has to be the 'step up assembly'.  The only place I've seen that terminology is Mopar books.  The rest of the world   uses more descriptive terms.

[Jeff Balazs]

2 hours ago, kencombs said:

That is the thing!  It as about the only thing that can effect mixture as you described it.   If the jets haven't magically expanded, the float level is correct and the needle/seat assembly is stopping fuel flow it almost has to be the 'step up assembly'.  The only place I've seen that terminology is Mopar books.  The rest of the world   uses more descriptive terms.

Well I spent a fair amount of time this afternoon checking/cleaning the carb again. Did not find any issues.....and of course it still runs crappy. The Step up system is clean and clear and seems to be functioning just as it should.

I am really running out of ideas. It just feels as if something is plugged up. I have a SS exhaust system with a SS Magnaflow muffler......I am about ready to pull it off to check to see if it came apart inside. I don't think it is likely but I am really at my wits end.

 

Jeff

[Dave72dt]

Maybe try throwing a timing light on it and checking for consistent firing.  If you by chance retained the old point setup, swap that back in to test your Pertronix setup.  The old module and the spare could both be bad. One other possibility could be the wrong gas was pumped into the tank at the filling station.  It probably wouldn't run well on E85 or diesel mix.

[TravisL17]

Could you disconnect the exhaust before the muffler somewhere and test run it? You mentioned you had smoke coming from the breathers, I assume that's referring to the draft tube and the oil fill tube?  The fact you said it won't Rev up makes me think air flow restrictions, whether that's into or out of the engine. With smoke from the breathers it kind of sounds like lots of crankcase pressure. Restricted exhaust would definitely cause that. You may be on to something there. Any popping coming back through the carb?

[Jeff Balazs]

Oh Dopey me. I finally "discovered" the problem........and I can't believe it either. 

 

I park on a driveway that is sloped a fair amount. My parking brake works very well....it has to. Because my truck is a 4 speed fluid drive. Some how the truck was in 4th gear this whole time instead of neutral where I always leave it when parked. So it would start and as soon as the revs came up slightly it would bog down against the fluid drive.......but not give any indication at all that it was in gear like a normal manual transmission would. I can't believe I missed this. My surgery must have taken even more out of me than I intially thought. ?

 

It is running exceptionally well now...so not a total loss. But man do I feel like a real dope.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Jeff

[wallytoo]

wow, jeff!  cool that you solved it, and it was a simple "fix", to boot.

[JBNeal]

Sounds like ya were able to adjust the nut behind the wheel adequately

[Jeff Balazs]

19 minutes ago, JBNeal said:

Sounds like ya were able to adjust the nut behind the wheel adequately

Yep. Sure wish it would have occurred to me a bit sooner. What is funny is that it didn't feel like it was in gear at all.

I will be sure to check for this from here on out. ?