Hey guys, I'm having a problem starting my Mav. It's a '71 302/Autolite 2100/Pertronix Ignitor III, new distributor cap, rotor, wires and plugs and a new ignition coil too. Just checked the timing and I'm at close to 12° initial, which has been suggested rather than the 6° Ford suggests (too retarded). Anyway, the car runs pretty well once it starts, but I'm having a heck of a time getting it to start. I've been having trouble starting the car in the morning after it's sat overnight. It smells like it's flooding and I've only recently started smelling gas when starting the car and with slow speed driving, almost like it's running super rich. I have to get under the hood and manually open the choke and also open the throttle up to even get it to start by jumping across the voltage regulator. You can see/feel the carb spitting gas as it tries to start. Right now I'm about 5-1/2 turns out on the idle mixture screws, which seems like a lot but I couldn't even get it to start at all with less. It seems like everyone typically starts at 1-1/2 to 2 turns out for their idle mixture screws. Out = rich, in = lean...right? There is a slight hesitation when first punching the gas (between 700-1200 RPM). It seems like I'm going thru gas more quickly now that I had been too. I know I'm not doing something right but not sure what. I feel like it has to do with a combination of my choke setting and the idle mixture screws. The idle mixture screws could account for the slight hesitation at very low RPMs, right? Also, the choke assembly seems to work properly but the fast-idle never kicks in (the fast-idle cam lever was broken when I got the car and I never replaced it). My PCV Valve is stuck open but still gets good vacuum going thru it. Not sure if that could be the problem or not, but thought I'd mention it. Feel free to ask anything I may not have covered. Thanks again! Jory
Mine was doing the same thing and I had just built the carb a year before. I got a hell of a deal on a complete 5.0l and harness, ECU, etc so I converted to EFI before I tried correcting the problem. Long story short, the PCV gasket was sucked in under the spacer causing most of the drivability concerns. Plug the PCV hose and see if it will start cold. You will of course have to readjust the mixture screws.
Do you mean after trying to start the car with the PCV plugged, I would need to adjust the idle screws....or before I try to start it, put the idle screws back to the suggested settings? Just in case it's not the PCV, what else could cause my problems with the carb?
The rebuild is just barely over a year old if the guy I bought it from performed the rebuild when he said he did. I haven't seen any leaks from around the gaskets and it appears to be getting good gas. A fresh rebuild isn't a bad idea though, just in case. Please keep the ideas coming!!!
Here in Texas (or the South in general), what do you guys have your Autolite 2100's set at for the idle screws? Oh, I also forgot to mention that I added a new air filter housing and disconnected the 1" tubes coming into it from the gas evaporation canister and from the passenger side valve cover. I plugged these holes to prevent moisture from getting in them. Could this also be part of the problem?
Ok, I just replaced the PCV which was stuck and reset my timing. Runs great, but a little rich at idle now. Easy enough to lean it out. Thanks again guys for all your help!
