Help! Carburetor on 250 I-6

[AuroraGirl]

looks like its supposed to be hooked up for sure. Looks like it can be electric coverted too.

 

[JohnTaurus]

It has been like that since the carburetor was installed. I don't know enough about it to find the parts and hook It up.

 

[AuroraGirl]

looks like the spring is supposed ot have a cover a Z shaped Rod connecting the sleeve on it to the choke linkage above. Fell off without the cover me thinks. and your fast idle cam needs the choke to move for it to work it also appears

 

[JohnTaurus]

looks like the spring is supposed ot have a cover a Z shaped Rod connecting the sleeve on it to the choke linkage above. Fell off without the cover me thinks. and your fast idle cam needs the choke to move for it to work it also appears

Ahh, well I will run it by the shop I usually use and let him look at and we can figure out how to get it on there, and on there right. Thanks for the tip!

Also, there is one hose from the vapor canister that I have no idea where it goes. I will take pics of that tomorrow.

 

[AuroraGirl]

i think hose from vapor caniste goes to manifold vacuum unless it has a purge valve on it. i think. and it seems to me you are just missing a single linkage from the manifold to the carb. Id just make it an electric choke or find the linkage. Electric choke versions of that are more popular. bbut i have a 1975 one of those.. I could look at it tomorrow for you an see if its electric or not. if not it might have a linkage in it idk

 

[SirRobyn0]

@John D Roberts & @AuroraGirl You guys are totally on the right track. In that first pic you have your main problem show cased. The eyelet on the linkage just below the Phillips screw on the chrome part of the bottom of the air cleaner. That should be connected via a link rod to the spring looking thing on the manifold, that spring thing is the choke coil and looks broken. You can probably get a new choke coil, but that link rod maybe impossible to get. You best bet is going to be going to a manual choke. You could also simply fix the linkage so the choke stays open all the time, it won't run good cold like that but at least it'll be ok warm.

Once you get the choke dealt with we can get any other carb issues worked out. Those little carbs are usually pretty good so once you get it worked out I'm sure you'll get lots of happy miles out of it.

 

[SirRobyn0]

i think hose from vapor caniste goes to manifold vacuum unless it has a purge valve on it. i think. and it seems to me you are just missing a single linkage from the manifold to the carb. Id just make it an electric choke or find the linkage. Electric choke versions of that are more popular. bbut i have a 1975 one of those.. I could look at it tomorrow for you an see if its electric or not. if not it might have a linkage in it idk

I did not even realize those came with electric later on, I agree that would be a great idea.

 

[SirRobyn0]

For the vacuum lines, following a diagram would be your best bet, in a best case senerio there should, or was a diagram on a label under your hood.

 

[JohnTaurus]

@sirrobyn Nahh, no such luck on the vacuum diagram, not even in the Haynes manual I have for the truck (I really want a factory service manual for all my vehicles eventually).

Here are the pics of the lonely disconnected vacuum hose. Its the one casually laying across the inner fender, over the options label for the purpose of this picture.
Could it go to the EGR? Carb?

I will reply to others after I post this. Also, I took some pictures again if this side of the carburetor, because these didn't turn out well yesterday. I hope they are usable now haha

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[JohnTaurus]

@John D Roberts & @AuroraGirl You guys are totally on the right track. In that first pic you have your main problem show cased...You best bet is going to be going to a manual choke. You could also simply fix the linkage so the choke stays open all the time, it won't run good cold like that but at least it'll be ok warm.

Once you get the choke dealt with we can get any other carb issues worked out. Those little carbs are usually pretty good so once you get it worked out I'm sure you'll get lots of happy miles out of it.

Thank you so much for the encouragement!

The truck started pretty damn good today, but it wasnt 6 am, it was 10 am (we usually dont work Fridays). But, I didnt even have to open the hood, it fired right up.

