1979 DODGE SPORTMAN MOTORHOME ISSUES
 

Hello . I just aquired a 1979 dodge motorhome. it sat for 8 years. i removed carb and put in a carb kit. changed oil and filter.( oil was thin*watery* and i think it smelled gassey). i started and engine ran good 20 minutes. lots of black smoke (too rich?). managed to get her to move close to my shop (200') then backed her up and it stalls in reverse everytime. ended up pushing back to parking spot. oil pressure was high so i checked level and it was over full? drained some (1 litre) put in a glass jar. smelled gassey also was thin. can fuel get into oilpan through the pump. also how do i adjust the rich issue?

any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated

oh it is a 440 with a carter t4 carb
filled it with 94octane also changed coolant

Yes absolutely gas can get into the oil from the fuel pump and would be where I started. Float level might be set to high? You did mention the black smoke and you need to find the cause of that.. Choke, float level, needle and seat, etc. You might have fouled the plug also... Good Luck keep us posted...Bill

I just reread your post one of the most common problems with The Termoquad carbs is the floats being there are 2 of them and another problem is the o-rings in the bottom of the float bowls being doubled up. These carbs are very tricky to work on and to get them to run good. You should try and find someone that is good with those carbs. A lot of guys have a hard time with these carbs fortunately I was trained/taught by one of the best..(RIP) He was a great teacher and taught me all the tricks the rest I had to learn on my own...Bill

you are right about those orings. i found them in the kit but it took a while to find them in the carb. when i first put it together it was overfueling from the right side so i needed to adjust the float and i feel that problem is solved but I am no expert just a tryer. seeing the age and the not ran for time would i be saving hassels by replacing with a new carb and if so any suggestions

i should have read all your questions. on the carb I soaked it in my parts washer for couple days then brakekleened . the floats were the poly type and dry inside. replaced the needles. ill remove plugs on weekend and inspect. I thought the black smoke could be from head valve seals. a friend suggested 1 litre of trans fluid in new oil to clean out system? as for the fuel pump im confussed. the line comes from the rear to the carb i'll check to see if it has a lift pump on weekend. thanks for the super fast replay. also I put my project up in the do it yourself forum

That year motorhome should have a mechanical fuel pump that will be on the front of the engine and driven by the cam eccentric... Bill

Just to clarify The fuel pump has a rubber diaphragm. It can rot and then leak fuel int the crankcase. The thermoquad can be tricky I would bet it is still flooding. Make sure it has the right type of O rings. They are square, on high mileage use the throttle shafts are usually worn- can be repaired. When putting it together you must be careful or you can get the needles out of wack and bent

i started using electric fuel pumps only for carb engines. and NEVER used a mech pump after. i put an over ride switch to pimp the carb with fuel before starting the engine. and a oil pressure switch that shuts the pump off when oil pressure drops. SAFETY you know. and put the pump next to the fuel tank. a good pump can pull the fuel from the back , but it pushes better. try to use steel lines as much as you can. if you use long runs of hose they can tear open in bad crash.