Stalling Out

Haha, loving the 1920 yet?

Sounds like the choke is non-operational. That's the piece on the manifold behind the carb, with a long rod extending from it to the carb.

When the engine is cold, there's a spring in that choke unit that winds tighter because it's metal and that's what metal does according to temperature changes. When it winds tighter, it pulls that rod toward the choke unit. That in turn pulls the choke plate closed at the top of the carb and if everything is there and accounted for, also moves the fast idle cam on the carb so that the engine idle speed is increased until the choke disengages.

The choke disengages when the exhaust manifold it is mounted in warms that metal spring up enough so that it unwinds(remember the way metal acts) and PUSHES that rod out. That reverses the entire operation I described earlier.

It's a VERY simple operation. Those don't even have the electric assist yet. The choke rod has to actually be connected to the carb, it has to have tension on it. If it doesn't, the choke spring might be broken.

Google slant six choke and you'll find plenty of pictures of that thing.

Also, on the side of the carb, the firewall side, you'll see two screws that look like they adjust the idle. They do. The one closest to the CENTER of the carb adjusts the base idle. Look at the other end from where you put the screwdriver tip and you'll see that it hits the carb itself. Base idle is the idle speed warmed up, NO CHOKE ON.

The other screw slightly to the REAR of the car adjusts the fast idle. It rests on a little metal step looking deal, and that controls how fast the engine runs when the choke is engaged. The choke has to WORK for THAT to work.

On the idle mixture:

Do this with the car warmed up fully. Find the mixture screw on the passenger side of the carb at the bottom. There's only one. Take the screwdriver and slowly turn it one direction. If the engine starts to slow down, stop, go back the other way. if it speeds up the more you turn, turn it until you hear the engine start to slow again and STOP.

Your GOAL is to finesse that mixture screw back and forth until you have the engine idling as fast as possible. It'll slow down when you turn too far left, and it'll slow when you go too far right. Right is lean, left is rich.

After this you should be an expert on Slant six chokes and slant six mixture adjustment. You adjust ALL carbs the same way. Back and forth with the mixture screw or screws until the engine idles fastest.

Here is my own '73 doing it's winter smoking thing. This is how it is supposed to start even during the dead cold. This was with it's original 1920 carb.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfT4yAJuvfI"]New Year's Day Slant Six smokathon - YouTube[/ame]