Bad situation, Carb?

[Love_em_when_there_old]

Drove Car about 20 minutes today it was choppy and was cutting out so i went easy on it 1/4 throttle, I adjusted timing while at idle to smooth it out, took it for a drive all was good. Parked it wen to walmart with my buddy to get a phone, come out 20 minutes later, car just dosent want to start, its cranking, firing and when we finally get it going, The car must be revved really hard to just keep going, it dosent have enough power to even move itself and just stalls. So, I assumed the worst and thought someting internal had happened. The Car possibly had a knock but there is a bad exhasut leak right at the manifold i was supposed to fix. It only has an original 83,000miles and the Car is a 1985 Subaru GL with the EA81 and 4 speed Dual range 4WD tranny.

 

SO i come back about an hour later. Car cranks right up and idles right at 1000rpms, i try to REV it lightly and it just dies. Checked the oil, it looked good ( Dipstick was poped out) Is this a Carb problem?

 

Things ive done to it laterly, Fixed the Starter. Replaced Rad with an EJ22 RAD. Because thats all they had in the yard and it actually fit quite nicely. Car did overheat once because the lack of a fan, but it is -25 here now, so i assumed a fan wasent totally necessary, Help me guys! Your my only hope! (Star wars reference)

[ihscout54]

If you retarded the timing a bit that may explain the new diffeculty in starting in the cold. Does your stove pipe work? Just having that hooked up and functioning will help out quite a bit if youre vehicle is cold blooded. Look for a choke malfunction "cutting out" kinda always makes me think of a starvation issue. But could also be an electrical problem. You may end up having to climb the tree and start with the basics.

Having to "rev it up to keep it alive" is probably not due to faulty internals. Could be as simple as vac. leak or maybe you need to bring your timing back into specs.

[Love_em_when_there_old]

Yes, the Cutout issue Was Starvation of fuel. I knew the seriousness of this issue so i drove to a speed where it would not lean out. The timing was set ALLLLL the way forward by my friend. I did not know this as i just drove it in town at max 50 km/h speeds. When i got to the Highway i just found out and was not too happy.

 

In Relevance to the ditrubutor where should the Screw be located?

[Love_em_when_there_old]

Also, What is my Stove pipe?

[ihscout54]

As far as the screw goes, that is not the proper method to time your car. It should probably be somewhere center in the slot. Clockwise rotation will advance the timing. As long as the disty. was installed properly.... Can you set the timing?

 

Stove pipe/Hot air intake. Its the little flexi tin tube that hooks the air cleaner to a hookup on the exhaust. It allows for hot air to be takin in to warm the fuel and the carb. Once the engine reaches like 85 degrees or so its disabled by a thermo vac. switch that operates a diverter valve on the air cleaner. It often is dissabled perminantly by owners.

[Love_em_when_there_old]

I was having issues with mud blockage with it so i had to remove it, i guess it is winter now and would be a good idea to find one, but i gotta replace that exhaust gasket first. Thansks for giving me some optimism im hoping to rescue my car in the walmart parking lot today, im praying to god it hasent been towed away. Thanks guys i really do appreciate the help.

 

So i should time the Car with it off? engine off......

[The Beast I Drive]

You need a timing light, but to get it to start just move it to somewhere in the middle of the adjustment range. Then start it and adjust while running using the light. Make sure you disconnect the vacuum advance while doing this. As long as it was not installed a tooth off you should be able to time it properly.

-Bill

[ihscout54]

Walmart parking lot rescue kit.

1: Jumper cables

2: Basic metric tool set. Pliars and a hammer.

3: carb cleaner/starting fluid (I prefer the carb cleaner)

4: Bailing wire and duct tape.

set the disty in the middle and check for vaccume leaks, you didnt say you just needed to limp it home. Prim it with the cleaner and let it warm up real good.

[Love_em_when_there_old]

Thanks, everything is in the car except the wire and the duct tape, What is that for?

 

I always let this thing warm up forever, becasue its freaking cold hear anyways, i really appreciate the help. I accidentaly sprayed a little bit of brake cleaner down my carb assuming it was Carb cleaner, i hope its okay.

 

Yes if i can limp it home i should be good, THANKS FOR THE INFO!

[Love_em_when_there_old]

You need a timing light, but to get it to start just move it to somewhere in the middle of the adjustment range. Then start it and adjust while running using the light. Make sure you disconnect the vacuum advance while doing this. As long as it was not installed a tooth off you should be able to time it properly.

-Bill

 

 

I know when i mpove the disty around whiles it running it definatly does affect the idle, does this mean it was installed correctly?

[Love_em_when_there_old]

You need a timing light, but to get it to start just move it to somewhere in the middle of the adjustment range. Then start it and adjust while running using the light. Make sure you disconnect the vacuum advance while doing this. As long as it was not installed a tooth off you should be able to time it properly.

-Bill

 

What do you mean the timing light, What am i looking for?

[ihscout54]

Usually if it is off and it will start it will only run in the extreme one way or the other... But get it home first.

The duct tape and bailing wire will get you out from the middle of nowhere.

Ive made throttle linkages, repaired clutch cables, belts, damaged wires, fixed leaks.... That stuff will get you home or at least back to a place to work on it.

In youre case though, its for your friends that keep messin with your car.

Good Luck (follow up)

-Sam

[ihscout54]

The timing light is a tool you might be able to get it at walmart... :-\

[Love_em_when_there_old]

SO i went there boosted it and it ran like a champ!

