I have an 81 F-100 with a V8, I presume it's a 302.

AT with Overdrive.

The Carb that is on the engine has a tag that reads....

E1TE CMA

I believe it's the Ford 2150 model.

Anyways.... the truck is really hard to start. you have to pump it like a horny dog and then she will start. only have to crank it a few times but the pumping is a must...

I've noticed there is a fuel leaking from the front right of the carb and I'm wondering if that is the issue, e.g. loosing prime??

I don't know my carbs at all but I believe that would be from the accelrator pump by looking at this diagram

Any suggestions on solving this issue for me would be great.. it's just and Old beater pickup but I'd like for it to start easily....and don't want to drop hundreds of dollars to fix it....

http://arrc.epnet.com/autoapp/8978/chiltonimages/8000/89785g14L.gif

Yes. It is the accelerator pump that's bad. Just take the info on the tag to the parts place and they can find the right pump for it. You may have to buy a carb kit, but it won't be too expensive. It would probably be a good idea to put a complete carb kit into it, especially if your mileage is suffering. The needle and seat in the float bowl is about the only moving part that will wear out aside from the accel. pump.

so that explains why when the truck is cold I have to pump the hell out of it. HOwever, after running it and it's warm I typically do not have to pump it.

Or based upon that do you think it could be something else?

what should be typically changed out for a carb rebuild? I don't think the kit comes with the float. I think sometimes they say you should replace the choke thermostat and choke pull off.

Never rebuilt a carb before, is it all that difficult?

I don't think it is something else unless the choke needs to be set. In the kit it will tell you how to set the choke. It'll say put a 1/4 inch drill bit in between the body and the plate and adjust accordingly. The most important part of a carb rebuild is soaking it in carb cleaner and blowing out the passages with compressed air. The accelerator pump gives a shot of gas into the manifold upon acceleration. It is designed to eliminate a flat spot that can occur upon acceleration. If you have to pump it a lot to get it to start, but once it starts it is ok. then the accelerator pump is the culprit. Most of the carb kits contain the gaskets, needle and seat valve, accelerator pump and a measuring device for setting the float. The float isn't included in a kit, but it isn't needed unless it is logged with gas and doesn't "float" anymore. It's easy to rebuild a carb. Basically the carb is divided into 2 parts--the horn and the body. The horn is the top part and the body contains the float bowl. Other than that like I said, the only moving parts are the choke assembly, accelerator pump and needle and seat and a check ball. When I rebuild a carb I replace the parts that can wear out disregarding many of the parts which are static and have nothing to do with the operation of the carb. It's easier than you think to rebuild a carb. Separate the horn from the body. Soak in carb cleaner and rinse with water. Replace the accelerator pump. Replace the needle and seat valve. Other than that all you have to do is bend the tab on the float so the fuel level in the bowl is at the proper height. Don't be intimidated by all the parts on the blowup in the picture. Most of those parts are never taken off. You can do it. Go for it.

I got my kit today from Autozone...

Kit looks great... lots of new gaskets and small parts....

But no instructions.....

I'm not sure where to start.. not sure how the float should be set, etc.

Any advice would be great!

EVerything that has happened to your carb is normal, with the passage of time. You should be working on the carb on a nice flat tabletop with a good light. Be sure to turn the carb upside down and every-which-way before you bring it indoors, to get as much gasoline out as you can. If you smoke - dont do it while working on the carb, there will be small amounts of fuel that dribble out from time to time. Dont let any tiny springs or parts get away from you. Thats the reason for a flat clean area to do the work. Be sure to unscrew things carefully. That is, dont get the heads of the screws roughed up, if they are phillips head, be sure to have a good screwdriver, and push hard when first loosening a screw. Try to remember how tight the screws were, overtightening screws can warp the diecast metal the carb body is made of. Lay out the parts you take off - using the diagram for a guide. When I dont have instructions for rebuilding a carb, I just set the float exactly the way it was when I took it apart. You could even leave the float and needle alone this time - but you need to replace the diaphram for the accelerator pump, and its a good idea to replace the various gaskets. They often wont come apart in one piece, and you would need to clean the old bits off of the mating surfaces.
It sounds to me like your automatic choke is not closing properly. This is really common on an older vehicle, & can be from accumulated crud below the choke 'butterfly', or a weakened choke spring. Its a bimetallic spiral spring that rotates to a different angle when it gets hot, and with age they dont rotate as far as they did when they were new. I have never replaced a spiral spring yet though - I just adjust the carb so it runs okay. Usually this means I have to adjust it for summer temperatures, and re-adjust it in the late fall, for the colder temperatures. And sometimes I install a manual choke, so I can do the 'choking' myself.
Pipecleaners are handy for poking into small passages.
Dont be surprised if the bottom of the float bowl is covered in super-fine particles of rust; just remember the same powdery stuff will be distributed everywhere inside the carb.

You will need a diagram ask Auto Zone what happened to it somebody removed it.

If all else fails, www.carburetors-for-149-or-less.com (http://www.carburetors-for-149-or-less.com)

well, I pulled the carb before seeing your last post.

I took it all apart and didn't even check the float level of the old float. I suppose I could reinstall it and then measure it and then put the new float back into it.

I did notice that the Accel Pump diapraghm has barely any movement when compared to the new one.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2452/3680749855_0ec6d12edb.jpg?v=0

the bowl had lots of junk in it too but overall not too much varnish.

Lastly... I noticed that there are two tubes that come off the carb that run down to the right side exhause manifold that appear to have rusted away at the manifold side.

Not sure what I can do with those now but one seems to feed back into the choke assembly.

I didnt get a new thermostatic spring housing but I think I will just to be on the safe side.

I also wrecked the fuel line as the nut was all seized up on it. so I'll just have to cut it and put some tubing on it to the fuel filter.

I was going to buy a soak kit but that was over fifty bucks at my parts place so I just used cans of gumout. I need to get more today and clean all of the smaller parts and then I can start to reassemble.

I may need some pointers about how to tune it too.

the two screws at the base I took out but I screwed them in and counted the turns so I can get them back to as close as they were before but I don't know what they actually do.

Also when you say adjust for summer and winter for the choke I'm not sure how that is done either.

All I can say is prior to taking the carb apart.... the truck started hard after it had sat for multiple days... required lots of cranking and pumping. Holding the pedal down didn't really help. However, once running, any time thereafter it would start just fine.

I drove it yesterday and gas was just running out of the accelerator pump area. In general for the v8 302 it didn't have much get up and go... I'm thinking that may be different after the carb rebuild.

It's just an Ol'Beater truck.. but she has served me well.....

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/3681702552_7bd4a9e9d7_m.jpg

well, it was all too good to be true.....

the kit I got has the wrong accelerator pump .... have to wait till tuesday to get hopefully the correct kit.

There was also a screen that came out of the carb but I'm not sure where it came from and cannot seem to find a home for it.