70 Eldo floods when hot - why?

[Stan]

My 70 Eldo runs great, starts great when  cold and when warm.  But, when it is run 30 or 40 miles and gets hot, when you stop and try to start it after 10 minutes or so, it floods.  I have to pop the hood, take off the air cleaner and prop open the back carburetor butterflly valves with a screwdriver.  Then it starts with at high RPM and lots of gasoline smoke.  
Any ideas what to do?  Thanks, Stan

[Porter 21919]

Stan,

Most likely your carb is in need of a rebuild, needle and seat probably sticking.

Dont swap it, find a competent rebuilder.

Porter

[Denise 20352]

  You might have a kumquat seed under your needle seat.  They hide in there.  Or maybe a sticking or saturated float, or just a needle thats worn out.  Make sure you have a clean filter in the inlet.  Some people take them out, which is not a good idea.

  If the carb is OK, you might give the distributor a look, checking the bushing for free play and well as the usual tuneup items.

-densie

[Porter 21919]

Stan,

I bought a 66 Vette back in 88 with an original 327 drivetrain, I replaced the incorrect Holley carb with the correct new Holley 650 factory cfm one, had to pull it off twice and replace the needle and seats then the problem went away, exactly what you describe.

When it was hot after a long drive a half hour, one hour, later trying to start it flood city. Pedal to the floor ,all air and no gas it would start.

You have a Rochester 4 bbl no doubt in need of a rebuild after many years, correcto ?

Porter

[Stan]

Thanks guys -  It had the top rebuilt 2 years ago.  Ran fine till recently.  But when it is hot, shouldnt the butter fly valve be open??  Maybe something should be triggering it to open, but is not workingg?  Thanks,
Stan

[Porter 21919]

Stan,

The butterfly, you mean the choke plate ? Perhaps you need a new choke pulloff or a choke adjustment.

Porter

[denise 20352]

  Yes, the choke should be open.  The big air valves in the back should be closed.

  When the engine is cold, the choke valve is closed.  When you start it, the choke pulloff opens it just enough for the engine to fast idle, then after that, it is slowly opened by a choke coil, which is inside that black plastic cup.  For the choke not to open when the car is warmed up, something has to be broken, sticking, or maladjusted.  Ive heard of the choke coil breaking, but never seen it.  There is a lever that goes from the choke coil up to the choke valve.  You can see where it hooks up on the passenger side.  It is possible that the lower end of the rod (which you cant see, because its a stupid design that goes down in there where you cant get to it), has come close.  If its flopping around down there, and the choke valve moves with very little effort, thats what happened.

  The biggest problem that Ive seen with chokes is that people dont adjust them correctly, but its hard to screw them up so badly that they wont open when the engine is hot.

-densie