Of course, it still sticking with high idle speed when driving unless I kick it down. I stopped by the shop I usually use and he said he was confident he could get it fixed, if I could wait until Monday. But, I work Monday, so that will have to be figured out. He said he could repair the leak where my cousin installed the new fuel pump. It isn't leaking too bad, and it doesn't seem to be coming from the lines or fittings on top of the pump. I will have it fixed ASAP, but I'll probably mostly drive the SVT until it is.

I think your point about the choke is spot on, and rather than try to replace and repair the automatic choke system, I will take both of your suggestions in reverse order: get the choke to stay open for now (it's about to be summer in South Mississippi, I'm sure it'll be fine for a while), and later, get a manual choke kit. I like that setup much better, especially on a truck like this.

I am very grateful for everyone's suggestions and conclusions, and I will keep this updated as this goes.

I know this old truck has a lot of life left, just needs someone to look after it. Now, it has that in me. Its come a long way since February. I want it fixed right, and it'll get there. In the meantime, I'm enjoying driving it locally, when I can.

 

[Bextreme04]

Thank you so much for the encouragement!

The truck started pretty damn good today, but it wasnt 6 am, it was 10 am (we usually dont work Fridays). But, I didnt even have to open the hood, it fired right up.

Of course, it still sticking with high idle speed when driving unless I kick it down. I stopped by the shop I usually use and he said he was confident he could get it fixed, if I could wait until Monday. But, I work Monday, so that will have to be figured out. He said he could repair the leak where my cousin installed the new fuel pump. It isn't leaking too bad, and it doesn't seem to be coming from the lines or fittings on top of the pump. I will have it fixed ASAP, but I'll probably mostly drive the SVT until it is.

I think your point about the choke is spot on, and rather than try to replace and repair the automatic choke system, I will take both of your suggestions in reverse order: get the choke to stay open for now (it's about to be summer in South Mississippi, I'm sure it'll be fine for a while), and later, get a manual choke kit. I like that setup much better, especially on a truck like this.

I am very grateful for everyone's suggestions and conclusions, and I will keep this updated as this goes.

I know this old truck has a lot of life left, just needs someone to look after it. Now, it has that in me. Its come a long way since February. I want it fixed right, and it'll get there. In the meantime, I'm enjoying driving it locally, when I can.

The remainder of your problem is definitely the choke rod missing from that eyelet to the spring on the manifold. Mine was doing the exact thing you are describing until I realized the clip had come off mine and the rod had fallen out. I would recommend you convert it to electric. You can get an electric choke conversion for cheap and it will function like it is supposed to. Even in the summer, these engines start and run much better with a functional choke. It only requires a single switched ignition wire to run.

 

[Bextreme04]

Never mind, you can't convert that to electric. I would honestly recommend you just get a piece of welding wire and bend a solid rod in there for now. You can partially bend that spring to give you a straight through connection and then just get the length right. It should basically hold that lever down when cold. As it heats up the spring expands and pushes that lever up to release the high idle. You can also try quadrajetparts.com or https://cliffshighperformance.com/ to see if they might have the correct linkage.

 

[JohnTaurus]

Not that I can afford it now, but where do you recommend I source a replacement intake and (eventually) an EFI system for this engine? Even if it's just throttle body, especially if I can't find or afford a better aftermarket intake manifold.

 

[JohnTaurus]

Forgot to mention why: the intake was damaged when the butterfly valve in the original exhaust manifild (!) was stuck closed. This was discovered when I had the exhaust manifold replaced a few months ago. I was strongly advised to get a new intake, and a new head, if or when I can.

Let me also be clear (and I'm absolutely not intending ANY rudeness or disrespect to anyone): I will not swap this engine out for a V-8. I don't care if the entire engine needs to be replaced, it will have a Chevy Inline 6 in it.

 

[Bextreme04]

Well, I'm not really familiar with the I6 for these engines. I have never actually seen one in person so I'm guessing they are not super common. I'd be looking on craigslist and marketplace for a donor. I don't know what kind of performance parts might be out there, but the I6 wasn't in production when things went to electronic fuel injection so you might be stuck with a throttle body type system, since there won't be an OEM type system out there for you to adapt. I'm sure there are some pretty trick solutions available that someone has DIY'd