Okay i have the rochester quadra jet carb. Its got gas all over it! ive never seen it this badly flooded!

Heres what happens when i try to start it.

Starter turns it over.
Some times (but not often) a cylinder or two will fire.
mist and droplets of gas cough up the carburator.

Ive tested my plug wires, there all good. the spark plugs themselves look good two. there new by the way.

i suspect it might have something to do with the float bowl. but im not sure how to check that.

any help and ideas would be greatly apreciated.

 

Flooding {1} is when the float bowl overfills.

Yours may not be flooding. Dirt (fuel filter) holding the needle and seat from sealing can cause this. So can a bad float. Sinking float.

Flooding {2} also refers to when trying to start a car in cold weather, the plugs get soaked with liquid fuel.
Liquid fuel will not burn. It has to vapourize.

The "mist" you see rising out of the carb is vapourized fuel. (normal) the spray may be the motor spitting back through the carb as it tries to start. (lean mixture, cough, unvapourized fuel)

Try starting the car with some propane. Get a propane
torch and spray some propane down the carb while holding the throttle open. Close the throttle, get your head out of the way and kick it over. The propane is
already vapourized so it will fire immediately.
Even if the motor is "flooded" {2}

This assumes you do not have a ignition problem.

 

Im pretty sure that the ignition is good. it does have spark. Ive went around and checked each plug wire with a spare spark plug. they all work and the plugs i have inside it are all new.

the propane sounds like a good idea. other people have talked about using ether as well. since ether has a lower flash point then gas.

i guess theres no way to check the float without removing the whole carburator, eh?

 

If your plugs are soaked you may have to dry them with the torch and reinstall before they will fire correctly.

 

What happened immediately prior to all this? Driving down the road, seemed to be OK, then all of a sudden the motor just conked out and now it does this?

 

sometimes is the float is stuck, you can give the carb a little tap and knock it back, its worth a try I suppose

 

Do not ever use ether to start your car.
Very $hard$ on pistons. use propane (easy on pistons and the wallet)

 

Sorry its been so long. i dont have internet at my house.

i dont think its flooded anymore. its not firing because the rotors not turning right.

i took off the dist cap and looked at it when i try to start it.
it doesnt turn much at all. made metal noises.

i pulled it out. chunks of metal on the shaft. on the cam gear.

looks bad.

 

loose chunks of metal inside an engine is generally a bad sign >.<