Rough Idle

[White Bird]

Having a hard adjusting the idle on my 65. It idles very rough. When cruising along it is fine. Do I need a new carb or am I adjusting it wrong?

[Harley Eaton]

How are you adjusting it???

[Yoda]

Might want to check your points.

[Joe Van Datta]

If you have the Ford 4 bbl as I have if you can screw the idle mixture screws clear in without changeing the idle speed or stalling you may have a bad power valve -- I did.

[Harley Eaton]

So you ask "where is the power valve?". It's located under the front fuel bowl and is easy to change. You do need to remove the carburetor from the engine. Cover is held in place with four screws. Pick a valve up at the local auto parts store or your Ford dealer's parts department. Valve should come with two new gaskets.

[White Bird]

Thanks Joe & Harley but unfortunately I have a mongrel 2 bbl. carb. The 2 idle mixture screws will stall the engine when I turn them in. The exhaust smells real rich but when I try to adjust the idle mixture & the screw on the gas linkage I get nowhere & still idle rough. I did try to adjust the points but again no luck. Really perplexed. I should also mentioned that I had the engine rebuilt & have had this problem since. No problem with idle before the rebuilt.

[PHILLY MIKE]

Did you check for a vacuum leak? I just had that problem on my 65 over the weekend. It turned out to be a cracked hose going into the vacuum cannister on the firewall. I replaced the hose from the carb to the cannister and the idle smoothed right out. Good luck !