1965 L-79 (C2) engine problems

[Dennis Cavinder]

I have a problem with the engine on my car when it gets up to operating temperature.

Over the last several months, my '65 with a 327/350, starts up from cold with no problems. I could drive a hundred or more miles with no problems. Where the problem comes in is when I stop the engine, after it is up to full temperature. When I go to restart the engine, it usually floods out on attempting to restart it. After I wait 5 or 10 minutes, and sometimes take the air cleaner lid off, I'll normally get it to clear out and start up. It will then sometimes run rough and carry on for a few minutes until it finally smooths out. It can then be driven anywhere again, until another stop.

The engine and the carburetor are original for the car, and had been rebuilt in the last three years by a reputable corvette supplier, so I am assuming they are right. Again the perplexing thing is it runs excellent until the time it is shut off at temperature.

If anyone could give me some insight as to what is maybe happening, I would appreciate it. Thanks

[Jim T.]

Re: 1965 L-79 (C2) engine problems

With what you have described if this was my car I would remove the front fuel bowl and check for contamination. You don't have to buy a complete carb rebuild or tuneup kit to check this out. I have always had pretty good luck in finding Holley power valves, fuel bowl gaskets, and metering block seperate gaskets at Auto Zone. It has always been easier to know what part numbers I needed. I have found problems of contamination and bad power valves in a brand new Holley after 3-4 years in my non-daily driver Corvette. Last problem included replacement of the accelerator pump that had hardened up and was not pumping enough fuel.

[G B.]

Perculation

It sounds like your carburetor is boiling the gas out into the intake when it heat-soaks after a shut down.

Try lowering the float levels a sixteenth inch below the bottom of the sight plugs. That's an external adjustment on a 2818. You might also have an exhaust leak into the choke heat riser tube from the passenger side manifold. The tube inside the exhaust manifold can be replaced with an inexpensive reproduction.

[Clem Z.]

Re: 1965 L-79 (C2) engine problems

if your manifold has the holes on both sides under the carb that supplys heat from the exhaust heat riser crossover i would plug them with the proper sized cup type expansion plugs. this will cut down on the amount of heat the carb see from the exhaust crossover. check to make sure your heat riser valve is not frozen shut. the last and best solution is to block completely the heat riser crossover in the intake manifold.