too rich?

i noticed after this weekend that it smells like i am running a little rich at idle. (i get a pretty strong gas smell) i havnt pulled my plugs yet, but the last time i looked at them they were fine. what else could i do about this?

 

This is a carbed engine? If so, if it's rich only at idle that's probably just the idle mixture adjustment. If it's rich all the time it's probably jets (all things being equal and if everything is basically working). If it's the jets you have to switch them out.

Stan

 

yeah im carbed, i have a small holly 4bbl (390 cfm i think), sorry for asking stupid questions, but how can i tell if im rich only at idle or all the time?

 

hard to set the mixture without a co meter, but rule of thumb, turn the screw in till the engine starts getting rough, then back out 3/4 of a turn

 

If you have a vacuum gauge you can turn the screws in a turn at a time until you reach the engines highest vacuum point. This is optimum performance

 

Might also check your fuel pressure too. Float bowl settings are critical on Holleys as well.

 

You could check the exhaust tips, if the engine doesn't burn oil the exhaust tips should be a grey to biege color, white is too lean and black is either oil burning or too rich. One way to can check is look at good running fuel injected car or truck's tips your should be about that color.

 

well, i pulled my plugs last night and looked at all the fuel lines, the plugs were in need of change so i did that, but they did not look like they were soaked or had any deposits on them. also i put a new fuel filter in, the old one was VERY clogged. i also think my gas smell might have had soemthing to do with the fact that i had a small pin hole leak in the bottom of the underseat tank. (call it a hunch but i think that was most of my problem) anyway thanks guys for all the help on this