fbekholden.com

Vacuum leak check with WD40 is a good idea, though it would need to be a pretty big leak to stop the carb top from having any suck (car would be running like crap).

I like the idea of swapping carbs around too - clever. While you've got both carbs off, take a look down the manifold and a cautious feel with some coathanger wire to see if there are any bloackages (unlikely though). When people can't get manifold gaskets, it's not unusual for them to buy sheet gasket aqnd cut their own. Not a bad thing, but if they don't cut the "centre hole" out enough, it can be a big restriction (working in the rain at 2am after several beers doesn't help concentration at gasket cutting time either ).

I hear ya Squirralien about cost (and if she runs on the front carb, they can't be too bad despite the years of crud on them). If you can change carbs around, you can give a stromberg an overhaul without experts. Kits are around $45 each, and unless the throttle shafts need bushing will solve most dramas.

the one i replaced it with had the choke butterfly but I would expect them to work without the choke anyway, Im not quite ready for the recon process on this car, just want to get it working and make sure the motor is ok and maybe use it on a few cruises until a few other jobs are finished then start this one seriously, I will try a few things that have been suggested and the main two I will try first are the spray around the gasket areas and swap the carbies from front to back, that will be very interesting, I should be able to get a good second hand carby that will work fine for me if it is a carby issue, but its such a strange problem that doesn't make sence to me at this stage (not that I am right up with the knowledge) But I am pretty confident that I will find the problem with the help thats been provided by this thread already,,, thanks to you all and ill update here with the results,, could be a week or so

yes I did my own Strombergs for the Xu-1 and would do these as well, but I am one that won't spend a dollar until I know its needed, mainly because I don't have enough to throw around, not that doing 3 projects at once reflects that but they are all pretty slow going and the FB is an on the road project, but I believe with persistence I will get there and I am looking forward to swapping the carbies around considering I know the rear one does work,, I am hoping it still works in the front position,,

Well I swapped the rear carby to the front position today and the front to the back and the front one worked and rear not so well, so definitely carby issues,
now it will start and run for 10 seconds and die but not bothered about it now I know its just a carby issue, I will get a few more carbies and swap and change till something goes right,,,
now I have a flat battery, Guess that's easily fixed