Hello all!

I'm looking for a little input to try and figure out which way to go with this. My truck has slowly started running rich this past year. It is a 83 ram d150 w/ 318 & 2bbl Holley.

Symptoms I'm having

1. When first started it can idle really rough. It used to do it when it's cold out but sometimes it does it when it's warm out now. Once it warms up or I drive it a bit it sounds and feel normal.
2. In stop and go traffic or reverse sometimes it tries to die and I have to give it a shot of gas. When I do it's like it "hiccups" before the gas makes it go.
3. Sometimes I smell gas but can not find any gas leaks.

To try and fix this I changed the spark plugs, all 8 had dry black stuff on the electrode. I also changed wires, cap, rotor, fuel pump & filter.

Far as I know the carb has never been adjusted. I just spray it with cleaner every now and then. I've seen threads of adjusting them but can they get out of adjustment on their own or could this be something else with the engine making it seem like a carb problem? Don't know much about carbs but I am debating trying to rebuild it if that is indeed the problem. The youtube makes it seem pretty easy.

Any ideas what could be causing it to run rich before I tear stuff apart all ***** nilly like?

 

Rebuild it or better yet get a aftermarket 4 bbl intake and a new Holley to match it.
Holley's are about the easiest carbs to rebuild and you have a two barrel witch is half the work of a 4.

 

Yeah a 4 bbl would be nice. Maybe when I hit the lottery and can get body work and paint done. haha

Think for now I'm going to just rebuild the current carb. Got brakes to do too and I just found a gas leak on the tank seal up top. That may be where most of my problems are coming from.

Will say this about the Holley 2 bbl. I know most don't like it from what I read but it's been reliable on this truck for 30 years and with that torqueflite 727 I've been able to tow anything I needed without giving a second thought to it.