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I just got a 1988 ford festiva L a couple of months ago, and I'm having some problems with the carb. First of all, when I try to start it in the morning I usually have to push on the accelerator just to get it to start. Even then, it takes me a few times just to get it going and keep it going. Sometimes, I usually turn the lights on which will raise the rpms, but that's not a permanent solution. Secondly, once the engine has warmed up, the idle is extremely high (2000-3000 rpms) when I'm idling. Lastly, I was hoping to get at least 30 mpg, but I'm only getting 24. I realize it's an old car and not what it used to be, but I had an 1986 Nissan D21 that got 17-19 mpg which is what I expected based on what I found at fuel economy.gov. Of course that was after I had done a lot of work on it especially using a TBI rebuild kit, replacing most if not all of the hoses (radiator and vacuum) and changing the transmission fluid. I have a haynes repair manual and a shop manual like what you'd find at a dealership mechanic. I have some experience with engine repair, so I can do most repairs, but not all. Also, is there a code reader I could get or do I have to count lights?
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You do realise it's got an autochoke that requires the accelerator to be pumped a couple of times before starting?
The high revs and poor fuel consumption could be due to a lazy thermostat. The autochoke and fast tickover are controlled by coolant temperature. If the thermostat's sticking open it'll demonstrate your problems. -
You are the perfect candidate for a Weber/Escort conversion. Do a search and see what other members have done. drddan has a good thread. I highly recommend getting rid of your feedback carb. Just get a plain carb that responds instantly to your foot pedal. Good luck.Last edited by bravekozak; 12-09-2012, 08:31 AM.Comment
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Your choke could be stuck closed. That would make mileage bad. If the carb has never been rebuilt, it probably needs it. A bad oxygen sensor will make it run bad. Are all the vacuum lines still hooked up correctly? If so be sure to mark them before you take them off for service. You will have to dig in and make yourself familiar with how it operates. Mine ran pretty good, I did the Weber swap to get more power. In some ways I liked the cold engine performance of the original carb more than the new one but power wise I would never want to go back. The conversion takes fab skills and Webers ain't cheap, so the swap may not be for everyone. That being said, I do enjoy driving my car a lot more with the Weber carb.Comment
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Here is a pic of a adapter plate I made, pretty easy to make with drill press and hand tools, other have made diff versions as well.
Here is a carb of ebay. You can see they are very low cost. The style make them very easy to tune as well. A bit of research and work and you could be tinkering with jets and tubes like a old school rodder in no time.
Going old school...
89L Carby FIDO, previously owned by FestivaFredComment
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A can of spray carb cleaner might fix your problem. Read intructions on the can. Basically once the engine warms up remove the air cleaner and spray into the top of the open carb to clean out deposists. Then spray choke and throttle linkages outside the carb. Should clear up any clogging and sticking. Cheap. If it does no good it'll do no harm.
Original owner of silver grey carburetted 1989 Festiva. 105k km as of June 2006. 140k km as of June 2021.Comment
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I got one of them. Made an offer and got it for $50+shipping. Be aware, there is no fuel fitting threaded in the carb, nor is there the bracket that secures the air cleaner.Originally posted by KingFish View Post
Also, according to my research, the 1.9L in the ford escort was also carbureted with the 740. If you're looking for an air cleaner the years are 81-85 1.6 and 85-86 1.9.
Interestingly, there's 2 listings for a rebuild kit for the 1.6 carb:
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