Brief 411... Installed high volume pump a few weeks ago. On the way back from the shop the fans were disconnected and the car overheated on the way home. Car stalled and it looked like the battery was toast. Replaced battery and car ran, but would also would not start from time to time... like it was flooded. Next day it would start up again, but pulled a code 45 (rich O2).

I found the pump is putting out almost 7psi and there was something stuck in the base of the q-jet passage. Replaced the q-jet with a Holley 750vac dual bowl carb. I also installed an Autometer Air/Fuel gauge.

The car starts and idles OK, but the gauge reads normal and then starts to read leaner as time goes on.

The thing that has me majorly concerned is that there is a lot of water (or gas) comming out of the tail pipes! I think it is water because it doesn't have a strong gas smell and I soaked a paper towel with it and it didn't light very well.

Did I blow a head gasket? Am I reading lean because water is flowing into the chamber? It stops dripping out after a while (ie- no white smoke as I drive), but it is a lot of water.

This engine isn't even a year old! I pray it isn't a head gasket. As if anyone ever wishes they did blow one!

------------------
1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in... K&N filter... 93 octane...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

Bio,

The water you're getting out of the exhaust is really pretty normal. I get a nice puddle under each tip when I warm up my car, and another couple of puddles under the muffler drain holes. Depending on where you live, the cooler air tends to hold just as much moisture as any other time of year, but since the vehicle is colder, that moisture will condense in the exhaust. Once the engine and exhaust system are fully heated, like after some driving, the water vapor in the exhaust should be expelled (until you shut if off again). The combustion process liberates a lot of moisture, and it all has to get out the exhaust somehow.

As far as your mixture readings, the mix should be a little on the rich side until the engine is warmed, then shoudl begine to taper off to a more normal range. Starting in a "normal" range then tapering to a lean condition might indicate that the float level is a little low, or air bleeds are open a bit too much. There are a few others on the board that can give you "better" advise on the Holley carbs, since my solution has generally been to crush it in a bench vise and install a Carter ThermoQuad.

------------------
Later,
Vader
------------------
"No matter how hard you try you can't stop us now"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

Thanks Vadar, it's responses like that from knowledgeable people that keep me somewhat calm! I am talking about a lot of water, but it doesn't get driven every day now that I am having so many problems!

I just went out to try and start it again to see if there would be more water... it won't start! Like fuel is dripping off the little brass things in the bore (they say R45-107). Could this carb be jetted too rich for this engine? I REALLY don't want to pull this carb to change jets and rods... I am also going to look into getting a pressure regulator from someplace local and see about pulling down the pressure from 7psi to about 5psi...

 

The would be a worst case, and I hope I wrong.

Another possibility:
It overheated and stalled--thats not good--if the engine got hot enough metal could have transfered(rings to cylinder wall or bearings to crank). After it cooled while you got a battery, the engine would crank and start up.
The water is antifreeze from either a head gasket blown or warped/cracked head from the heat.
Antifreeze will screw up the O2 sensor.

What I would do:
If you haven't changed the oil yet(overheated oil won't lubricate very well--you should have changed it)take a sample and have it checked to see how much metal is in it.
Monitor the antifreeze level, engine temp, oil consumption closely.
Burning antifreeze smells sweet--what does your exhaust smell like? If your not sure, take it to a reputable shop, the smell is unmistakable once you have smelled it and they have other ways of detecting a cracked head/blown head gasket.


If anything looks suspicious, tear the engine down and see what you got.


------------------
82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

 

Well, tearing the motor apart isn't really an option. I changed the oil just before I took it to the shop and the whole stalling mess started, so I'll take a look at it. The exhaust smells a lot like gas... and I don't doubt that I am running really rich. Jester says that if the mix is more then 12:1, then the O2 sensor reads "lean" actually.

I put on a regulator, and the pressure is now about 5psi. It runs better, but still far from good. I think it is jetted too rich for a 350 size engine. Of course, Holley isn't open on the weekends...

[This message has been edited by Biochem (edited December 02, 2000).]

 

Sounds promising. At idle the jets have no effect on fuel mixture. Adjust the mixture screws with the engine completely warmed up as lean as possible with it running smooth. Fuel pressure won't have much of an effect(unless it can't keep up with engine demand). When the fuel bowls get full of fuel, they shut off or restrict it alot to maintain a certain fuel level. The fuel bowl is unpressurized. Set the float level so no fuel comes out of the weep holes, but almost. Make sure the choke is not fully shut, or stuck shut--adjust accordingly.

If you have fuel in the throttle bore without touching the gas pedal, the float level is too high. Make sure the choke is open, give it full throttle, and crank it until it starts. If it's flooded, that should start it.


------------------
82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

[This message has been edited by 82camaro (edited December 02, 2000).]

 

7 psi should be plenty for a carbed car, unless youre pushing like 800HP. Now 7psi with fuel injection, and youre in trouble...

------------------
1983 Pontiac Firebird SE
LG4-Based Chevy 400
700R4 Tansmission
Modified 4 Barrel Q-Jet Carb
Accel Super Stock 8mm Wires
Edelbrock Pro-Flo Air Cleaner
3.23 Posi Rear
14X7" Cragar SS/T Wheels
35X4 CD/AM/FM Head Unit
100WX2 Amp
2 Pioneer 12" Subs in Custom Box
Third Gen Performance

 

Did you get a chance to check the oil yet Bio? Just curious....

 

No, not yet. It's been too damn cold to work on it much. I did pull a plug or two and see that they are black... I'm thinking too rich and that maybe my vacuum lines are wrong.

 

What should you be (PSI) at for fuel injection?? And you are talkin about the fuel pressure right!?



------------------
Godti
'89 Trans Am (Red)
305 TBI 5spd

 

The most usual cause for a Holley to dump fuel into the intake is the power valve. It is a relatively large rubber diaphrgam with vacuum on one side and fuel on the other; when the rubber ruptures, you have an instant massive leak between the fuel bowl and the intake. It will make the car run extremely rich, if at all.

If on the other hand you have fuel dripping out of the booster venturis (which is where fuel is normally fed into the air stream at high speeds from) then your fkoat level is too high.

Earlier you mentioned having something stuck in one of the passages of your Q-Jet... did you make sure you have a good fuel filter installed? You might have gotten the next installment of crap flushed right straight out of your gas tank and into your new carb.

7 psi is on the high side of normal for a carb, but Holleys are designed to deal well with high fuel pressure. It should be OK with that. 5 is about perfect.

Vader's comments on Carters are interesting! Mine are the exact reverse: I personally detest Carters, have learned to deal effectively with Holleys, but wish I could use more Q-Jets. It's really too bad that the computerized Q-Jets are so totally performance-hostile. You can get one to run OK at WOT, but the other 99.5% of the time it's impossible to get one to work with a motor that's modified to any noticeable degree.

------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."