rpikle, this thread's for YOU!!

[Tom]

False alarm, it was just a small wire on the coil that broke off when I was checking everything for tightness yesterday. It's running again. The same old longstanding problem. I tried a different distributor.

It is now high idled that might work for you too rpickle, try high idling it like I did, it's working for me. It doesn't allow low vacuum pressure this might be a "work around" that makes our cars drivable.

[FestYboy]

Well, since RPickle and Tom are having the same type issue, i guess i'll be long distance fixing both of your cars

I would like to respectively ask that all comments and "this part could be the problem" posts from other members be kept to a bare minimum, or not at all, so that the process can be as clean and consise as possible. I hate to be a kill joy hear but i need to concentrate soley on the information recieved by Rpickle and Tom alone so as to not get anyone confused.

once the solution is found, this may turn out to be a good sticky for those who need to systematically diagnose a problem w/ their car, and any comments will be more than welcome also (after it's all fixed)

[FestYboy]

Tom, if you can, could you please give me a rundown of what was done/history of the car like Rpickle's first post? it'll help put things into perspective for your situation. please keep things as to the point as possible, the more to the point and factual things are, the better i can formulate a solution.

thanks,
Arty

[Tom]

New Distributer(complete), Fuel Pump, Fuel Filter, Coil, Oxygen sensor

Took end off from fuel line in gas tank.

Removed cat converter.

Blew out all lines.

Checked all hoses and lines for connections and breaks.

Loosened gas cap.

Plugged PCV hose.

(I have an identical parts car that I owned and drove for 50,000 miles)

[FestYboy]

any reason why you plugged the PCV??? doing so is a bad thing, as the crankcase needs to breath (sp) and the exess pressure can damage other seals in the engine.

have you looked at the square connector and respective wires as i sugggested to rpickle?

[Tom]

Yes, I should have fully stated that. The valve cover air hose that goes to the breather was filling the air filter with oil(blow by)because my rings or ring is broken or a valve guide so I put a four foot hose on this outlet on the valve cover and ran it under the car. It smokes a little and blows a little oil but not much, but to much for the air filter. Normally I leave the PCV valve hooked up but in trying to get to the bottom of this I plugged it a few days ago. It's just sucking it's self closed anyway with the bypass i did. If I take the PCV hose off from the PCV valve without plugging it the car instantly dies because I lose all vacumme. Goes to show how important vacumme is. We don't have emmisions tests here and I don't have any money to buy a better car. I would have to pull the head otherwise and go into the motor to fix this. I don't have the tools or money for this. It runs good most of the time, I can drive it just like a taxi for days at a time. I'm using about a quart of 15-40 Rotella every 1500 miles or so.

[Tom]

I'm driving all over with my high idle just like nothings wrong. I hope it stays this way. It might. And then again it might not. Time will tell.

[FestYboy]

there's a possible common solution for both of you, but i'm not claiming a fix b/c i haven't gotten results back from Rpickle yet.

i just remembered that there's a fuel shutoff solenoid on the carb that activates during closed throtle/high vacuum situations (staying in gear at speed but letting off the gas). it's supposed to close off fuel flow when this happens to keep the cylinders from loading up and rich misfireing (sp). it's possible, yet unlikely that this solinoid has stuck itself in the closed position.

NOTE: closing the solinoid does NOT effect the idle circuit, but may effect ability to idle IF the idling engine requires activation of the main circuit to maintain desired RPM.

i'll devote more time and effort sat night, as i'll have some time off to do so. thank you for being patient w/ me as we resolve this issue.

[Tom]

That sounds interesting.

[Tom]

I just got pushed home. It's the same old thing, it idles but it won't rev at all, it just dies.

[FestYboy]

sounds like no fuel pressure, and no main fuel circuit activation. do you have any way of testing electronics?

[Tom]

No I don't . When it startes to miss a little bit and cough a little after running good for several days you know it's going to get worse and worse in the next few miles and stops and goes and thats what it does and then usually about five or ten minures after the first cough it gets to where you can't drive it and it will only idle. It will probably come out of it after sitting for a few days. I think it's vapor lock that unlocks itself after some time but I can't find the right thing to do to unlock it. or the electronics like you say that regulate the fuel feed and somehow it rights itself after a few hours or few day, you never know. The fuel pump pumps and the lines are open.

[FestYboy]

ok, well this is deffinately a different problem than Rpickle's but i'll help anyway i can. do me a favor and start the engine, then pull apart the square plug near the distro. what happens? then try restarting the engine and se if you can feather the throtle enough to keep it at a steady 1500 rpm. can it do this? Note:engine will not idle on its own with plug detached.

[Tom]

I'll try this tomorrow, I have it parked at the neighbors because I couldn't get it home, otherwise I would try it right now. I appreciate your help a lot. Thank You

[Tom]

OK, I started it up, it was hard to get started because it was cold and I couldn't help it our with the throttle. The high idle disappeared when it started acting up yesterday. So it finally started and kept running instead of dieing every time. I let it warm up some on this pretty low rough idle for a few minutes and then unhooked the square plug with the five wires going to it by the distributor. It died instantly. I tried to start it but it would only fire and rev just a very little and then die quickly every time. About ten times I tried to feather this up to no avail. I hooked it back up again and it started again and would only idle as before. If I ever so lightly touch the foot feed it will not start at all. As soon as I remove my foot it will start and very low rough idle. It's interesting to me that the high idle disappeared. I tried to turn it up again yesterday when it was idling rough and wouldn't run and it wouldn't work so I just turned it back to where I thought it was and got pushed home.