Captain Obvious

Those numbers all look fine. I am a little concerned that you would be loosing 2 psi between the pump and the engine compartment, but that could just be different measurement methods or gauges. And those numbers are under low (or no) fuel demand conditions. I'm still wondering about some delivery issue that is only apparent under higher load conditions. Maybe you could tape your phone inside the engine compartment aimed at the gauge and take a short video? So about that whole front fire thing and looking for vacuum leaks... Make sure you take a good look at the rubber boot that fits between the AFM and the throttle body and all the associated hoses connected to it. PCV, etc. If you popped a crack in that boot, it'll run lean. Or if you damaged your PCV hose it will also.

Me too. You shouldn't see 36 psi at idle under normal conditions. You should see 36 minus intake manifold vacuum. Can you double check these numbers? Zed-head questioned the numbers found here, and I agree. I don't get how the idle is richer with the line connected, and ZH questioned how the car can be having a performance problem with WOT numbers like you're getting. - after hose change (with FPR vacuum line connected): idle 14.7, cruise 16-19ish, WOT 13.7 - after hose change (with FPR vacuum line dis-connected): idle 16.9, cruise 15ish, WOT 12.8 There is a small inlet screen on the stock fuel pump. Is there anything like that in your aftermarket replacement?

Wow. Glad you're still around, but what a chain of events! Hope it's greener pastures from here!!

Arrrrrgh!!!

At idle, you SHOULD be seeing around 30 psi. If you goose the throttle, it should shoot up to 36 for a brief period. But at steady state idle, a reading of 30 is not a problem. That fuel pressure spec is a differential reading. Think about it this way.... There should always be 36psi across the injector. Fuel line pressure on the inlet side of the injector, and intake manifold pressure (vacuum) on the other. If the manifold vacuum is 17 inches of mercury (which converts to around 6 psi of vacuum). You need to subtract that six psi from the fuel pressure in order to maintain the 36 psi differential. Fuel line pressure - manifold pressure = desired differential across injector (which is 36) 30 - (-6) = 36 << fuel line pressure = 30 When you are at WOT, the intake manifold vacuum is zero: 36 - 0 = 36 << fuel line pressure = 36 Does that make sense?

Yup. Set-up to run with the nozzles about 2 1/2 turns down, I measure the same as you. Then with the nozzles turned all the way up, it's closer to 1/2 inch. So it sounds like you're making good progress with the nozzle sticking issue. Cool.

I don't know what's going on yet, so I'm not ready to let the pump off the hook. Is there a way you can see what happens to the fuel pressure while you're driving?

And by "something weird", I mean, maybe the annoyingly complicated nugget of springs and levers and stops etc. has an issue:

I measured the nozzle drop on a set of four screw carbs here and (with the nozzle nuts turned all the way up "home") I get about about 1/2 inch. If you're really getting 1" drop on your troublesome nozzles, then there's something weird going on.

Done!! Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does, I'm all over it!!

Hmmm... 38psi with the vacuum line pulled off the FPR sounds good. And 30 psi with that line connected is OK too. Are you able to see the fuel pressure gauge WHILE you are driving? I'm curious to see if the 38 drops significantly when there is more than just a "light idle" load on the engine. In other words... Your fuel system may be able to deliver enough fuel AT IDLE and still maintain 38 psi, but the trick is that it takes a really small amount of fuel to maintain idle. I'm thinking that maybe the system can idle fine at 38, but as soon as the fuel delivery requirements get higher (like when you are driving around), the system doesn't have enough compliance to maintain proper pressure under higher demand conditions. And that's a typical symptom of a restriction somewhere. Fuel filter, clogged check valve, something like that.

There is no real adjustability on the max amount that the nozzle drops. Sure, you could bend the #1 lever to potentially change it, but it will put things out of alignment and potentially bind. Maybe someone tweaked yours at some time in the past? You should be able rotate the choke actuation lever all the way to it's stop, and when you release it, the springs involved should be enough to pull the nozzle back up. It should come back up and "snap" against the bottom of the holder nut. I will measure the amount of nozzle drop on a carb here and we can compare notes.

