Running too rich! Help please!

[Doodmar]

Hey guys,

I'm having a serious problem with my 1977 Celica ST.

I can smell gas when I turn on the car, and there is black smoke at idle and when the gas is pressed. I've tried adjusting the screws on the carburetor but that doesn't seem to help much, the engine RPM is right where my manual says it should be. The carberatur is no more than 2 or 3 years old.

I replaced every hose in it, but the problem persists.

Help!

[cascadedhart]

leeky fuel lines under the car

[toyomoho]

Excess fuel in carb. Have you checked for a stuck float, or float that has become saturated with fuel and sunk in float bowl?

[Doodmar]

Is the float accessable without disassembling the carb?

[stepho]

Buy the Haynes Celica RWD manual.
It tells you how to adjust the float in the carb.

Does the fuel smell come from the front of the car or the back?
These old celicas have a history of the rubber fuel lines near the tank and near the vapour separator perishing.

- Stepho

[DCM]

Originally Posted by Doodmar

Is the float accessable without disassembling the carb?

No. You'll need to remove the top of the carb to adjust it.
There is a sight-glass on the front of the carb, and the fuel level should be half way up the little window.

[Doodmar]

Originally Posted by stepho

Buy the Haynes Celica RWD manual.
It tells you how to adjust the float in the carb.

Does the fuel smell come from the front of the car or the back?
These old celicas have a history of the rubber fuel lines near the tank and near the vapour separator perishing.

- Stepho

Have that manual, didn't think to check that though at the time of posting! =/

I'm pretty sure the smell is coming from the back of the car, but it's hard to tell because that's all you smell when you're outside the car when it's on.


I've been reading, and I read that the timing could cause this. Is this true? I have a set of points but have not installed them because I don't have the right tools -- perhaps the timings is screwing it up...

[toyomoho]

Back of car as in the exhaust pipe? A leaking fuel line should not cause the engine to emit black smoke. Timing would need to be way off, engine would run rough. Take off the air cleaner and smell.

Just in case take a look at the gas tank area where all the emissions hoses are.

[Doodmar]

Originally Posted by toyomoho

Back of car as in the exhaust pipe? A leaking fuel line should not cause the engine to emit black smoke. Timing would need to be way off, engine would run rough. Take off the air cleaner and smell.

Just in case take a look at the gas tank area where all the emissions hoses are.

The engine does run rough, and to my knowledge, the points have never been replaced on this car -- the distributor rotor was broken inside when I got it too, but I replaced that.

I'm going to take it to a mechanic soon to have him take a look at it.

[toyomoho]

Have you ever looked at the spark plugs? Plug wires installed correctly?

[Doodmar]

Just replaced those last week... =/

I went and got some new tires about 2 hours ago and had the guy take a look at it. He thinks it's running lean, even though there is black smoke... I don't really understand that. One thing I forgot to mention is that the muffler is bad -- I don't know if that would cause any problems with the fuel or not. Also we're hearing a relatively quiet popping noise coming from the exhaust while it's driving.

This is so frustrating!