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Yesterday 2:27 pm

Hi, I have a 1966 Beetle all stock.

All ignition components are new. I checked the timing, valve clearance, plugs, points, and wires three times, and everything seems to check out.

The car starts right up with a bump of the key first thing in the morning in all temperatures and runs beautifully with plenty of power, but my fuel mileage is has gone from 26 to 15 mpg. I pulled a couple of the new plugs and they are now fouled after a few hundred miles of driving.

The car runs a newer EMPI 30PICT 1 Carburetor. It started running erratically, and I noticed that the clip came off the left side of the carburetor.
I will do my best to describe this piece:
The graduated piece that the fast idle screw adjusts to has a second piece of metal bent at a 90 degree angle that clamps to it and moves with it. I bent that piece ever so slightly to “ride” with the graduated piece.
Maybe I screwed something up by doing this but it is what every diagram showed.

There is a smell of gasoline in the car that eventually goes away as I drive and I have checked the fuel lines and gas tank and can’t find any leaks. I also checked the odometer to my phone and that checks out.

I am thinking it is dumping gas into the carb. A stuck float or something else?

Any ideas where to start?

Yesterday 2:49 pm

Run the engine for a few minutes, then remove the air cleaner to check the position of the choke plate. Maybe playing around with the fast idle cam jammed the choke in the closed position creating an overly-rich condition that fouled the plugs and killed your gas mileage. After running for a bit, the choke plate should be fully open.

A stuck float could be a possible culprit too, but have a look at the choke first.

Yesterday 2:53 pm

How’s the timing?

Yesterday 3:45 pm

Thank you. I static timed twice. I will check the choke.

Yesterday 4:29 pm

the choke butterfly pivots off center so when you accelerate it’ll pull on open, unless it’s a manual choke

I’d look elsewhere

Yesterday 4:56 pm

Jeff Geisen wrote: the choke butterfly pivots off center so when you accelerate it’ll pull on open, unless it’s a manual choke

I’d look elsewhere

True that, but the choke can still jam closed, or part closed, making a rich mixture
A sunk float is another issue. Not the fuel level in the bowl

Floats are tested for leaks buy boiling water in a pot, then turn off the heat so bubbling boil stops, but still hot, then fully submerge using tings, the float in that hot water. Give it a minute, then note if the float is producing bubbles. A float with gasoline in it when heated in the water will have the gasoline in it vaporize under pressure and bubble out through the leak. You wont see this in cool water, but in water just around boiling you see if gasoline got in the float.

Yesterday 5:14 pm

It could also be a stuck fuel cutoff valve in the top half of the carb. If stuck in the open position it will not shut off fuel coming into the carb and causing an overly rich and or flooded condition. Get a carb rebuild kit and change this, they do go bad.

Yesterday 5:45 pm

All great advice. I will look into everything.

I just took the plugs out and cleaned them all. Perhaps the plugs were fouled by the clip that came detached from the graduated idle part that pivots on the left side of the carb. I will watch mpg now.

Anyway, I just got back from a drive at highway speeds and checked the choke. It is open about 1/2 way at idle. It is a newer empi carb and I noticed that the electric choke says 12 volts on the side. My car is a 6 volt system.
This wasn’t an issue previously, so I think it is probably dumping gas as was suggested.

Yesterday 7:03 pm

I just read that using a 12-volt choke on my 6-volt car could be a problem with mileage, performance and running rich but
I didn't have any problem with the mileage or performance the last 3K miles using this set-up.

Yesterday 7:21 pm

DSVW wrote: I noticed that the electric choke says 12 volts on the side. My car is a 6 volt system.
This could be part of the problem.

The automatic choke operates by creating heat in the choke housing causing a bi-metal spring to expand, which in turn controls the position of the choke plate. On your carb, the spring needs 12V to create enough heat to move the spring thru its full range of motion. If only applying 6V to the heating coils, there's probably not enough heat to fully open the choke plate, which should be fully opened once the motor has warmed up a bit.

DSVW wrote: I didn't have any problem with the mileage or performance the last 3K miles using this set-up.
Make sure that the choke plate still has full freedom of movement after messing around with the fast idle cam and consider replacing that 12V heating element with a 6V version. They're available from most of the usual suppliers. Here's one from JBugs > 6V choke element

Yesterday 7:33 pm

If you think the choke is staying partly closed you could disable it to check if the car runs fine with it open. Make a pencil mark on the adjustable center portion of it and extend the line over the outer ring where the 3 screws are that lock it into position. This will enable you to return to your present position after the test. Loosen the 3 screws and rotate it clockwise until the butterfly is fully open and tighten down the screws. Take the power wire off and tape the end of it temporarily and secure it so it cannot cause a short. Place a piece of thin wire over the top of the stepped lever on the throttle side to the fuel inlet pipe on top of the carb to insure the butterfly cannot close. Now drive the car with the choke disabled for a while and see if the plugs are still fouling.

Yesterday 7:50 pm

Might pop the fuel pump up and see if there is a pool of fuel under it.

Know you checked the flex fuel lines, but did you run your hand all along those. Could be a seep that is enough to drain fuel, but not enough to drip.

Today 7:45 pm

Eric&Barb wrote: Might pop the fuel pump up and see if there is a pool of fuel under it.

Know you checked the flex fuel lines, but did you run your hand all along those. Could be a seep that is enough to drain fuel, but not enough to drip.
That´s a good idea to have a look there. How about oil level on dip stick?
If the the whole car smells like fuel, there can be a leak somewhere.
How old are the fuel hoses?
Is the fuel line in tunnel OK?
Good luck

Today 8:12 pm

wagen19 wrote: How about oil level on dip stick?

Also how does the engine oil smell? More like fuel??