question about a poorly runing car..please help
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
i love wrenching on the bike, especially in the winter but i can't stand working on the cage, go figure. i was sposed to change the power steering pump on mine this weekend. went out, looked under the hood, said F*CK IT and hired my car wrenchin buddy.
sorry man, cant help ya this time
sorry man, cant help ya this time
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
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From:
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
you might have a vacuum leak to the crankcase from the intake. plugs will look black and sooty due to the engine sucking oil. while the engine is running pop off the oil cap and give it a small shot of carb cleaner and see if the idle changes.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,256
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From: Concord, CA
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
Sounds like its dripping fuel from the overflows.
I would make sure a float isn't cracked and sinking or that your needle/seat isn't leaking.
Make sure the butterflies fully open as well... they could be hitting the manifold or spacer if you have one.
Vacuum leak would make you idle irregular but run very lean, but it could be such a bad vacuum leak that it doesn't have enough to draw the fuel in and it just rolls on in causing sooty plugs but I like my first theories better
I would make sure a float isn't cracked and sinking or that your needle/seat isn't leaking.
Make sure the butterflies fully open as well... they could be hitting the manifold or spacer if you have one.
Vacuum leak would make you idle irregular but run very lean, but it could be such a bad vacuum leak that it doesn't have enough to draw the fuel in and it just rolls on in causing sooty plugs but I like my first theories better
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: harrodsburg
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
ORIGINAL: fj4069
you might have a vacuum leak to the crankcase from the intake. plugs will look black and sooty due to the engine sucking oil. while the engine is running pop off the oil cap and give it a small shot of carb cleaner and see if the idle changes.
you might have a vacuum leak to the crankcase from the intake. plugs will look black and sooty due to the engine sucking oil. while the engine is running pop off the oil cap and give it a small shot of carb cleaner and see if the idle changes.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,342
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From:
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
if you spray enough it will. just give it a quick 1 sec shot. it will be all you need to get the idle to change if it does have a vacuum leak from the intake to crankcase.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 38
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From: El Paso, Tx USN Ret.
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
Dave,
I had a similiar problem with my 87 cutlass, it turned out to be the mixing solnoid on the carb itself. It sound as if you are running to rich, does the car seem to flood out when you get up on it? I added some links to hopefully help you out some more. But i would check the MC solnoid and reset the your idle control needles.
Dennis
http://www.allpar.com/fix/fixcarb.html
http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Troubleshooting.htm
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/ca...et-need-2.html
http://gbodyforum.com/
I had a similiar problem with my 87 cutlass, it turned out to be the mixing solnoid on the carb itself. It sound as if you are running to rich, does the car seem to flood out when you get up on it? I added some links to hopefully help you out some more. But i would check the MC solnoid and reset the your idle control needles.
Dennis
http://www.allpar.com/fix/fixcarb.html
http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Troubleshooting.htm
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/ca...et-need-2.html
http://gbodyforum.com/
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 682
Likes: 1
From: Wichita, KS
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
I'm no expert here, but here's a couple thoughts.
Firstly, if you had a coolant leak to the combustion side, it would be a white smoke, andtheculprit plug/plugswould most likely be nice and clean, not sooty. Are all the plugs sooty? If so, then it is something "common" IE fuel.
Secondly, I can't see any advantage to spraying carb cleaner, ether, or WD40 into the valve covers. If the intake were leaking from the internal side, the plug/plugs wouldn't be sooty, they'd be carbon fouled from the little bit of oil they be sucking in. Plus the smoke would be blue. Is it blue smoke or black smoke?
Thirdly, I agree, a vacuum leak on the intake will manifest itself as a miss/rough idle then clear up. I assume your power brake booster is hooked up? With the car idling, take a pair of vice grips and pinch off the hose. I've seen failed boosters/ruptured diaphragm cause a very rough idle, and smoke pretty good too.
Best of luck.
Mike
Firstly, if you had a coolant leak to the combustion side, it would be a white smoke, andtheculprit plug/plugswould most likely be nice and clean, not sooty. Are all the plugs sooty? If so, then it is something "common" IE fuel.
Secondly, I can't see any advantage to spraying carb cleaner, ether, or WD40 into the valve covers. If the intake were leaking from the internal side, the plug/plugs wouldn't be sooty, they'd be carbon fouled from the little bit of oil they be sucking in. Plus the smoke would be blue. Is it blue smoke or black smoke?
Thirdly, I agree, a vacuum leak on the intake will manifest itself as a miss/rough idle then clear up. I assume your power brake booster is hooked up? With the car idling, take a pair of vice grips and pinch off the hose. I've seen failed boosters/ruptured diaphragm cause a very rough idle, and smoke pretty good too.
Best of luck.
Mike
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Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2007
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From:
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
Just my 2 cents but have you ever had a bad backfire with the car when messing with the timing? I had a 92 camaro that I dropped a early 70's 350 in and when i was trying to get the timing right , I was out so bad that it backfired enough the it cracked the venturi in my Edel. carb. I tried springs,rods and jets with no luck. I went to jegs, changed the carb out under warranty and it ran like a top. I had all the symptoms that you describe and I tore the weind intake off the car about 3 times because I was convinced it was a vaccum leak. Hope this helps some.. let me know what it was when you find it...
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: harrodsburg
RE: question about a poorly runing car..please help
ORIGINAL: slaminum69
Dave,
I had a similiar problem with my 87 cutlass, it turned out to be the mixing solnoid on the carb itself. It sound as if you are running to rich, does the car seem to flood out when you get up on it? I added some links to hopefully help you out some more. But i would check the MC solnoid and reset the your idle control needles.
Dennis
http://www.allpar.com/fix/fixcarb.html
http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Troubleshooting.htm
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/ca...et-need-2.html
http://gbodyforum.com/
Dave,
I had a similiar problem with my 87 cutlass, it turned out to be the mixing solnoid on the carb itself. It sound as if you are running to rich, does the car seem to flood out when you get up on it? I added some links to hopefully help you out some more. But i would check the MC solnoid and reset the your idle control needles.
Dennis
http://www.allpar.com/fix/fixcarb.html
http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Troubleshooting.htm
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/ca...et-need-2.html
http://gbodyforum.com/