Carter BBD issues

sorry, just reread your first post, so you did rebuild the carb! good. One thing to watch out for is did you use the correct base to body gasket. there are two in most kits, and if you use the wrong one, the carb will not work properly. a vac channel will be plugged, and there will be not vac. to the choke pull off. My last car had this issue, took me WEEKS to figure this out, man was I mad at the PO!, butt all goes well as ends well, good luck, gz

This is all very helpful in understanding the issue. My next step will to be getting a picture gallery outlining as much information as possible. But for right now...

The carburetor is now spitting gas out from the top about five feet. Are you guys sure it's the vacuum system?

Sounds like the previous owner's description saying 'it has a knock' could be a 'tick' instead ...and this could be a stuck/partially stuck intake valve caused by neglect (sometimes happens when the engine doesn't get started for a year or so ...which might happen if they think it has a "knock' etc etc)

-if it has a partially stuck intake valve, this could cause a vacuum line to pop off because it'll have some backpressure in the intake manifold whenever the intake valve isn't fully closing?

-if 'it's gotten worse' this could indicate a bent pushrod? (if so it'll shake when running and make a ticking sound)

Chilton's Manual has excellent troubleshooting section IMO & is very helpful in a situation like yours where nobody here can see your engine actually running...

Describe how the engine starts; does it start easy and run smooth, or does it start by having to crank the starter a while longer and then runs shakey?

It is always a bit difficult to sort things out from pictures, but looking at this carburetor in the 5th and 6th picture from the top, the gizmo that looks a bit like a rubber nipple about 3/4 of an inch in diameter is the curb idle speed adjust.
The idle mixture screw if I am correct is not able to be seen, but in the 6th picture it should be just below and to the left of the fuel inlet.
The curb idle adjustment speed is functional providing the same adjustment that is part of the carburetor linkage is adjusted so it is not functional and the small nut on the end of the rubber thing is turned for curb idle.
It was done this way due to all of the vacuum controls for the thing to run correct required this external means to control curb idle. This carburetor is slightly different than my memory says it should be but it is also apparently a couple of years newer than mine and might very well be slightly different.
But the tuning would be done pretty much the same. ]

I would have to get off my duff and go down to the garage and pull a later Eagle carburetor off my shelf to qualify anything I say at the moment.

On the 5th picture down there is or it looks like a wire going into the rubber nipple thing on the carburetor. When the engine is running 12 volts would be on that gizmo causing it to energize and it would be used to set idle speed. When the engine stops, the 12 volts disappear and the rubber thing (some form of idle speed solenoid) disengages causing the throttle butterfly's to close completely which eliminating the tendency to diesel


The carburetor itself has idle speed adjustment mechanics on it and the single biggest problem well, one of many, is using that to control idle speed. Wrong, turn the carburetor adjustments so they do nothing and not touch anything. That solenoid is the idle speed control.

Edited by uncljohn - Oct/09/2016 at 3:42pm

Tarnish wrote: Yeah, but that solenoid only activates when the car about dies, then it kicks on and revs the engine to about 1500 RPM until it about dies again, and the cycle continues. Given, this is only when the car is warming up, and once more when it gets to a certain temperature. Fine after that until you slow down and it doesn't kick on at all.

I have worked on a number of AMC engines of the late 70's and early 80's and that solenoid in my 1980 TSM is called a TCS Solenoid and may serve more than one purpose.
Purpose #1 is to keep idle speed correct when engine is running and the solenoid may be vacuum controlled to do that
OR
It may come off of switched 12 volts thus On All The Time as long as the ignition is on.
Purpose #2 is to increase idle speed when the A/C is running in that case the solenoid will have maybe two functions, one to keep idle speed correct when engine is running and thus may be vacuum controlled along with --
When A/C is on there will be 12 volts to solenoid which further increases idle speed.

Bottom line I don't have a clue what yours is doing, but it does not sound as if what ever it is doing yours might be some how hooked up wrong. What does your TSM manual say about how it should function?
It is part of the smog equipment on that engine.
I avoid AMC cars with plastic valve covers, I have owned one, got it running and sold it twice. I never bought another one.
When I took it to a smog center it passed but it leaked oil like a puppy on a leash.
If it is only a 12 volt line to the solenoid, it may be coming off of the device on the oil pressure which switch 12 volts if the oil pressure is low. Again what does the TSM say about how it is hooked up.





Edited by uncljohn - Oct/09/2016 at 6:14pm