Brat78

Run-on eliminated, although it smells rich. Am going to lean it out a tad to try and find the sweet spot. If only I had a timing strobe.

I dropped my idle, and made some mixture screw adjustments, and will report back. Thanks for the link as well. I may get a solenoid for good measure.

That is a PITA job with the engine in but it is possible. Hilariously I put my junkyard shelf motor in and then realized I had a really leaky pan. A week earlier the motor was sitting in the bed of the brat. How easy it would have been then.

I can't get my weber to stop dieseling. I have retarding to timing to just above where it starts to run bad, and thought that would help but it has not. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

Bam!

Pull the radiator cap off cold, make sure it is full. Fire up the engine, and watch the coolant. It will swell some with revs as the water pump is acting on it. What you are looking for is coolant getting blown out of the radiator due to positive pressure in the cooling system due to a head gasket failure.

At least with the fans out you'll have more room to pull the engine out when the heads crack.

You can weld on a fuel tank safely if you fill it with water.

I just bought one for my 78 brat from a yard in washington state and it was only $120 shipped to georgia. Search car-parts.com That's where I found mine.

The oil is only used to determine if you have bad rings or valves if you should come up with a suspect cylinder.

I am pretty sure in all cars you want no more than a 10 pound deviation from your highest to lowest readings. Be sure to run the test warm, all plugs out, throttle plate open. I don't know the exact spec for your car, but I believe factory is anywhere from 150 to 180 pounds. If you are near or above 150, you are doing great. I know with vw boxers all cylinders above 100, all within 10 pounds of eachother is good to go. You should be better than that though. My unrebuilt ea 71 even still pulls around 155 pounds.

@Dinky Check rock auto for brake parts. I'd say you'd get maybe $200 into it for everything including the master cylinder. That assumes your lines are good.

I grew up in New Hampshire. Trust me, don't buy a rust belt car if you don't live in the rust belt. My 87 wagon started flexing, which cracked the windshield, because the subframe had completely rotted out. I had to put her down in about 2000. Rust won't stop either once it starts.

I bought a slide hammer set from harbor freight for about $70 when I tore my ea71 down. I don't see the exact set online anymore but they still show some. Made the job real easy.

Ditto on a second battery and an inverter. Sometimes you can pillage an RV at a salvage yard and get lucky.

I've slept in my bus down to 15 degrees. Not so fun but better than sleeping in a running car.

I've had dieseling issues with my dgev as well. It's a new car to me and a new motor so I have no idea if it's the carb. I do not have that solenoid though.

I'll second that he's a good guy. I bought some parts from him once that were not correct and he promptly refunded my money and sent me a nos head gasket set for the trouble. And he has TONS of parts.

I can't believe you have to smog a 35 year old car. We don't even have safety inspections in georgia.

I just did both my outer tie rod ends. Took about 45 minutes. Getting to know your car is invaluable. You should put them in.

How is any coolant loss at all via a crack in the head not a problem?

I'd find a new motor and keep the old one for parts

I'd be skeptical. It says it's an exact fit for a 79 brat with a "fit note" at the bottom that says 2wd which never happened. All the cars could be the same, but like you're saying, it's a gamble.

I'd give them an A+ They have parts no one else can get, and on available parts are way cheaper for the same part. My motor mounts for my 78 brat were fuji, in a fuji box. Who knows where they got them.

If anyone has a caliper guide I am in desperate need of one. My brat was missing one when I got it and am currently holding it in place with a broken sawzall blade. Not cool. I can't seem to find them anywhere online. Send a pm if you can help me out. Thanks again.