OK, I went out this morning to make more checks/adjustments.
I backed off the valve adjustment until there was just barely no slack in the train as HRL suggested.
I pulled the top of the carb and found the needle valve had fallen out! Hurrah, this may be the problem.
Carefully replaced the needle valve, measured float level and drop and they were WAY off. The drop measured about 2 1/2", the float was fairly close to specs. Adjusted the drop to 1 3/4" (per engine manual), now the needle valve stays in.
Re installed it on the engine, hooked up all the lines, cranked it over and it started right up, ran for a minute (about), then died. To me it acted like it was flooding. Tried again, managed to get the spray bottle in position and shot some gas down the throat. It didn't help. When I looked down the throat I could see a puddle of gas in the intake manifold.
So, does it sound like the carb needs to be worked on? I don't have a rebuild kit, and the carb has no numbers on it to tell me what kit to get. All I know is it is some sort of Rochester single barrel that has the lines in the right places for my engine. I hate working on carbs, but if I have to I'll do it.
Tim
I am currently digging back in to a 1953 3800 (one ton) with a nine foot bed. I've owned it since 1979, and drove it until 1982 (or so). My wife got me involved in restoring it back in 2002, got the body removed and the frame redone, then things came up. Now I am retired and starting again. If anyone is interested I have photos on Imagur (
https://timwhiteblues.imgur.com/ ). I live way back in the woods in the Ozarks on 40 acres at the end of a 2 1/2 mile private road.
Tim
