Having a hard time with my 89 carby.

[wesman_86]

I'm new to festivas and to carburetors. The car will start with a couple pumps of the peddle and will run as long as I give it some gas. As soon as I let off it dies. If I pump it once and crank it, it will run for about a second. If I pump twice or more it will run just a touch longer. I have no idea what's going on. When I got the car I changed plugs, oil, cleaned the mechanical fuel pump, new fuel filter, change coil, and cleaned and unstopped the egr. Any input would help. I need this thing on the road fast since my blazer started acting up. Thanks.

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[wesman_86]

And one more thing. If I take the top of the filter off and have someone start it, if I hold the butterfly shut, it will run at idle just fine.

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[wesman_86]

Nothing at all...?

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[bravekozak]

I recommend getting rid of the stock feedback carb. I would suggest reading threads on Weber or Escort carb conversions. I wouldn't bother wasting any time to figure it out. Too many variables. Carbies don't need computers. Good luck.

[WmWatt]

It also might be the automatic choke is not working. It should (I think) close the butterfly until the engine is warm enough to run on it's own, then let it open.

Or it could be the idle adjustment is set too low. Try turning the long white plastic thing coming out of the left rear but remember where it was so you can set it back to there, ie try a quarter turn and if no difference turn back the quarter turn.

You might want to clean the carb by spraying the inisde and the exterior linkages with carburetor cleaner. You'd probably best get the kind with works on a cold engine. Some ask you to wait until the engine is warm before using.

Good luck.

[Icedawg]

^ Good advice from WmWatt.
You did not mention if you get the same problem once the engine is warm, and we are guessing the butterfly you refer to is the one at the top that is part of the choke mechanism. If you do not close the choke butterfly manually, then does it close when you try to start the car from cold? If not, then the cold start choke system is not working. Unfortunately, I only know RX7 carbs and they have a real choke cable in the car you can use, but I don't know what the Festi had, so if it is not working I am not sure what you need to do to fix it. You will need a diagram of the carb parts or advice from others here on the specifics of this function on the carb
If the choke mechanism for a cold start is working, then look at his advice on the idle adjustment. It is hard to see why that would go off adjustment, but if it is off it can keep it from running at idle. However, adjusting that is best done on a warmed up engine. If it does turn out to be the idle adjustment, then it probably is dirty, and putting some fuel injector or carb cleaner in the gas, and spraying some spray type carb cleaner down the throat may help clean it up.

[wesman_86]

The carb was just rebuilt and looks new. I picked it up from my father in law when I was out of state a couple of weeks ago. The car was doing this same thing before the rebuilt carb so that's why I got it and put it on but it didn't change anything. The choke as far as i know is working because if I feather the gas till the motor gets warm the choke opens. I have turned the white idle screw in till it runs on its on, but then when I put my fingers over the top if the carb it revs up really high. It's acting as if when I put my fingers over the carb when warm or hold the butterfly down when cold, it's creating a vacuum to pull more gas into it. I have pulled the line to the mechanical fuel pump and it is pumping gas to the carb. I can see gas in the viewer on the side of the carb.

[Spike]

Drddan told me about this one. It worked on the '89 when it still had a stock carb.

Have you replaced the rubber fuel line BEFORE the filter, at the very bottom of the firewall? It's 25 years old and has a very high tendency to collapse in on itself. Replace it with an inch or so longer hose so the manual pump won't have a chance to suck/pull it closed.

$1 chance at fixing it.

-Joe

[wesman_86]

I read that thread and was thinking maybe that's what's happening, but on the other hand if I'm laying in the throttle pulling more gas and the hose was bad then wouldn't it kill it self then too? It only cuts out when at idle.

[wesman_86]

I should change that hose anyways for some pm.

[Spike]

That's what I thought.. but if I kept pumping gas, it would stay running. Replaced that line and it idled fine, moved fine (the carb was just shot).

-Joe

[wesman_86]

Well i'll just have to stop and grab some line on the way home from work and give it a shot.

[wesman_86]

What size is the fuel line hose? I'm at work and don't want to have to drive all the way home then back to town. Should I go ahead and replace all the line all the way to the carb or is that one piece more prone to issues?

[zoe60]

Might be a bad fuel cut solenoid, or it is not getting voltage. It is on the drivers side of the carb near the rear. That will cause your exact symptom. It should have a gray cable that goes to the rectangular plug at the front of the engine. Good luck!

[drddan]

Drddan told me about this one. It worked on the '89 when it still had a stock carb.

Have you replaced the rubber fuel line BEFORE the filter, at the very bottom of the firewall? It's 25 years old and has a very high tendency to collapse in on itself. Replace it with an inch or so longer hose so the manual pump won't have a chance to suck/pull it closed.

$1 chance at fixing it.

-Joe

^ Good Spike!!! LOL

Since we'er on the subject! See that little BADGE looking ICON ... down in the bottom left corner?

See what happens when you click it! (hint hint!) :mrgreen: