88lx carb issues.

[91_festy_Gl]

ok i have searched high and low and havent come up with a solution. Its a 88lx 5 speed carbed. The issue im having is with the carb. upon starting it you really have to pump the hell out of the pedal to get it to start. Once its running you have to stay on the pedal to keep it running. If you let off it just dies. I tried holding the pedal at a steady throttle and the engine just gives up. We replaced the carb with another festiva carb and the same thing happens. From what I can tell its getting to much gas. When revving the engine there is a ton of black smoke. I have checked some of the vaccume lines and everything seemed ok. Not sure really where to go at this point. I am used to FI so this is totally new to me. I have heard alot of people do a carb upgrade but im just lookin to get this one running right as it sits. If anyone has any ideas they would be appreciated.

[Festiva Time]

If you have black smoke pouring out of the exhaust on start up, you flooded the engine by all that pumping.

Try starting it this way. Air cleaner top off. Push down & release gas pedal, hold the clutch in and start the engine without touching the gas. What happens? Does it start but dies? Try adjusting the idle screw [turn it in to increase rpms], about 1/4 turn in and try starting it.

Check the choke.

[91_festy_Gl]

I tried just pressing the pedal once before starting it and it just sits there and cranks. Doesnt fire or anything. With it just being me I cant really adjust anything because the car wont sit and idle. When I talk about the black smoke it plooms on start up and when revving the engine. It bogs upon throttle then revs up then bogs out again. When it bogs and then revs up it plooms again. I took it out for a spin and under a load it spit and sputters really bad and tries to die.

[91_festy_Gl]

Made alittle diffrence I guess. I went out to play with it alittle more and got to lookin at the choke setup and noticed a piece of vaccume hose keeping the choke plate open. I removed that and tried to start the car without pumping the pedal and it started on its own. It still just dies out and wont hold a idle but the bogging issue isnt as bad as it was. I also noticed the hot wire for the choke goes straight to the ALT. is that correct?

[devon527]

Timing maybe? My 88 wouldn't start sometimes unless I held the gas down, and would die when I let off. Played with the timing and now it works great

[91_festy_Gl]

Timing on the disty? I tried to adjust the idle with the adjustment screw on the back the the screw thing itself is either bottomed all the way out or its just stuck. Whatever it is has got to be a simple fix. Now I know why I hate anything carbed.

[doylerl]

The wire to the choke is correct. It goes to the alt. so it ONLY gets power while it is running. When you say you say you removed that vacuum hose, did you cap it off? I am also wondering if maybe the wire to the alt is maybe broken or the alt itself is not giving it juice. Do me a favor and let it get warmed up and look at the top of the carb. Are the flaps all the way open? If not my thought would be the choke or alt. wire going to it.

[91_festy_Gl]

The vaccume hose I found didnt go to anything it was just a piece that was jammed between the choke acutator and the arm to the flap. I ran the wire from the choke down to the alt and its intact. It actually looks like it is fairly new. I even removed the plug on the choke wire and cleaned it so I knew it was getting good contact to the alt. I havent tried to warm it up and see the choke flappers position. Upon starting the car the flap should be shut correct?

[doylerl]

If it's cold (ie. Not having ran in a while). Then the flaps should be almost completely closed. Once it's warmed up they should open up. Also just because the wire looks good it doesn't mean anything. Get a test light and check that wire for + while it idles. It should light up if it and the alt are good.

[FestYboy]

ummm did you ever think about testing your fuel pump?

[piratewilly]

im really thinking timing is the issue here

[91_festy_Gl]

Well I got the car warmed up and had a friend hold the throttle so I could see what the choke was doing and sure enough it was wide open. Tested the chokes hot wire for voltage and it had 11. something for volts so thats good. I did do alittle more searching around the throttle area and noticed some kind of mechinism from the throttle linkage up to the choke is just dangling there. It has the rod but its missing some sort or piece the rod connects to. I also assumed that there may be a spring missing there to? I really have no idea cause I have only messed with FI festivas.

As for the fuel pump Im only assuming that its working properly. The car run for as long as you want as long as you stay into the throttle. I did pump the pedal once before starting it and it fired right up and idled right at 1000 rpm for about a min. then it just died. I guess i can go out and test the fuel pump but it seems to me like its getting plenty of fuel. I went as far as throwing a timing light on it to see if the ignition timing was off and it was just alittle bit towards the retarded side. I adjusted the disty to correct that. Other then possibly a failing fuel pump could it be a vaccume issue? There is a noodly mess of lines going every which way and the only culprits I could find are the ones going to the breather.

[FestYboy]

the reason i say test the pump is because at idle, you should see 2.5-3.5 psi line pressure. also at idle, you need a little pressure to keep fuel being fed to the engine because there's not enough air flowing through the venturis to draw the fuel through; when you have it run at 2000 rpm the air flow through the carb draws the fuel through (this is presuming a weak or non working fuel pump).

[zoe60]

Might check the ignition control module for the fun of it.

[91_festy_Gl]

the reason i say test the pump is because at idle, you should see 2.5-3.5 psi line pressure. also at idle, you need a little pressure to keep fuel being fed to the engine because there's not enough air flowing through the venturis to draw the fuel through; when you have it run at 2000 rpm the air flow through the carb draws the fuel through (this is presuming a weak or non working fuel pump).

That does make total sense. Ill have to wait until tomorrow because there is a huge storm brewing.

That linkage thing I was talking about, is that for like a drop down for the auto trannies or something?

The engine runs great and doesnt miss or anything. It sounds tight and its smooth its just a matter of a laggy or bogging throttle response, no idle, and having to pump it and keep pumping it to keep it running.

Ignition timing ruled out any ignition problems that could occur, so Im getting away from anything that is timing related. Everything is fine with that.