Autolite problems

[Anonymous]

about a year ago i bought an autolite1100 from pony carbs, and have had nothing but trouble from day one. the main problem for me is that the car has to warm up for at least 5 minutes before i go anywhere. if i dont, the engine sputters and feels like i'm getting mis-fires in several cylinders. basically if it doesnt warm up theres 0 power.

on top of that there is always gas shooting out of the fuel bowl vent rod. i dont even know where to start with that. i opened it up and checked the float and it was fine.

to seal the deal i can never seem to get the timing and idle mixture right. i have tried everyting. seems like no matter what i do i get major pinging at the higher end of the RPM range. and actually i get pinging at low RPM's to. dont know what to do there. on the freeway i cant get the car to go more than 70 with it punched, but it will ping louder than the exhaust. its terrible.

I'm far from a mechanic but to me it seems like i really made a poor decision in this carb. my old holley 1904 had none of these problems. just a lot of hesitation when i would accelerate. i am at my wits end with this thing. i dont know what to do. i'm a broke college student and this carb was a MAJOR buy for me. i thought this was going to make my car, my crown jewel. i thought pony carbs was the way to go, but i couldnt be more unhappy with this carburetor. please if someone out there in inliner land has any suggestions for me i would be eternally grateful. i have never been let down by you guys before so i know i can count on all of your years of experience.

Thanks
Scott

 

[amartin83]

1. Is your choke tube from the exhaust manifold hooked up and drawing warmed air (not exhaust) or is it rusty, plugged or falling off like they all are? Is the heater hose running next to the choke housing like it should? Is the vacuum slot on top of the carb spacer plugged with carbon? It is possible the choke housing needs to be turned to richen the choke but my pony carbs 1100 worked out of the box.

2. If you are using a timing light to set timing I gaurantee your balancer marks are not accurate anymore. Remove #1 plug and turn engine until TDC on #1. If timing mark does not align to zero, make a new mark with paint on the balancer at the zero pointer on the block. Then set timing w/ a light to 10 Btdc with the vac advance on distributor disconnected.

3. Verify that when you put vacuum on the distributor advance canister that it actually moves. Do you have the right distributor for your year?1965-67 needs a loadamatic with no centrifugal advance, '68 and later needs vac and centrifugal advance distributors.

4. If the float is working and adjusted fine there should be no gas coming out. I find its easy to get the float hung up when reassembling and get flooding. Or your float failed and is filling up with gas.

5. All 1100's seem to run with the mixture screw about 1-3/4 turns out. You should not have to deviate very far from that but its a possibility.

6. If your gas tank has crap in it or ever did use multiple fuel filters.

I have found I could make worn out 1100's work pretty well, but they would always have faults. It is a simple carb. I finally ordered a pony carbs 1100 due to the fact every 1100 is worn out beyond home rebuilding and it has worked great. Take it one step at a time and do not do a buch of things at once. Logically work through each item.

Aaron

 

[CobraSix]

Aaron has given you some good places to look.

I've had great success with 1100s, and especially with the pony carb one that I picked up used.

Go through his list, especially with resetting TDC and making sure it's right.

Slade

 

[mugsy]

Well when I bought my Pony Carb those f#*^&ing losers put the coil spring on backwards . So as it warmed up to CLOSED the choke :x .

Lesson #1. Pony does not rebuild carbs correctly and don't trust their setting out of the box.

A 5 minute warm up sounds a little long, especially in the summer months. Loosen the three bolts IIRC that hold the choke spring housing and rotate it to so there is less spring tension. That should bring the choke off earlier.

Another technique is while the carb is "cold" rotate the housing until the choke is totally open, then slowly rotate the housing back until the choke flap just touches or closes. And tighten the bolts. Start it up and see how it performs. If the choke comes off too early, then "tighten" the coil spring in small increments but start from there.

The choke is only open by air flow, less spring tension "should" allow a more air in. These motors can be very sensitive to air flow when cold.

 

[CobraSix]

Well when I bought my Pony Carb those f#*^&ing losers put the coil spring on backwards . So as it warmed up to CLOSED the choke :x .

Lesson #1. Pony does not rebuild carbs correctly and don't trust their setting out of the box.

Tell us how you really think.

That kind of seems to be a common thread about PC on here and other forums. Either they do an Outstanding job, or they screw it up. I guess, like always, it depends on who is actually doing the rebuilding.

Slade

 

[Anonymous]

i had an 1100 but after my second accelerator pump failure in 6 montyhs, I went out and got a used holley (thanks John) and slpped it on...it runs GREAT.

I dont have the hot air choke...infact, I dont have any choke hooked up....hmmm...

but it warms up quick and within two minutes, I am crusiing down the highway....

 

[CobraSix]

But you also live where it's warmer.

I survived a whole year in New England even driving in the winter without a working choke. It took work to keep it going at first. No hopping in the car, cranking it and running back in the house to warm up. But then again, that was pointless then anyways, as my heater core was plugged and I had no heat anyways.

Now...I have heat...and electric choke that fires up the car withen 2 secs. Then run back to the house and warm back up. Now just to get heat out to the garage (detached).

Slade

 

[66Sprinter]

Guys...I just bought a reman autolite 1100 from Carb Exchange and it was well worth the investment. ($159). When I got it out of the box and inspected it, everything was tight, all components moved correctly, seals were good and everything inside was clean. (I remeber a guy who sucked a plastic peanut down the carb throat!)

The carb was to have been bench tested and setup for flow and choke. When I put it on...I only had to adjust the idle and reset the choke once.

But like always...it could have been bad. One thing in my favor...i found out from a FSPmember that an 1100 with two accelerator pumps was meant for AUTO and one accelerator pump meant for MANUAL trannys. I am glad they shipped me the one for the AUTO even though I have a manual tranny.

 

[mugsy]

Yes, I some times do talk a little bluntly

But after 10 or so phone call to PC and all I got was the run around...

Anyway, just beware, PC will not stand behind their product. As the old saying goes, "yous pays yer money, and yous takes yer chances". I gambled over $200 with them and lost

tanx,
Mugsy

P.S. The carb is still in a plastic baggie somewhere in a drawer out in the garage.

 

[CobraSix]

Nothing wrong with being blunt

Slade

 

[JoeTrojan]

I went to the Holley 1940 (I believe it came in later 60's 250s).

The spark control valve seemd to be sticking afterna few years...but a compressed air blowout restored all things to happy.

much more fuel in a 1940 than an 1100.

1940s are cheaper then 1100s too!