Hard starting when warm/hot

dgmgohl

Member
Just purchased a 56 Ford with a transplant 292 Y block. Electronic fuel pump. On cold start the engine fires right up. But on a warm/hot restart it barely starts. I have a single barrel Ford carb on it. Manual choke not connected because there's no clamp to fasten the cable shell. Any suggestions?
 
Single barrel on a 292???
The original carb for the 292 would be a ECG or Holley 2110, but all the '56 models had automatic choke.
If yours has manual choke it is probably and older version of the "bugsprayer" type carb like a Holley 2100 (1955) or Ford EBU (1954) also made by Holley.
Show a picture of both sides and we can tell you what it is and if anything is missing off of it.
Hot starting problems don't necessarily mean there is a fuel problem. But it might be a good idea to whittle a 1/4" thick phenolic base plate for the carb. You'll have to get three longer carb-to-manifold mounting bolts. That will help to reduce heat in the carb float bowl.
I would also swap out te ignition condenser for a known good one. If that remedys hard hot starting, there was your problem.
 
Ford EBU carb, but looks nearly identical to Holley 2100 and Holley 2110 carbs.
EBUcarb2F.JPG

EBUcarb2G.JPG

EBUcarb2H.JPG
That red thing in the 3rd picture is a heat isolator I cut out from a sheet of 1/4 inch thick phenolic.
 
if i understand - you have no working choke? if it starts up fine cold without a choke that suggests to me that its running very rich, which would also mean that once warmed it will not start well is it is the same "too rich" conditions.
 
Dave, is that a Holley 94 in disguise?

The carb in the photo is a Ford EBU, but these are nearly identical to the Holley 2100's. The EBU was made for the '54 Y-blocks but some of them carried over in '55 until Holley was able to ship the first batch of Holley 2100's.
In '56, Ford used the new Holley 2110 (ECG) which had a slightly bigger throat and larger venturi's. These also had automatic choke.
Starting in '51, they started using B8A carburators which are nearly identical to the Ford EBU (also made by Holley).
Somewhere in the '52/53 model year, they used EAB carbs on the flathead V8's.
From '51 thru '56 all these carbs looked very similar till you get down to the nitty gritty. Many interchangeable parts between them all and they all use the same rebuild kits.
These type of carbs (also known as "bug-sprayer" type carbs due to the discharge nozzle) are all known in the industry as Holley 94's. They were first manufactured by Chandler/Grove for the 1938 Ford flatheads but later Ford contracted Holley to make them.
 
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I was asking because I see 2 differences from my Holley 94s. The power valve on the outside, and it looks like it has a dist vac port...
 
I was asking because I see 2 differences from my Holley 94s. The power valve on the outside, and it looks like it has a dist vac port...
No, that is the spark control valve. The power valve is hidden under the float bowl and sticks down into the vacuum recess in the valve-body. Some of the earlier models did not have a spark control valve.
Yes, these all have distributor vacuum ports. It is a Load-o-matic advance system (fully controlled by vacuum).
 
Single barrel on a 292???
The original carb for the 292 would be a ECG or Holley 2110, but all the '56 models had automatic choke.
If yours has manual choke it is probably and older version of the "bugsprayer" type carb like a Holley 2100 (1955) or Ford EBU (1954) also made by Holley.
Show a picture of both sides and we can tell you what it is and if anything is missing off of it.
Hot starting problems don't necessarily mean there is a fuel problem. But it might be a good idea to whittle a 1/4" thick phenolic base plate for the carb. You'll have to get three longer carb-to-manifold mounting bolts. That will help to reduce heat in the carb float bowl.
I would also swap out te ignition condenser for a known good one. If that remedys hard hot starting, there was your problem.

If I did this right, 2 photos of my current carb. As I mentioned, this 292 came out of Ford truck. Previous owner didn't know the year.
 
Single barrel on a 292???
The original carb for the 292 would be a ECG or Holley 2110, but all the '56 models had automatic choke.
If yours has manual choke it is probably and older version of the "bugsprayer" type carb like a Holley 2100 (1955) or Ford EBU (1954) also made by Holley.
Show a picture of both sides and we can tell you what it is and if anything is missing off of it.
Hot starting problems don't necessarily mean there is a fuel problem. But it might be a good idea to whittle a 1/4" thick phenolic base plate for the carb. You'll have to get three longer carb-to-manifold mounting bolts. That will help to reduce heat in the carb float bowl.
I would also swap out te ignition condenser for a known good one. If that remedys hard hot starting, there was your problem.
https://www.fordbarn.com/attachments/522694/
https://www.fordbarn.com/attachments/522695/
 
. . . As I mentioned, this 292 came out of Ford truck. Previous owner didn't know the year.
If you're curious what the engine is, here's a link to a chart of engine block casting numbers and their locations...

http://ford-y-block.com/Block%20identification.htm


After 60-odd years they aren't always what the seller or owner thinks it is, and there has been ample opportunity for swapping parts between different vehicles & years.

http://ford-y-block.com/technical.htm
 
From the photo's I can see you have an ECG-5 carb. It's Ford, but made by Holley.
This carb does not have provision for automatic choke.
If it were me, I would find the choke cable bracket somewhere and get a choke cable kit to install in or under the dash.
Mikes Carburator Parts might have the choke cable bracket that goes on the carb. Just tell him you need one that fits any Holley 94. If they don't have it, ask CharleyNY, he might have one.
If it is a '56 intake manifold, there is a copper tube sticking up out of the left side of the intake for the choke housing connection. It that is broke off, it needs to be plugged. Look at how the distributor vacuum tubing is crimped where the rubber hose connection is. That could be a vacuum leak there. Cut off the tubing with a tubing cutter and put the hose back on.
CHECK your intake vacuum at the brass block in front of the carb. The vacuum reading should be 19 or better on the vacuum guage.
 
Is that your electric fuel pump mounted there on the left side inner fender apron?
And feeding it appears to be a rubber hose climbing a mountain before connecting to the pump?
If so, that is a problem. The fuel pump should be at the lowest point in the fuel system and should be as close as you can get it to the gas tank outlet tube. Then run your tubing up to the carb. Electric fuel pumps tend to push better than pull.
 
From the photo's I can see you have an ECG-5 carb. It's Ford, but made by Holley.
This carb does not have provision for automatic choke.
If it were me, I would find the choke cable bracket somewhere and get a choke cable kit to install in or under the dash.
Mikes Carburator Parts might have the choke cable bracket that goes on the carb. Just tell him you need one that fits any Holley 94. If they don't have it, ask CharleyNY, he might have one.
If it is a '56 intake manifold, there is a copper tube sticking up out of the left side of the intake for the choke housing connection. It that is broke off, it needs to be plugged. Look at how the distributor vacuum tubing is crimped where the rubber hose connection is. That could be a vacuum leak there. Cut off the tubing with a tubing cutter and put the hose back on.
CHECK your intake vacuum at the brass block in front of the carb. The vacuum reading should be 19 or better on the vacuum guage.

Hi Dave, thanks for all the help. I already have the choke cable in place, I just need to get that cable housing piece for the carb. A friend of mine who works with a lot of carbs thinks he has a couple. I'll plug that tube you were talking about and observe the crimping tube and fix. I'm waiting for my mechanic to free up so he can mount the electronic fuel filter properly. Thanks again!
 
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