VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc '47 Chevy 216 Won't Idle

Hi everyone,

I thought after spending a month and several hundred dollars last summer on my new fuel system that I wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again...but that's not the case. Basically I have a '47 Fleetline that refuses to idle and seems to have a misfire. There may be multiple things going on here, but I'm wondering they its not all in the carburetor.

The car has been gone through mechanically and I drove it last summer without any problems. I even made the trek to the 49th Central Meet and got good mileage and everything. After storage for the winter, I drove the car a few times without a problem, and the last two times I've had it out...its running like puke.

I made a handy dandy video so you can see what its doing.




I blew out the fuel filter, no problems. I checked for vacuum leaks, which I didn't find. Point gap is correct, and points look good. Plugs are good, wires are good, cap, rotor and condenser have less than 1K on them. Fuel pump is new (last summer) and so are the lines and fuel tank itself. I think I'm down to the carb again (rebuilt last summer with kit from COT40s) but I wanted to see what the brain trust had to say. Whatever advice anyone has would be great.


PS: I know the oil filter is attached in the wrong place

If you have a Carter W-1 carburetor the problem is probably being caused by dirt in the tiny hole in the low speed jet.
The "hard way" is to remove the carb., remove the low speed jet and replace it with a new one as they are not supposed to be reused.
If you want to do what they did in the Chevrolet garage when the cars were "intheir day"................
Remove the air cleaner. Place #3 spark plug wire on #4 cylinder. Place #4 wire on #3 spark plug. Start engine, floor it several times so it back-fires through the carb. This will blow the dirt out of the low speed jet.
By me a soda at the Lake Geneva Meet next month

Gene, I'm all over it. I'm running the W-1 so I'll try this out tomorrow and see what shakes loose. The next Coca-Cola is on me.

I did not replace the low speed jet when I rebuilt the carb last summer

Thank you so much for your advice!!

-D

I'll be in Lake Geneva but I'll be in a newer Chevrolet, so I'd love to meet up and see your '39 if you're bringing it!

Another trick (engine stopped) lightly seat the idle mixture screw counting the turns in (generally 1.5 to 2 turns) then remove it. Then using the air duster apply a small amount of compressed air where the mixture screw came from then refit the screw to the original position. You may have to fine adjust the mixture after starting.
Tony

Daryl,

Also do the following if you haven't already, and if Gene's "shade tree" method doesn't work:

a. Check the plugs

b. Check the idle mixture setting on the carburetor.

c. Take the carburetor off and get yourself a Carter YF (I'm not sure of the letters, and put it on. Much better carburetor. Is too!

d. Get a set of plug wires that allow you to ground out each cylinder.

Note of Importance: After you get it running real good and smooth, take the Carter W-1 and those plug wires and put them in a tow sack (or is it toe? whatever). Place a couple cannon balls in the sack to just to be sure and stitch it up real good.

Then drive to Lake Michigan and using your hand-held GPS row about midway across the lake. (Take along a piece of 1"x8"x5' board. Sand it down to make it smooth.)

Then in mid-lake and after doing a 720 (its better to look twice) to be sure no rascally W-! retrievers are around and watching (They are out there and they are diligent about rescuing old W-1s), stick the board out over the gunwale and make the sack "walk the plank." Not having a cutlass, you may have to tilt the plank some. W-1s don't give up easily.
After the sack takes the plunge and your hear a good splash, take a deep breath and loudly utter, "Ho, Ho, Ho! You will feel better immediately. Will too! Mentally this is a healthy thing to do. Sure is!

Then row back to shore and go home. Maybe throw a party!

You're welcome,

Charlie

BTW: Excellent Video.

Charlie, thanks for the chuckle. This car actually had a later model Carter on it when we bought the car but it was in worse shape. My Pops found a correct W-1 off the internet and we've rebuilt it a few times. Its actually the first carb I've redone and I'm not afraid of getting into them now. I have since redone a Rochester TBI unit and working on a Quadrajet off my '76 C20. Carbs are fun, I just need more patience, documentation, and tools to improve on my skills.

I know the W-1's are not everyone's cup of tea but I'll take simple and crude over complex and sophisticated every day. I just wish I didn't have to tear into it every season for some reason or another

I will try the suggestions mentioned this weekend and see if I can get this old Stovebolt purring again. Thanks again everyone

When we had one with a plugged idle circuit, we would remove the air cleaner run the engine on a fast idle and then shut the choke and open the throttle. The high vacuum will often times suck the crud out. We would not let it die before opening the choke and let it clean out the rich mixture.

UPDATE: We have a nicely running Chevrolet once again. As Gene suggested...it was a clogged low speed jet.



I tried the 'field repair' of swapping plug wires and seeing if that cleared it, but no dice. So today I tore into the carburetor again and discovered the low speed jet had some rusty crud inside of it. I guess I didn't take this out when I redid the carb last summer? The taper looked good and the seating surface was clean, but there was crud inside the center, and I blew it out with carb cleaner and went back through all orifices and Oscar runs like new!

I roped my wife into starting the car while she was doing some landscaping, so pardon her 'attire' as she would say.







I put a few miles on the car and its back to normal! Gene, and others on here: thank you so much for the advice. I love this club and this forum so much. Its made the hobby so much more enjoyable when we can share advice and pass knowledge down to young'uns like me. I can't wait to enjoy my Chevy for another season. Thanks again everyone




PS: Don't tell my wife that I ruined a few of her nice microfiber towels today on the carb overhaul. Or that I did it on the picnic table in the backyard. She'll kill me!

Daryl
If you dont tell your wife I wont.
Well done.
Tony