Fuel Boiling in Bowl - autolite 2100

[302fix]

Yea, my stupid on the air cleaner stud.

Probably need longer carb mounting studs.

What about gaskets? I would figure I'd need an extra one..One for on top of the spacer to carb and one below to manifold.

 

[67PONY]

I've always wondered why the carb rebuild kits that I buy for my 2100 have two manifold/carb gaskets in them. Maybe this is why? I suppose some applications came with a spacer from the factory.

Anyway, those gaskets are easy to come by for pocket change at any auto parts store. you should definitely use one on either side of the spacer for a good seal.

 

[Rustytruck]

My 74 came with a carb insulating gaskit from Ford so it already had longer studs. My engine is a california smog motor with egr but with the fuels we now have hot restart vapor locking got me to a boiling point. I replaced it all with a 289 4 barrel cast iron manifold with adapter and now run a quadrajet. the quad has been on for 4 years now without touching it and the only issue I have had is long term sitting. the small fuel bowl dries out in about 2 weeks time and the first time you start it you have to crank it a little. Other than that the next best option is fuel injection but that is far too unreliable and expensive for me. Good for the street where tow trucks are available but not for someone who goes 75 miles past nowhere.

 

[Socal Tom]

My 74 came with a carb insulating gaskit from Ford so it already had longer studs. My engine is a california smog motor with egr but with the fuels we now have hot restart vapor locking got me to a boiling point. I replaced it all with a 289 4 barrel cast iron manifold with adapter and now run a quadrajet. the quad has been on for 4 years now without touching it and the only issue I have had is long term sitting. the small fuel bowl dries out in about 2 weeks time and the first time you start it you have to crank it a little. Other than that the next best option is fuel injection but that is far too unreliable and expensive for me. Good for the street where tow trucks are available but not for someone who goes 75 miles past nowhere.

Modern EFI has built in backup systems for almost everything. Most of the sensors can fail, and it will still work, it won't make max horsepower but it will get you back. It's calle "Limp Mode".
Factory EFI systems are designed for 50,000miles between tune ups. Carbed cars need it about every 10,000 ( or more often). Warranties on cars are longer now than they were in the 70s, and EFI has a part in that.

The items that aren't covered by limp mode are the distributor, ( same as on a carb'd engine), the fuel pump ( not much different that a carb'd engine) and the computer ( not much different than an ignition module on the duraspark setups). I carry a spare HP fuel pump, a spare computer and a spare TFI module. When I ran a carb'd rig I carried a spare ignition module, and a spare electric fuel pump. Not much different.
When I had a carbed rig I had to adjust it every trip. EFI just goes and goes.

What is different is that most shade tree mechanix know how to fiddle with a carb and get it to work. The same isn't true of EFI. If your not comfortable with EFI, then I'm ok with that, but don't blame in on EFI reliability.

Tom

 

[1970WagonKY]

Hey Kentucky Wagon:

Did you buy a longer Air Cleaner Anchor screw? Do we need longer bolts to anchor the carb to the intake manifold?

Seems like we would for both but not sure.

My air cleaner screw is barely long enough as it is so I'll be betting on that one.

Thanks

302FIX,

Running into the same problem. Got the studs out of the manifold and am having trouble trying to get the correct ones. Got some 3" long 5/16 hex bolts @ lowes to try. I spotted some sheet metal down the aisle @ Lowes and bought a peice of 8"x12" sheet metal.

I am going to make a heat deflector. I cut the sheet down allowing 3" in front and 2" in the rear of the bolt holes from the spacer. I had to offset the two holes (about 1/8" larger than the openings) with less metal near the throttle linkage for clearance. Got some new gaskets and will see. Will see how it works.....

 

[302fix]

Heat deflector sounds like a good idea.

I got my carb on using 2 and 1/2" bolts and some washers. The 2" bolts were fitting but only had a few threads into the manifold so I opted for the longer bolt and washers.

So far so good but I haven't given it a good heat test yet.

 

[Rustytruck]

Modern EFI has built in backup systems for almost everything.

Tom you are so right but for me out exploring the desert in the middle of nowhere the only cars we seem unable to get back under some form of their own power are eithor severly mechanically damaged or electronicly challenged in complicated engine management control systems. Where not talking limp mode here just no run no starts. With a carb and standard ignition system you usually at least get a impending need help warnings that a reasonably smart person will take notice of and take appropriate action on. On electronic issues they fail with no reason in the worst possible situation and sometimes they dont fail but the computer doesnt like what it sees and shuts down to protect its system.
I consider myself to be far above shade tree mechanic but far from EFI systems qualified diagnostician. In a rocky high desert canyon @115 degrees F is not the time to learn what and how things work. Fixing a rig that isnt running right is far different than one that wont even start.
While we all have our share of problems out on the trail it is usually our low tech truck pulling out the high tec rigs not the other way around. For the most part its the trucks fault but lets face it there is a contributing factor in that a low tech truck has a much more mechanicly educated driver than most high tech rig drivers. We dont just get in our trucks and drive them in places where they dont belong when there not running up to snuff nor have neglected the routine maintainance needed to keep one out of most trail troubles.
In it all a properly running EFI rig is an amazing go anywhere rig and my hats off to those few people that can properly diagnose the issues when they arrive.

 

[Socal Tom]

I think we are saying the same thing. What it comes down to is, if your going to go out in the boonies you need to be prepared. a)That means knowing enough about your rig to get it back. b) Carrying the appropriate spare parts c) traveling with a buddy.

If you go out by yourself, it doesn't matter whether you have a carb or efi. If you don't know how to fix it, don't have tools or parts to fix it, then you are asking for trouble.



Tom