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Escort/XFlow idling issues


kdotlowe

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Hi all,

Thought I'd quiz you lot before I throw in the towel and send the car to a professional.

My Escort (1600 X/Flow) is running like a bag of dicks. Won't idle. Can only keep it running by stabbing the gas.

I had the inlet & carb removed to give them a quick tidy up while I was swapping out my oil pump. Chucked it all together and can't for the life of me get it to idle. It will start up with some throttle and then will quickly slow down and die. I can keep it running by stabbing the gas occasionally or it will idle quite high once warmed up with the choke flaps closed.

So my thoughts are A. vacuum leak or B: idle circuit in the carb. 

I've done the following:

  • new gaskets on inlet manifold & carb insulator. 
  • checked for vacuum leaks using carb cleaner. (Can't seem to find any)
  • stripped down carb (Weber 32 DGAV) & gave everything an ultrasonic clean & blew out all gallerys with air & carb cleaner - nothing seems to be blocked. 
  • I stupidly removed the idle mixture screw when rebuilding the carb - but this seems to have little effect on the idle when adjusted.

Here's an example: https://youtu.be/AjBkuCH9ye8

Am I missing something painfully obvious? 

Any help greatly appreciated! 

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removing the idle screw wont break anything, setting it is pretty easy too, but if the idle screw is not affecting the idle at all. the idle circuit is either

- blocked so engine will stall due to lean condition from fuel starvation  - clean it again

or

- there is a fuel leak and idle is too rich flooding engine - try checking float level and needle valve

or

- there is an air leak and will stall due to lean condition - if its not the manifolds check the booster isnt leaking by blocking the booster vacuum take off, maybe leaking around the butterfly shafts too, like my DMS :doubt:

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Cool! I'll pull the carb apart for the third time haha. 

Re: your second point about it potentially being a fuel leak, the engine runs better and will idle high when the choke flaps are closed which would indicate a lean condition right? Could I assume that I wouldn't be flooding the engine due to this?

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Yeah, Usually that would indicate a lean idle so start there.

Start with the basics/easiest first. Set the idle screw 2 turns out from bottoming out and throttle stop screw 1 turn in from first touch. Then check ign timing.

 

then check for air leaks then for fuel blocks and may as well check the float height and  needle valve while its apart. Missing or worn teeny o-rings on idle jet holders and etc have got me before too.

 

But...

 

Could just be that when on the choke/cold start circuit its 'less rich' (choke doesnt just close the flaps to reduce air but often opens other fuel passages too) but that depends on how your carb works. 

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Made a little bit of progress today. Set the timing at 10deg BTDC and pulled the carb apart again. With some fine fiddling with the idle adjustment screw it will idle - roughly. I need to have a proper play with the mixture screw as it didn't seem to be doing much. Ran out of time but I'll have another play next weekend.

Video of it idling now.

 

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