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New Game - the Whats wrong with my 66 game....

Garceau

Well-Known Member
Local time
3:36 PM
Joined
Jan 31, 2022
Messages
247
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371
Location
Wisconsin
505 inches
Steel heads
Hyd roller motor
QFT 780 Vac Sec
Eddy RPM dual plane
Mechanical pump

This morning - started up and noticed it was idling a little high (elec choke) so I let it idle and warm up and hit the gas and it came back down. At this point in gear I noticed it was idling a little lower than normal (I actually noticed that the other day, but since I had the carb off and adjusted the idle air bleeds figured I may just need to set the idle screw again) I have driven the car several hundred miles since I had the carb off/back on and adjusted. But with a weather change, possible an issue???

Drove to work no issues.

Went to lunch no issues.

Started after lunch and it seemed to crank over a few extra times (only sat 15 mins, and never have a hot start issue)
Fired up and ran really rough. Shut it down and fired it up again.
Will not idle on its own, need foot on gas. I adjusted idle screw and still nothing.
I got it to gas station and put fresh gas in it.

Pulled air cleaner and all vacuum plugs/caps are still on and not cracked or anything. Didnt notice any leaking or anything glaring. Fuel bowls have fuel (have the glass sight)

Didnt see any plug wires burnt through or issues with the MSD dizzy or cap. Dizzy was tight and didnt seem to move and come out of timing.

Started hard again and again wont idle. However I am able to drive it and once it gets past about 1500 it "seems" to run better.

I dont think fuel filter or fuel pump as it has fuel in bowls.

Possible something in an air bleed or something with the carb (I hope) when I get outta work I will try and clean out the air bleeds. Maybe get my other carb on it, and try.

Any other initial thoughts I am missing?

Cold beer for the right guess or lead :)
 
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Well the last thing you did was work on the carb.
So I'm guessing carb.
Can't help you much beyond that but check for vacuum leaks, loose mounting bolts etc...
If it has a rubber line on the inlet it's possible you got a piece of rubber in there.
 
I should add - I have driven the car hundreds of miles since the carb was off and I went through the air bleeds when I put it back on.
 
Well

Nuttin

Took valve covers off, nothing glaring as an issue. Checked over carb, all bolts, vacuum caps etc. Nothing.

Will clean up my other carb and swap it out. If no improvement then check msd
 
My guess is something small clogged up a passage in the carb... probably somewhere in the idle circuit. That's why it'll run when you give it throttle. I'd pull the bowl and metering block and blow out all the passages.
 
My guess is something small clogged up a passage in the carb... probably somewhere in the idle circuit. That's why it'll run when you give it throttle. I'd pull the bowl and metering block and blow out all the passages.

It kinda almost has to be. I will play with it more tomorrow.
 
Is there a chance you have needle and seat that is leaking? Did you backfire and take out your power valve?
 
Could it actually be an ignition problem, like a weak spark at lower RPM's?
 
Does it have a choke on it,it may be sticking closed during intial start up or partialy closed
 
Could it actually be an ignition problem, like a weak spark at lower RPM's?

I think there is a very strong possibility. I have a second MSD 6 and coil coming to rule that out.

Especially how sudden it happened.
 
Since the air bleed change, have you reset the idle mixture screws
 
Since the air bleed change, have you reset the idle mixture screws
I am sorry I misstated above - I didnt adjust the air bleeds or restrictors. I was able to clean up the idle by adjusting the 4 corner circuit idle mixture screws. It was a small change, but a change none the less.

but I bet I put 700 miles on since this time..... Hopefully tonight I can tear into it a bit deeper, I ruled out anything majorly mechanical last night. I am in the process of leaving for a hunting trip to Wyoming in the next few days so a little scattered trying to get both things taken care of.
 
Ok - update....

So the car sat, while I worked on a few things and got ready for my hunt in Wyoming. In the mean time my lil bro sent me a spare MSD 6, and a well working carb to bolt on.

Few things to add, after lunch when it acted up - I put more gas in it. I noticed it took as much gas as it ever had. It wasnt empty by any means, just I usually dont let it get much past half tank. It was probably hovering around quarter tank or a bit lower.

