Hey guys. I'm finally getting my dart (stock 76 225 1bbl) on the road. It's been parked for a while, but hasn't been started all summer. (I know, I know) Today I went and cranked it over, and it fires fine, but then coughs and dies. If I give it some gas, it will run for a nity bit, but I have to keep giving it more gas or the rpms will drop, and then it will die. In reving it, it still sounds a little rough out the tail pipe, and it will occasionally burp through the carb when I give it gas. A slight increase in the throttle will often make it stall, but jabing it works ok. When revving it, it sounds rough through the tail pipe, and it will occasionally burp through the carb when I rev it. I backed off the valve lash slightly, thinking I had overtightened them, and that helped a tiny bit. So did increasing the air/fuel mixture screw, and the fast idle screw. I can't get it to run on its own long enough for me to do any real tests. Even if I leave my foot on it at about half throttle, the rpms will fall, and then it dies. I'm thinking maybe carb problems, or a vac leak, but I really don't know. Carb was rebuilt a long time ago. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.zorg

My money would be on a faulty fuel pump or clogged fuel line (either in the tank or at the filter), or possible a gummed up carb. Could also just be bad gas. Have you tried putting a few gallons of premium and a bottle of Heet and a bottle of fuel system cleaner in your tank?

Try replacing the fuel filterand adding some fresh gas. If that doesn't work, check your fuel pump's output (also, make sure your oil doesn't smell like gas- a sure sign of a ruptured fuel pump diaphragm).

Good luck!

P.S. Nice to see you back again!

Sounds exactly like a gummed up carb. You are getting gas only through the accelerator pump, (while pressing the gas pedal) but not through the main jet or idle jet (when holding the gas pedal).

Take the carb off, open the fuel bowl of the carb up and spray all the little holes clear with cleaner. I think you'll see results.

_________________
1980 Aspen 225 super six

Thanks Reed. It's nice to be back (and to be working on the Dart again). Fuel filter (in line) is new and good quality, and I just put the gass in, too, so those are doubtful. Wouldn't it want to die at any throttle position if the line were cloged, though?

I have the carb off now, and it's got me thinking. If I tear into this carb, I may as well give it a full rebuild. Then would I be better off just swapping over to my super six? Or make sure it's running right before I try something new? Thanks slant6ram, after I realized how long it had been since the carb was rebuilt, I should have known it was in there somewhere. I'll take a look at what you said, and see what happens.zorg

I would concentrate on one thing at a time and get your current system working before I would tear it apart.

Have you checked your valve lash, or possibly stuck rocker arms? A backfire out the carb suggests either a too lean running condition or something wrong with the timing of the valves and the igition of the mixture (i.e. valve stuck open or ignition firing at the wrong time, or the timing chain has stretched or the chain has jumped a tooth).

But if it was running okay before you parked it I would be inclined to think it was just a carb that got gummed up form sitting.

Rebuilt the carb yesterday. I noticed it didn't have a throttle position solenoid. Was that only on some years/models, or should I try to get one? The floats had been WAY to low, so I got those adjusted right, but I don't have a .08 twist drill to adjust the fast idle cam, so I just left it how it was. Didn't appear to be way off like the floats. The odd thing was nothing really appeared dirty or gummed up or anything... This morning I fired it off, it now wants to run, but is really rough. Now it is a steady rough, but doesn't cough or backfire. It was smoking blue out of the air cleaner, but I'm guessing that is just carb cleaner being burned off? Also, I'm getting gas up into the air cleaner now? It doesn't sound like it's backfiring, it's just got more gas than it can handle or?

Reed, valve lash is ok. I adjusted them right before it got parked. No more backfire, and too rich now. I can play with the idle mixture screw, but all this gas coming up is really making me hesitant to run it until I know what's going on. Thanks again...zorg

I ain't wanna spoil the party... but...

did you changed your oil? did you add some oil thru the spark plug holes before cranking it up? maybe yor compression rings got stuck and when you crank it up they got shot...

I'll do a comp test since you're checkin things up...

Also I'd check the timing too. It sounds like the crank gear is misaligned with the cam.

I trully HOPE that I'm just as wrong as I can be.

_________________
Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

I also recommend checking your timing. Shooting gas and smoke out of the carb suggests timing that is too advanced.

I once worked on a friend's Volare after they had done a "tune up." They replaced the cap, rotor, and wires, and managed to get the wires in the proper firing order, but somehow they installed the cap 180 degrees off so the timing way also 180 degrees of (firing on the exhaust stroke). Amazingly, the car ran smoothly and didn't backfire, but lacked power on the highway.

Point is, double check to make sure that the timing isn't off. The car will run, but it may run like crap.

If your timing checks out start with the basics- do a hot valve lash adjustment, check your plugs to be sure they aren't fouled, make sure your coil puts out enough spark (a coil can still put out enough spark to let the car run, but if the spark is too weak the car will run rough), make sure you don't have any disconnected vacuum lines (or that the distributor vacuum advance line is plugged directly into the intake manifold instead of the port on the carb).

Keep us posted!

I just figured out that the manifolds aren't on tight... I'll hopefully be able to pull them tomorrow, put in a new gasket (DI recomended a Mr. Gasket #320G), and seal them back up tight. A couple of questions:
I noticed there was RTV on the gasket in there now. Do I need to get some (don't think my ultra copper can take the temps)? I don't like the stuff, so I'd like to go with just a bare gasket. Is that ok?
Can I do this without disconnecting the exhaust pipe, by just blocking the manifolds up with some scrap lumber, or is it best to try to break the pipe free?
After that I will check the timing. (Sort of hard when the car won't run for more than 1/2 min...) Valve lash is ok. I've got some plugs/wires/cap/rotor I can throw on it, too. Where are you saying the distributor vac line should go to? Mine's in the OSAC valve on the air cleaner. Let me know. Thanks.zorg

_________________