Well, I did my first ever engine tear down and put back together...

[TorqueEffect]

yeah, I can only seem to manage 38 at an average of around 65MPH.

[jimdigs]

yeah, I can only seem to manage 38 at an average of around 65MPH.

I have been wanting to put my fuelly info on here too. How do you link it?

[Studebaker]

Try driving a tank full at 55. 40 mpg at 65 sounds about right. O2 sensor regulates air fuel ratio. Therefore engine condition (compression) does not effect mpg it did with carb engines.

[jimdigs]

I decided to put a new fuel filter in even though I replaced the one in there back in Feb. of 2014. It drained out some pretty nasty brown gas from the old filter. Also changed out my air filter even though that was only about a year old. Guess I was bored.

[jimdigs]

Well a week and a half ago I put a new fuel filter in. The car has been driving funny since this past weekend, kinda groggy. Well today, when I took off I pressed on the gas and the car didn't respond, kinda died then learched forward when it got the gas. Did this all the way to work, I had to feather the gas pedal in order to keep it from bucking on me. On the way home, same thing. When I floored it it would buck like no tomorrow. Think it could be the fuel filter or something else? Some reason I'm thinking clogged catalytic converter, is this a symptom of a clogged one? Maybe just a bad fuel filter? I don't know, what you guys think?

[Studebaker]

Take the air filter out. See if it runs better. Does sound like a fuel problem. Check the compression again. Hook up a fuel pressure gauge after the filter. Should have a steady 30 psi. Rust hole in the fuel line? Some ideals to start.

[Studebaker]

Check clean replace ing. wires cap rotor. Run engine in dark see if theres any arking around cap. What year is this car?

[jimdigs]

Check clean replace ing. wires cap rotor. Run engine in dark see if theres any arking around cap. What year is this car?

Hey Studebaker, thanks for the replies. Last night I poured some sea foam in the tank and checked the plug wires, they seemed fine, they are new. I needed to fill up as I was low on gas so I drove it to the gas station this a.m. and had no problems with the bucking but still seems kinda groggy. I recorded my best mpg with this car at 40.7 which is weird as it was driving bad. The gas station is only about a mile from my home so I'll see how she drives on the way to work today.
I'll do another compression test this weekend and I have a pressure gauge kit and checked it last night too. Its running around 22 and when I rev the engine up it does go right down to zero and back up above 22 to about 26 but it stays up there for awhile before coming back down to 22, does that mean anything. When I have done this before it would go up to 26 and back down to 22 kinda quick. I want to do a fuel pressure check but the tees provided in this little kit don't seem like they will work. OH, its a 93 5 speed plain jane festiva.

[Studebaker]

May have a bad pressure regulator. Could you have switched the fuel line with the return line when you changed the filter? Just thinking out loud.

Two other things. Blow some low pressure air back threw the fuel system. May have a clog. There is a prefilter sock attached to the input of the fuel pump. Pull the fuel pump and check. Could be the fuel pump is going bad. There is a small rubber connecting hose on the fuel pump could be bad.

[Studebaker]

Maybe bad filter. Put the old fuel filter back on.

[jimdigs]

Maybe bad filter. Put the old fuel filter back on.

Thanks for all the suggestion Studebaker and I will keep them all in mind if this happens again. Strange thing, today to and from work the car ran just like nothing happened. I was wondering if maybe I got a bad tank of gas on the last fill up or something? If it starts up again I will try the things you suggest and may do some this weekend anyway, supposed to be nice here in Michigan Saturday. Thanks again, Jim

[jimdigs]

Well it happened again today. I'm below a quarter of a tank and the car starts sputtering. I get home and take out the fuel pump and man, there is a ton of sludge/rust in the section that the sock sits in. The bottom of the tank is rusty but its hardened on rust, not like the stuff where the sock sits. I start scooping the stuff out. Man. surprised the thing kept running. My new fuel filter is probably already plugged up.
You think the other rust on the tank will eventually loosen up as well and end up where all this stuff ended up again, under the sock section?
I scooped out about 5 hand fulls of the stuff.

[Studebaker]

Might want to just put it back together and keep it filled till you can get a new tank. Or drop it clean and seal?

[jimdigs]

Might want to just put it back together and keep it filled till you can get a new tank. Or drop it clean and seal?

I put it back together and sputtered to the gas station and filled her up. Ran fine after that. I also had my best mpg again. I am right at 41mpg. Nice.
I wonder if adding the sea foam broke a lot of the rust loose and it ended up sitting under the sock thingy. I have added a few bottles of the stuff over the year and a half that I have owned her.
On another note, the reringing of the pistons has given me better gas mileage and my oil is staying clean and remaining full. By now I would of had to add a quart by now. I'm happy with that.

[Studebaker]

Best thing you can do for her is driver her and repair replace renew things as they show up. A lot of work in the beginning. But will slow down as more repairs are made. Soon you will be driving her more and working on her once in a blue moon.

My first Festiva I bought for $750. Put another $2000 in parts and upgrades. Then drove for another 100k miles. Cheapest car per mile I've ever owned.