It starts, it idles and it actually moves under it's own power. Today was a momentous day where Mrs P and I actually took to the open roads. But let me back track as I'm getting ahead of myself.
The carb was full of gunk and crud. The float bowl had a sort of grey sludge in it and the brass main jet was green with corrosion. I cleaned, soaked, scrubbed, blew and scraped the carb in all the holes, nooks and crannies I could find. I left the main well and economizer unit soaking in carb cleaner over night as they was a couple of bits I couldn't get to directly. The idle air mixture had been screwed virtually all the way in, the warm (curb) idle screw wasn't being used and the fast (cold) idle adjustment was too strong and being used instead of the curb idle. The wrong thickness gasket had been used to install the carb to the manifold too. Basically it was set up all wrong, which probably explains the black sooted plugs.
I reassembled the carb using a kit from Mike's Carburetors , and I can't recommend these people highly enough. Great kit that arrived super quick (even with free delivery) with good instructions made the job easy.
I took an educated guess where the 3 adjustment screws needed to be positioned, fitted the carb back on the car and turned the key. After a few cranks she fired right up and a quick adjustment of the idle screws and she was sitting pretty. I need to get an old school tacho to set things up properly as I've no idea what she's idling at.
I reassembled the carb using a kit from Mike's Carburetors , and I can't recommend these people highly enough. Great kit that arrived super quick (even with free delivery) with good instructions made the job easy.
I took an educated guess where the 3 adjustment screws needed to be positioned, fitted the carb back on the car and turned the key. After a few cranks she fired right up and a quick adjustment of the idle screws and she was sitting pretty. I need to get an old school tacho to set things up properly as I've no idea what she's idling at.
With the car idling when warm, it was time for a drive round the block. Slipped her in gear and we slowly pulled away, and kept going and going and going until we'd gone full circle. It never missed a beat. The brakes are scarily non-existent, due to a combination of not being properly adjusted and none of them having been bedded in. I'm told that the 30 from 30 rule will sort the latter part out. That's 30 stops from 30 mph. Having made a complete circle round the block, everyone wanted a ride and we made another half dozen or so circuits without any problems at all.
Mrs P and I took the car to the grocery store and acheived the heady heights of 45 mph. We just made it home before it started to rain and it's been raining nonstop since. BLOODY TYPICAL.
Oh the high pressure power steering pipe leaks and the exhaust manifold is cracked, but it drives.
