puzzling.
 

alright so because i live in pensacola i have no shops to assist me with this car and im to headstrong to giveup so ive gotten my fuel problem fixed and now it will crank/idle for about 5 minutes and when it heats up and i start to release the choke it bogs up and conks out and theres no starting it again until it cools off completely. and im also runnin the nikki carb off a 83 and with just the distributer and brake booster vaccum lines hooked up everything else on the carb has been capped. not sure if its in some of that but any ideas where to start with this??

Are you running a cat?

If it only runs with the choke pulled, you have a vacuum leak somewhere. It's pulling air in someplace where the carburetor can't meter fuel for it to run correctly (The choke is adding the extra fuel to keep it running). Since you have checked all the lines, get a can of starter fluid, or something flammable and start spraying around areas where air could be leaking in after the carburetor venturis. My best guesses would be either around the base of the intake manifold, carburetor base, the throttle shaft on the carburetor itself, or one of the fittings that the vacuum lines ran to on the engine itself. One other area I've had vacuum problems with on other cars is the brake booster. If the diaphragm is bad it creates a large vacuum leak that you can't see or hear. Easy enough to check by disconnecting and plugging that vacuum line. The bottom side of the intake manifold can be a bugger to reach, so make sure you use the small tube to reach those areas and confine the spray to small areas.

If the engine speeds up after applying the spray to an area, you have found your leak. Be careful not to blow yourself up spraying though.

The other possibility would be if the main circuit of the carburetor was clogged and not delivering fuel, but this would only apply above an idle. This does not sound like what is going on from your description.

dj im not running cats just header at this second. but i actually noticed a bit of fuel running from the carb base gasket. ive tried 3 different types of gaskets lazt one ive done actually had sealant on it. but are those supposed to have that thin paper gasket?? i hate those about as much as corks...

im actually going to use the crc brakleen non flammable and if it hits the leak itll smoke outta the exhaust and bog down no blowup effect lol

so i replaced that base gasket and it continuely leaks from the same place as it was before on the front. thinking possibly that plastic plate may have a small crack? only other thing i can think of but i couldnt even get the car to turn over today.

Hmmm. You're sure you have your fuel problem fixed? It's possible the phenolic spacer is cracked, unlikely, but possible I guess. Do you have another to try? You definitely have to chase down that leak. As to why it won't even turn over now, it has to be something else. Even with a pretty major vacuum leak it should start or at the least try to. It will just run like ass.

well its leaking a decent amout of fuel at that carb base bowls are filling up and it tries to turn over but im not even 100% sure i got my air/fuel jets set right yet. but no i dont have a spare one. and i can see my inline filter at the carb actually staying full now so any other problems fuel related will with no doubt be at the carb.

Has the carb been rebuilt? The first time I rebuilt a Nikki, I set the floats wrong, and it ran similar. Same situation otherwise, no emissions, header and full exhaust.

You can actually take the top plate off the carb without removing it from the intake. Might be something to look into. Without being there, it is hard to tell what the issue might be!!

looks as tho the carb had been rebuilt when i got it i dont know its history thats solomely based on just looking at it i found the carb in the junk yard off an 83 with a blown motor when i went to rebuild the one i had on it foundout sum dumbass jb welded or did some heavyduty glue to seal it all up tried pry bars and sludge hammers to break it loose lol i was pissed but this one hear gaskets look fairly new which leads me to believe its been redone. but my knowledge of carberators isnt very good some half the bs im doin with it is alot of trial and error to learn the system lol how can i determine if those floats are wrong?

little update on my situation. hopefully today ill get to do sum fiddling with a newfound theory but futher research of the heat plate under the carb i got leaking fuel is that apparenlty changing those gaskets isnt the best of ideas cause they dont like to reseal so i still got my factory one intact so therefor imma attept to reinstall it and see if that fixes that issue.

took the carb off and checked out the plate..

[IMG]http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/...ps150a7a9a.jpg

also discovered i somehow still had the old gasket molded onto there so needless to say think im going to have to order another plate im thinking.

Definitely doesn't look too good.

heres other thing i was talking about the gasket was sagging in so i used a flathad screwdriver and poked it out since thats where my leak was coming from.

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/...psbd440973.jpg

the pocket my finger is in was sagging so bad im guessing those pockets are supposed to be there and the gasket just sits ontop?? its where my leak was coming from that much i determinded.