Spraying black stuff out exhuast

[Super68]

Hi Everyone

My car has been running like an absolute dog lately and it's driving me up the wall. I noticed the other day than when it sits idling it sprays alot of black specs out the exhaust - enough to make a nice make on the driveway or on a wall if I'm close. What's happening, is it running to rich?

Cheers

[dodge freak]

Sounds like it or its burning oil big time. What type of carb do you have, if its a Holley change the power valve.

[Blue Pentastar]

Most likely way to rich is it a Holley they do this pretty commonly when needing to be gone thru or adjusted.

Mike

[Super68]

Thanks for the info guys. I've got an edelbrock carb on there at the moment. It wasn't new when it went on though. If that's not the problem could it need new valve seals? I checked the plugs and did find 2 slightly oilly ones. Which could be why the car is running so rough.

Thanks

[dodge freak]

Don't think valve seals are it-maybe the intake gasket went out and now the motor is sucking oil from the valley . Don't know much about eddy carbs. Guess the float might have gone bad and theres too much gas in the carb.

I would think its either 1-a bad carb. or 2-the intake gasket is bad. Do a compression test if you can-that tell you if the rings or valves are bad.  thats the 3 rd poss. The igition has a miss and is not firing some plugs - that the 4th thing I can think of.

[firefighter3931]

Does the exhaust burn your eyes ? If it's running rich you'll know it just by the smell.


Ron

[Chryco Psycho]

my guess is too rich start with checking the float levels 

[Challenger340]

Sounds rich.  Does it have a Choke flap ?   Could it be part closed for some reason ?  Just some thoughts.

[Bandit4142]

This may sound stupid...  but change where you are buying your fuel, or step up to a better grade.   Another one of my vehicles started doing this, just running rough, not performing, and appeared to be running very rich in my opinion ie; spitting black stuff out the exhaust.   What I did find was that it didn't carry the tell-tale smell of a car running rich, no burning eyes, no nothing.   I spoke with a friend who is also a chemist, and a car guy and he told me that it very well could be overly watered down fuel.   There are regulations governing this, but that doesn't mean that everyone adhears to it.  Basically the watered down fuel causes the car to obviously run poorly, and the excess water from combustion flows out the exhaust picking up carbon on its way out causing a black "watery" substance to spit out the exhaust....   

I personally changed where I bought my fuel, and after a couple tanks....  mysteriously the problem went away.


Don't get me wrong, I would check what everyone else said first, I'm just saying that if none of that helps, it may be something as stupid as bad gas...

[deputycrawford]

I am dealing with a valley pan that won't seal. I am burning oil and leaving oil and soot on my back bumper. My engine has around 300 miles on it. Check the float levels, needle and seats, and the fuel pressure. Then chek the intake gasket valley.