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Running rich or not couriosity

Acollin

Platinum Level Sponsor
My sense/belief is that the car must be running rich if the plugs are blackened. True?
Can other conditions produce a carboned up plug?
If not, mixture must be leaned — although that leaves the unexplained addition of the helpful choking. The choke is pulled out very little in order to get that normal running feel.

i believe I need to take the beam out for a longer ride— operating temperature for more than an hour and check the plugs. This should reveal something I would think. Not such a bad way to spend an hour!!!
 

RootesRacer

Donation Time
My sense/belief is that the car must be running rich if the plugs are blackened. True?
Generally yes, there are not a lot of issues that cause black plugs except richness.

When you pulled the choke out, are you sure it wasnt the "choke" throttle stop that was opening the the throttles as opposed to enriching the mixture?
 

belmateo

Gold Level Sponsor
Dumb question, have your synched the two carbs to make sure they are flowing the same amount?
I use two of these (stock photo)UNI-SYN.jpg
 

Alpine 1789

SAOCA President
Diamond Level Sponsor
although we are dealing with a wildfire crisis here in Oregon and while I live near a rain forest in Clackamas County, we are under an alert in the whole county. We are fine at this point, but there is genuine suffering Not all that far off.
Hi Andrew. I am watching the news from Oregon and it isn't pretty. Are you still safe?
 

Acollin

Platinum Level Sponsor
We are safe , but still under the L 1 evac alert. The fires seem to be moving away from my location and our situation seems to have stabilized.
Our personal greatest concern, at this time, is air quality. It is very bad. We remain at home, stuff still marshaled by the door, but our stress level is lower for now. We need rain to flush the atmosphere and dampen the fires. Rain is in our forecast for later in the week.
We have been fortunate— many have been very unlucky.
Thanks for the concern
Andrew
 

Gordon Holsinger

Diamond Level Sponsor
1966 sunbeam alpine - stock set up

my car runs great for the most part, but it runs better still when I pull the choke out just a bit. Without the additional choke, it might bog down when hitting the throttle - going up a hill. It then seems to run flawlessly with the additional choke.

Having to pull the choke out suggested to me that I was running a little lean. So I thought I should back the jet off / down a little. Before doing so, I pulled the plugs today and all four were uniformly dark with carbon. This suggests to me that I have been running rich- the blackened plugs.

Am I running rich or lean?
Is this a problem that can be cured by doing something other than raising or lowering the jets?

Thanks all
Check the carb diaphrams for cracks in the rubber. If there is a crack or tear in either one you will run lean and when you pull out the choke the mixture is enriched.
 
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