So this past friday I get home from my hunting trip. I get all the usual gone from home for a week stuff done. I decide to look at the car some (i had friends in town and hoped to have it taken care of and go screw around with them some and the car) I pop the hood and check all wiring, check all MSD connections again, check all plug/coil wires etc. All looks good. Previously I had the valve covers off to check for anything mechanical, so I resnug them back down, check oil - add a little bit, and decide to fire it up.

It fired up instantly, and ran well at idle. Idle speed was high (i messed with it previously so I knew what that was) I dont mess with it and just let it idle at 1200 rpms for a little bit. Oil pressure is good, listen under the hood and dont hear much that is worry-some. Im a little dumbfounded at this point, so I turn the idle speed down, put it in gear check a few things. Rev the engine and try to get it to act up or show me something of concern. Nothing, everything is responding as it should. Hmmm....

So I take it for a ride around the block, taking it easy and not doing anything stupid and its running as good as it ever was.

I get it home and pull a few spark plugs. They are oil fouled bad, I mean bad..... I knew when I bought this car, it was a few months away from total rebuild. As of late I have noticed what seems to be more and more blue when I start it, but not seeing it as I drive it. So I guess I assumed the valve seals were going/gone. Its getting new alum heads on the rebuild.

So I take it for a spin to run some errands and damn if the thing is running as good as it ever was and what the heck.....

that afternoon I take it to meet my buddies in town, and of course they want rides and initially I am taking it easy on it....but figure what the heck its the last weekend for this car, before tear down lets enjoy it some. All weekend it took what every I put to it, it performed as it was supposed to. The tires got hot, the tires smoked a little - but nothing mechanical showed up to be an issue.

At this point - I am a bit dumbfounded....its quite possible a piece of dirt/debris did get into the carb at some point and cleaned itself out. I had complete intentions of swapping carb and checking it, just didnt need it. Also possible a plug was acting up and cleaned up enough to drive it and enjoy it. Just as possible the low on gas, had some some issues that it acted up and worked its way out..... who knows.

Well wish I could give you all that contributed something solid and definite. But I got nothing. The car will get about 12 miles put on it to storage and then my lil bro will pick it up and we will tear it down. Few more points of compression and alum heads and bigger cam will be in the works. It should wake it up some :)

Now if new alum heads were actually available anywhere....but thats a different thread :)
 
I'm amazed how with the gas today how much **** I get in my fuel filters
I have a big repalceable canister-style (like 1/2 qt) Aeoquip filter
in the back just out of the newish tank & sender unit,
before the Aeroquip S/S Elec. fuel pump that's down near the frame rails
& a small Russel serviceable AN-6 fuel filter before the 6bbl carbs
I get quite a bit of "white ****/like oxidation" & some 'rusty/brownish sediment'
from the fuel
I assume, but it's not driven much, only a few hundred miles a year
mostly all locally
(engine Alum head stroker is 15 years old now, but not worn out by any means)
It's crazy how much **** is in the fuel & the filters "now"

I was gonna say
fuel filter/s
or coil too
or plugs too

Some ignition problems will act like it's a fuel problem
had a old 'DC Chrome box' go to ****, it had a bad ground
had all the symptoms you described above too
(sporadic stuff, not normal)
cleaned the grounding surface under the box on the firewall
put a tad of dielectric grease on it, fresh bare metal & all was good again
new plugs wires cap rotor (not many miles on them just years)
then;
I had a Blaster II MSD coil take a dump,
it just quit
did all the same **** you described too,
I thought it was a fuel problem, had all the same symptoms as fuel issues
at 1st & I remembered I had the issue before & checked the coil
it was junk, put on a new low ohm resistance 0.02 ohm 45k vlt Pertronix coil
I was doing/working on some other stuff & checked out all the fuel system
I found;
a few lil' miniscule rust or 'white crusty oxidation flakes',
in orifices & in the bowls
that somehow got by the filters 100-micron rear & 10-micron front
(I highly doubt it got by the 2 filters)
or
more likely were/was created in the bowls from sitting
more than I'd like it to
(**** gas today with all the additives) (I also you Stabil)
used a bit of carb cleaner/lil' red hose on it
and sprayed out all the accel. pump squirters, passages, air-bleeds etc.
& all lil' passages in metering blocks & outboard plates & all the carbs
put it all back together, seems just fine "now"

amazing how easy stuff gets clogged, even with 2 filter in line

all is, "or was" great again
 
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