Carburetor and Timing help

[yogaslackers]

Thanks windy, I have a Weber of an escort, could not get a good idle. Just ran a compression test, looks like 50,000 miles of trouble shooting took it's toll on the rings.

#1 Cyl 119
#2 cyl 119
#3 Cyl 105
#4 Cyl 100

in the market for a new engine... Any help on getting the escort carb to work would be great

[yogaslackers]

Looking for carb tuning help again. 83 escort carb on a 323 1.6 create engin. W hen I hit the brakes the car dies.

Help

[Festy46]

Did you replace the vacuum hose to the the brake booster? If you replaced it with an ordinary piece of hose, that could be your problem because there is a check valve inside the stock hose. Either way, run the engine for a minute and then shut it off without touching the brakes. Pull the hose off the brake booster and you should hear an air hissing sound. If you don't hear anything, you have a vacuum leaking problem either with the brake booster or the vacuum line going to it.

[Banana Bonanza]

Did you ever check the vacuum advance canister on the distributor as two other people mentioned? Really if your distributor isnt advancing properly mileage suffers big time and power will be way down. You cant buy just the new canister like you can many older American engines. You either buy rebuilt distributor or do like I did and custom mount an aftermarket adjustable Chev V8 vacuum advance.

But that low compression has me scratching my head. And yes low compression makes mileage suck. That makes it sound like you are running stinkin rich with gas running down into cylinders washing off the oil. Or else lot dirt getting into cylinder. You are running an air filter, right? Course pushing a sick engine to travel all over the country doesnt help. You put lot miles on without finding/correcting problem.

Or of course if you never did compression test when you first put engine in car, well you may just bought a low compression engine??? I doubt anybody compression tests these engines before removal, they just go by odometer. You may just got an engine very abused by original Japanese owner in original Japanese car. Too late now, you need to test soon after receiving one of those "low mile" engines to have any claim on any warranty. I put a low mile 1.6L Jap engine in my Festy few years back and been getting 42mpg stop and go with 4spd and Weber carb.

As much driving as you do and since you dont really have place to do work or time, you might get a professionally rebuilt engine. Or seriously as much driving as you do for professional reasons, go look for a low mile newer car. I wouldnt be contemplating making multiple trips across country with a 25 year old car for work purposes. Different if you are just drifting around looking at the scenery. But forced march trips for work purposes, get a low mile newer car. You will lose lot more income from lost work than you will save with an old car. People are only patient with the "my car broke down" excuse for so long.

[Banana Bonanza]

Looking for carb tuning help again. 83 escort carb on a 323 1.6 create engin. W hen I hit the brakes the car dies.

Help

Hmmm, missed this somehow. Maybe bad brake booster or line like Festy46 suggests. If car dies when you push brakes, sure does suggest that. That would cause engine to run lean with missing restrictor and prevent proper vacuum advance at distributor, but also should cause noticable braking problems which you dont mention. Dont believe me try driving a car with vac line to brake booster disconnected... Also doesnt explain extreme wear in your engine unless you are also somehow sucking in lot grit through broken booster vac line......

Probably not just one problem, but synergistic effect. First try plugging brake booster vac line where it hooks to intake manifold. Your braking ability will be greatly reduced if brake booster is working properly. But your engine should run much better, well as good as a worn out engine can run.

[navdoc101]

^ Now don't you feel like an idiot. the post you answered was from April 2012. Asking for help once a year ain't bad.

[yogaslackers]

Hay Banana, and Festy 46

THe engine is brand NEW 0 mile engine now(mazda 323 1989 1.6L. This is an old thread. I need help tuning the Carb that festy 46 installed last year. Sorry for the confusion.

Getting 24.5mpg, pulling a trailer. 31mpg with out. I can go 75mph on flat ground. 45 in 3rd going up 7% grade.

Car is an icon of the business, Plus it has Solar Panel, fridge and camper set up inside the car an custom rack for bikes and gear boxes. It only has 410,000 miles and I have not learned all my auto mechanic lessons yet New car coming in a few years...or I might just go straight to a sail boat.

Still I would like to get it on a dyno and tune the carb soon.

Does anyone know if I take the brass vacuum tubes off the bottom of the intake do I need to plug the two sensors.... the 1983 ford escort carb has just a few vacuum lines too it.

The tranny just went out again... switching it now, then I will start the car and check FESTY46 brake booster TIP. Is it the line from the intake to the brass firewall line or the brass line to the booster?

THANKS FOR ALL THE INFO

[yogaslackers]

Festy46,

I just ran your test and when I removed the vacuum line, I did heard a very distinctive hissing sound.

Any other thoughts?

[Festy46]

Will the engine idle when the car is stopped and the transmission is in neutral with your foot off the brake, or does the engine stall? If it stalls when you do this, you may only need to turn the idle speed up a little. If it doesn't stall, push the brake pedal while it's sitting there. If it now stalled, look under the dash at the top of your brake pedal for a switch. Disconnect the wires from the switch or remove the switch and try pushing the brake pedal again. If it doesn't stall, you probably have a partial short in your wiring somewhere that is pulling enough juice away from the ignition to make it stall. If it did stall with the brake light switch disconnected, then look the carb over for one of the extra vacuum tubes that aren't used that may have lost it's rubber cap.

[yogaslackers]

Where is the idle screw?

I checked before, everything has a plug.

Also, we are generating a lot of fumes... it is pretty smelly.

[yogaslackers]

Thanks for all your help Festy46! The car currently does not idle in neutral.

[Festy46]

Where is the idle screw?
Also, we are generating a lot of fumes... it is pretty smelly.

As you face the carb from the front of the car, the idle screw is on the left side of the carb just a little above the throttle shaft. The head of the screw is toward the firewall. If you turn that screw clockwise as you would if you could face the head of the screw, it will increase the rpms.

If by "fumes" you are talking about engine crankcase fumes, you may need a new PCV valve. If you mean gas smell fumes, get a low pressure gauge (something from about 0 - 10 psi) and hook it up to the fuel line that goes to the carb. Check the fuel pressure with the car running. If it is over 4 psi, your pump might be forcing fuel past the float and overflowing the carb down into the intake manifold. Make sure if the carb has a choke that it is wide open and you have a clean air cleaner.

[yogaslackers]

Ok I adjusted the Idle I had to set it at 1450 rpm, now when I hit the brakes it will drop to about 150 rpms, but at least I dont have to shift into neutral and tap the gas. To be clear nothing changes if I apply the breaks while standing still only while moving.

When I start the car it revs the engine to 3500rpm I tap the gas, it drops to 2500 rpm, I tap it again it drops to 1450.

Idling at 1450 it will pulse from 1450 dropping to 900 rpm then back up to about 1500.

The car "fumes"are less with the new PCV valve, still a pit smelly not like gas at all though.

Choke appears to be straight up and down.

Replaced Air filter.

I will be in the PA area next monday/tuesday if you have time to take a look.

SAm

[Festy46]

I'm not sure about next Monday or Tuesday, I'll have to let you know later this week. In the mean time, get a couple bottles of "dry gas" and put in your tank and see if that does anything.

[yogaslackers]

I tried dry gas first.