318LA hard starting post drive

[Ashtonz]

Hello all, having trouble with the 318 in my 82 W250. If she sits for a day will fire right up no issue, I’ll go drive somewhere and if it sits for longer than a few minutes it takes me quite a few tries to start, and doesn’t want to stay running. Go home, next day fires right up again….would this be flooding issue? Smell fuel sometimes, and other times strong exhaust.

Engine is basically stock afaik, unsure of internals, not the original engine. Has just Edlebrock performer intake and carb. Any thing I should test for what may be happening? Thank you

 

[Docwagon1776]

Vapor lock would be my first thought.

 

[PaPitt]

ON THE TIMES WHEN IT's just been setting for a few minutes & won't start.
I'll say take the breather off & drive it with no breather for as long as it take to get to this condition.. Kill the truck ''in a safe spot'' for when it doesn't crank.
When you kill it Jump out & pop the hood. In a place with no wind.
Watch the carb & If you see a small trail of smoke escaping the top of the carb. Then the carb is leaking fuel back into the intake after you've killed the truck.
Back in our hotrod days .. I sold gasket that helped this condition at my parts store. We had a name for them but I don't recall at this moment .. Someone will recall I'll bet.
They had about 3 or 6 gasket all stacked together . One was normally an silver shiny gasket on one side & dull finish on the other side. Seems like you positioned the shiny side down toward the motor & That gasket reflected the heat back down into the motor keeping you fuel from Boiling in the carb & flooding your motor.
I'm sure that post is clear as MUD. But maybe that'll help you somewhat.

 

[PaPitt]

Those 6 gaslet also insulated the carb. You didn't have to use all 6 but ... Gasket against the intake & some even came with Filonic gaskets & then back to regular gasket & Shiny gasket & last a regular gasket between the shiny & carb..
May have been call Isolator gaskets .
& Flonic's are a material that Kind of like plastic But they were made of Cattle hoof material . Back in the day but may be plastic today..
You might lower the float just one fraction ...