Trouble shooting help please!?

I'm lookin for advice on things to check out when I start troubleshooting this beastie. Don't want to overlook anything and then feel like an idiot later.

Driving out to my girlfriend's earlier my car decided to start running bad.

Didn't want to run except at about half throttle or more, under load. If I took my foot off the pedal it would shut off, at lights revving it wasn't enough, it would still try to cut out, keeping it in drive (auto trans) and braking with my foot on the gas did better.

The drive is about fifteen miles. By the time I got to her house it had fouled plugs, I think, and was no longer hitting on all six.

Ford 250 inline 6, points, Carter 1 barrel. Mechanically all still stock to the '72 Mav it was yanked from.

Not wanting to interrupt our dinner plans I left the car there and plan on fooling with t tomorrow. I'm hoping its something simple, crud in the carb maybe? I just had to swap fuel filters due to clogging. And to make it more fun I have a brand new tattoo on my hand. At least it's my left and I'm a righty, lol.

80% of problems on a points equipped vehicle are the points . I would start there

8) after that, pull the plugs and look them over carefully. if they have a sooty coating on them, then you have a problem with excessive fuel. if they have an oily coating then then you have an oiling issue.

This is where I am now...

Pulled the carb, pulled the bowl, cleaned crud out of the bowl, sprayed every orifice with cleaner, took apart the inlet needle valve cleaned that. Put fresh plugs in as the old ones were quite fouled.

It's still running crazy rich. Turn the idle mix screw all the way in and nothing.

Pull the vacuum line off the manifold for the transmission along with unplugging the unused port next I it and it runs happier.

Pull the carb again and give it a more thorough cleaning? What else should I check? Float doesn't seem to be fuel logged, the choke is turning off. Carter RBS carb, so it doesn't have many adjustments.

This should not impact your running rich issue, but if there was crud in the carb, I would be sure to check the fuel filter on a regular basis - and perhaps install a large inline filter, prior to the factory filter.

8) since you are running rich, start by checking the float itself. if it is the brass type, pull it out and shake it. if you hear anything rattling around in the float, then it is sinking and allowing a higher fuel level in the carb. if the float is the plastic kind, then using a small scale weigh it and compare that to the weight of a new float, if heavier then it also is sinking, replace it. check the fuel pump pressure, too much can cause the fuel flow to overpower the needle and allow too much fuel in.

Ruled out ignition, new stuff on that side.

Float does indeed float.

It appears that the slit looking port at the base of the carb is where fuel is dumping?

I opened up the choke control. The little wire that connects the lever there to the plunger mechanism has rusted away.

Could the broken bit in the choke be causing my problem?

I have an extra carb thy has that part intact still but I don't see how to go about replacing it.

Does it run okay when you start it cold- then deteriorate as the car comes up to temperature? I had a faulty choke that caused those symptoms (the spring had come off the actuator). If you have a new or newer fuel pump, the advice to check the pressure is definitely something worth following up on (installing a regulator has helped quite a bit on mine).

Good luck!

The "step up rod" cover seems to be raised up from the carb body. As if it isn't seated properly. Would that be something to investigate?

Tore it down farther for a more thorough cleaning. Broke off the main jet. It turned close to a full turn then snapped.

Sleep on this one, maybe the morning will bring a good solution.

if the float floats then check the float setting. Also closely inspect the needle and seat, even if the float is functioning OK the pump will put more gas in the carb because nothing is sealing it off. This will cause a high level in the bowl and gas will pour from every orifice.

And it's never a bad idea to re-check the distributor. I once had bad points and put fresh ones in and it refused to start. I checked and rechecked and checked again the points and still no spark. I finally took the points and condenser out, re-installed them just like I had done the first time and she fired right up and ran like a raped ape!!

Tore down and cleaned my sitting on the shelf collecting dust carb. Reassembled with some parts stolen from the other. Comet is once again running, yay!