[72cat]

If we park the cougar in the garage we have to get out quickly as the fumes are overpowering, just from driving in and switching off.
[Finally cleaned out the garage to get the cougar in - for those of you who have read about my parking woes].
Reading something on a BOSS site I picked up this bit of info.

My BOSS is running rich. I have rebuilt the carb and have tried to adjust the mixture, but it still smells very rich. I do not have a cross over tube on the exhaust, but the right bank is dry and the left bank is wet. The fumes are overpowering. A: If you have had the intake manifold off recently, retorque the bolts, then adjust the carb again. While leaking air into the induction system actually causes a lean condition, many people (I've done it too) adjust the carb to be rich to try to get it to idle before figuring out that a loose intake manifold was the problem.

Okay, that seems to be our problem, here are the pictures of my intake manifold and carb [again], someone please confirm that the problem with the i.m is causing the problem with the carb, or are the two unrelated. And, if so - how so?

 

[swamper]

The possible vacuum problem needs to be fixed before the carb can be properly set.

If you take a spray can of carbeurator cleaner with straw and spray along intake gasget with engine running, The RPM will change when you get to a leak point. Check Carb to intake gasgets, and vacuum hose connections. The back of intake manifold is where I have had most trouble in past.

Have you checked float levels on the carb? I had bad seals so that gas would not shut off on mine before it was rebuilt.

I couldn't see any residue from leak.

 

[72cat]

I will do the carb cleaner thing tomorrow, I have bought a new set of manifold gaskets and I've got the torque sequence so will do that as well, will replace them in anycase, also got a carb>manifold gasket. Amongst the spares given to us by the PO was a carb kit, have'nt checked if its old stuff inside yet, if it is then its possible he has overhauled it and something is a bit out, if its new then its possible that he was going to overhaul it due to a problem. While I don't mind playing around with single or double barrel carbs, I'm a bit wary of doing anything on this one, Ive got the Holley manual downloaded from Holley, so I guess we could do it, but will first check around if there is a holley expert in town, who knows, miracles can and do happen and if I can find one then I would rather let him do it. But I guess we could check the float levels in the meantime. If the i.m was'nt torqued down and it ran lean due to that, [and if the PO did not pick up on that] then its feasible that the carb was set too rich to compensate, well thats my female logic at least. I noticed this before we even bought her, even remarked on it and was given the "its a V8 lady" stock answer, good thing we don't have emmission controls here. Pity the poor people behind us in a traffic jam, dual gassed.

 

[72cat]

Went to see a friend of ours who builds GT40's, he had a look at the carb and said I should check all the gaskets and set the mixture properly [], also said the petrol on the manifold was just the 'overspray' from the carb, don't know how to word that, but its not the i.m thats leaking. Phoned a carb guy and he said he would do a diagnostic check on the carb [for free] got all excited when I mentioned 4 barrel holley. Altho he first asked me suspiciosly what engine it was on, then cheered up when I said 351, I have no idea what he thought I had it on, maybe its just the fact that I'm female. Anyway I think I will get a couple of second opinions, there are still a few V8 places that I have'nt bugged for ages.