Expert: Dan Liddy - 8/27/2005

Question
Hi. I have a 1974 mustang II with i think a 1987 ford ranger engine. We are having alot of problomes with it and i was wondering if you could maby help.

I race on a high banked 3/8 mile clay track. Whenever i go into a corner the car dies. When i come out of it it comes back. We have tryed many diffrent thngs to fix this but nuthing works. We have a Holley 4412 two berral carb on it and i can only give it half throttle. If i give it any more it bogges.

If you are not familyer with four cylinders pleas let me know, or if you know someone that knows about them pleas snd this to them. Thank you very much.

Nick

Answer
Hi nick:

Your problem is obviously one of fuel starvation.  The first thing you should do is find a service manual that covers the carburetor you are using, and find out what the float level should be, then you can adjust it somehwat higher to see if that helps.  It may also help to make an adapter and rotate the carburetor 90 degrees so the float chamber is facing forward rather than sideways. It should help some, but if the problem persists, you will probably have to install an electric fuel pump.  I'm a big fan of the Carter P4594 which you can order online at www.summitracing.com - - -it's $59.99  plus freight .  I have not had very good luck with other brands.

If you can't make the Holly carb work, one that will work for  you is the Weber 32/36 DGAV, DGEV or one of that series.  It's a 2 barrel downdraft that is great for racing four cylinder engines and parts are readily available from Weber dealers. They cost about $175.00 new but they're all over the place around sports car racers. They came stock on old Mercury Capris.

Hope this gets you out of the "bog zone" that 's about as hateful a problem as any race car can have !

Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida