Merc carb woes

[lorax]

My '95 AlphaII 350 motor is very hard to start cold. I have to pump the hell out of it. When it does start it runs well in every other respect. Starts well when warm also.

I'm suspicious of the choke adjustment. I think it's a Weber 4bbl. The attached photo shows what the carb looks like when the motor is cold, the throttle has been pumped once and returned to neutral and the motor not yet cranked.

The manual hasn't been much help (I wont say what kind it is but it rhymes with slow clock). The book says that a weber should have an electronic choke element but this is the old bimetalic mechanical thing.

Any thoughts?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Merc carb woes

Ayuh,........

The choke is Set in your picture,......

I believe your going to find that the Carb is leaking off Internally,......

The Choke can't give the motor extra gas, when the float bowls are Empty,......

 

[lorax]

Re: Merc carb woes

are you saying that the float bowls are leaking?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Merc carb woes

Ayuh,........

I'm saying that if you let the boat sit for a Week,.....
And you go down,+ remove the top cover from the Carb,......

It'll be DRY.......

It's all that Cranking that's refilling the Carb,+ allowing the motor to Start........
All the Pumping of the throttle you're doing,....... Is doing Nothing......
There's No Gas to Pump.........

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Merc carb woes

Verify that your accel pump is pumping gas when you push on the throttle. My engine was extremely hard to start when cold until I rebuilt that section of the carb.

Just as a test, pour a few onces of gas into the carb throat and see how well it starts. That is how I trubleshot my condition. If the float chambers were leaking, the engine won't stay running after that initial amount of gas is burnt off.

 

[WaterWitch2]

Re: Merc carb woes

The carb looks like a Carter AFB.

 

[lorax]

Re: Merc carb woes

Based on your suggestions I just disconnected the throttle cable at the carb and watched while I pumped the carb. The accelerator pump shot two solid streams of fuel with the first pump. After that I got less and less fuel until after about four pumps there was nothing coming out?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Merc carb woes

Ayuh,........

The acc.pump had a smiggin of gas left,+ the Float Bowls are Empty.......

The carb looks like a Carter AFB.

Ayuh,........
It's the Merc./Weber carb,.....The Edelbrock Performer series is the Same Carb......
They're All Carter Clones.......

Btw,..... Order Parts for the Edelbrock,.... They're Much Cheaper,+ Fit Perfectly......

 

[lorax]

Re: Merc carb woes

So . . . what do I fix? Do I rebuild/replace the carb?

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Merc carb woes

Rebuilding a carb is a 50/50 crap-shoot. That said its waaaay cheaper than a new carb, if you're doing the rebuild. If it were me I'd roll the dice on the rebuild. If it doesn't work go with the Edelbrock performer Bondo mentioned, and you'll never look back.

 

[lorax]

Re: Merc carb woes

carefully rebuilt the carb. (got gouged on the kit because I was too impatient to wait for a edelbrock) and the engine starts fast.

Thanks for all the advice