Haha!! So we're gonna be rebuilding your engine in the parking lot at zcon!! I call dibs on working on the timing chain and stuff!

That turd has to get you both TO and BACK from zcon remember! Unless you're thinking that once you make it, you'll just stay there!

Now, the more complicated... The nozzles should not ever stick in the holder. If they are doing that, you need to figure out what is going on with that before you move forward. I've seen grit in the nozzle holes. Grit in the actuating mechanism. Burrs on stuff. Varnish on stuff. Plating too thick interfering with stuff that should rotate. Plating flaking off and becoming grit. Lack of lube where necessary. Incorrect needle alignment. Incorrect assembly of the little springs... But the point is, you need to make sure the nozzles return to full UP home when the choke cable isn't pushing them down. And can we work on the adjustment of the throttle plate opening amount when you get the rest of the stuff under control?

Let's start with the simple... That 0.5 mm (half turn of the knob) will not limit the amount of nozzle drop when you pull the choke lever. That 0.5 mm limit is simply an attempt by the factory to prevent you from adjusting your carb nozzles four or five turns down and driving around like that. It's an emissions stop limit so you don't accidentally (or on purpose) set your nozzle operation way too rich. The other easy question... When you pull the choke cable, there is nothing wrong with having a little dead space before the nozzle starts to drop. The last thing you want is for everything to be all cinched up tight and you're driving around with your choke on a little bit when you don't want it. Push the lever all the way "off". Tighten the set screws. You're done. As far as balancing the choke, I've never worried about that. Seems to work just fine even if they are a tiny bit difference between the two.

The fuel pressure on the outlet side of the pump should not be affected by the routing of that hose. Assuming, of course, you didn't kink anything. I wonder if maybe you've got air in that line which somehow can't get purged out because of the routing. Not sure if that's a thing, but maybe something to think about and look into?

Yeah, that's a good question. I've been wondering that myself.

Here's a pic I hoovered from the web some time ago. Not my car:

So in 0.2 degrees of rotational change, you're seeing about .001 in longitudinal change. I'm with you in that's nearly zero play. But... That is unloaded, right? nothing to compress the spring(s) in the tie rod ends? Nothing to smoosh the grease out of the rack and pinion gears? I don't think you'll see much, but you might see a little more than that if you would lock the rotation and push/pull the the rack back and forth with the rotation lever frozen. Just thinking out loud for theory's sake.

Is the fuel pressure still at 38 psi when you are cranking it after it has stalled? If so, it's not a fuel pump or tank issue. It would (should) be relatively easy to narrow it down to fuel or spark. Since it just shuts off, I'll rule out air and ignition timing. But it should be relatively easy to determine which of the other two is causing the issue. Next time it stalls and won't start, pull the center wire off the distributor cap (the one from the coil) and lay it close to the nuts on the strut mounting point. Slide the rubber boot up the wire a little bit to expose the metal contact inside. Then crank the engine and see if you have spark from the wire to the strut nut.

Where did you see the stream of fuel? Over by one of the carbs? If so, I'd pull the rubber hose off the return hardline near the fuel pump and see what comes out as you work the pump arm. Maybe the orifice is plugged with crud?

I've looked around for rebuild kits with very limited success. The only rebuild kits I've found that I think are correct are on ebay for big money. I've been working with another supplier on putting together a correct kit, but no luck so far.

So thinking about it a little (trying to add a little value to your original question), there is no way the factory taped every one of those hubcaps before they sprayed them. I'm guessing they had some sort of mask(s) they laid over the top before they applied the paint. Have you got a spare hubcap that you would be willing to cut apart to use as a mask? You could carefully cut away most of the metal and leave yourself seven masks. One for each of the triangle holes, and two large rings. Lay them on top of your unpainted hubcap and spray it. Take the metal masks off, and your're done. Not the easiest thing, but if you've got a rusty spare that you would be willing to destroy, it might be easier than taping four of them!

Oh. Got it, sorry!! You were talking about the "D" hubcaps, but you were talking about just the color, not the shape. Sorry for the diversion. Masking your flying saucer style is way more complicated.