 

However i found a massive vaccum leak behind the carb on the drivers side that was really loud, as soon as you put your finger over it, it idles smooth, as soon as it was open the car wouldnt drive anywhere and just stall, i didnt have enough time to fix it, but im assuming this is my problem?

[ihscout54]

Reparing that leak will eleminate ALOT! of your problems. If youda had that duck tape you coulda taped it to get her home.

See... it was so simple just like the battery issue. I always jump ahead too but more often than not, its simple. Always start simple first.

-Sam

[Love_em_when_there_old]

Thanks this was able to get the car running and moving but something else is seriously messed. The car will not start unless the timing is advanced all the way, it does not have enough power to get going there is something seriously messed with the timing, It really weak at idle is popping and missing badly and you have to rev it hard to get it going and then it feals like nothing happens, it is seriously messed.

 

Is there a good guide to start from the very beginning and time this thing to Factory Specs? As far as the vacumm line goes, i found the line that was suppossed to go to it and attached it, Thanks for the help! Also the alternator must be going, becasue the voltage slowly drops at idle, Below 12V thus effecting the way thge distributor sparks, i think this is a problem too.

 

The thing that pisses me off the most is that everyone wants me to throw this car away, that is not happening.

[ihscout54]

Your disty may be off a tooth or the rotor is loose, pull vac line off the disty and see what happens. Dont give up yet, I think you may need to park it for a lil bit while you work some bugs out. W/80k it probably has bugs from sitting, and you have others tampering with it too thats BAD! cause then you have no Idea whats been done and why.

[Love_em_when_there_old]

Its been my DD for half a year with no problems until my friend touched it, i told him its a little moter that makes max power at 4800rpms so dont be afraid to rev it a little higher, he was convinced it was the timing and messed with it thinking he was doing me a favor, i miss my car. Ill tow into my garage and just do everything properly but is there a guide on how to due this properly? What does removing the Vacumm hose do/ prove?

 

By the way its in miles, it has 82,000 and some miles, dont know how it ended up in Canada. can i tow this car like a FWD car, with just the rear wheels on the ground? on a car dolley.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Love_em_when_there_old

[ihscout54]

If the disty is hooked to a non tuned port (i.e. manifold) it will be way too adv. at idle. If the can even works, Ive never found a good one at the j-yard anyways. But Ive seen it befor, and the vehicle idles terribly. Towing it with the rear axle rolling is fine.

[Love_em_when_there_old]

If the disty is hooked to a non tuned port (i.e. manifold) it will be way too adv. at idle. If the can even works, Ive never found a good one at the j-yard anyways. But Ive seen it befor, and the vehicle idles terribly. Towing it with the rear axle rolling is fine.

 

Sorry i dont quite understand what your saying after talking about the disty? the Can? Found a good what at the junk yard? the disty and wires and plugs are all less than a year old.

 

Im a little iffy about this moter seeing how we bought it from a guy that said cylinder 3 was blown....The thing is ive sourced a moter shipped for 350$ and can probably get the guy down even lower. Becasue im willing to bet if i pull my plugs im going to see some ugly things.

[ihscout54]

Vaccume advance canister on the distributor, they are always bad on these cars (alt least here in the desert. How did he know cyl 3 was bad? I did not notice you mentioning this.

[ferox]

Its been my DD for half a year with no problems until my friend touched it, i told him its a little moter that makes max power at 4800rpms so dont be afraid to rev it a little higher, he was convinced it was the timing and messed with it thinking he was doing me a favor, i miss my car. Ill tow into my garage and just do everything properly but is there a guide on how to due this properly? What does removing the Vacumm hose do/ prove?

 

If your car drove fine before your friend touched it, I would say first see if you can find out what he did. This also implies that the problem may be very simple. You can do a lot to make it run better, but you are going to need a couple things:

 

1) Timing light-this is an essential tool that can be purchased for a little $ or a lot. I personally would buy a light that also has an rpm readout, but you can get really cheap lights that just have the induction strobe.

 

2) A manual for your car-there are three basic manuals that I know of: Chilton's, Haynes, and a Factory Service Manual(FSM). The Chilton's is well known to be a poor manual. The Haynes is better, and the FSM is of course as good as it gets. The FSM may take a while to track down though. Any of these manuals should have the basic procedures and technical specifications you need. If you can only find a Chilton's it will suffice for now.

 

3) Aerosal Carburetor Cleaner-this will allow you to track down vacuum leaks and clean your carb a little.

 

Get those items and read the instructions with the timing light and the procedure for setting ignition timing in the manual. Make sure the known vacuum leak is at least plugged. After that you should be able to set your timing.

 

After that, I would replace all of the vacuum lines on the motor one-at-a-time, but if you don't want to do that, spray a burst of carb cleaner at areas of the vacuum system one at a time. If you spray the cleaner at say...a vacuum nipple where a hose is attached and the rpm of the engine changes in a noticeable way that means there is a vacuum leak that is sucking in carb cleaner.

 

I also check the screws and bolts on my carb for tightness from time-to-time especially after driving in super cold weather. There are some screws you definitely don't want to touch without knowing what you are doing such as the fast idle screw, idle mixture, and air/fuel mixture screw, but you should be able to safely check the four nuts that attach the carb to the manifold. Your manual will have a detailed blow-up diagram of all the carb parts. I am convinced that many an old car goes to the yard due to simple vacuum leaks.

 

I hope this helps. Get a manual and read it...if anything is unclear just ask.

[Love_em_when_there_old]

Thanks guys really for all the help. The only reason why i am asking so many questions is because the car is not located at my house and is located 20minutes away from it, making it a royal PITA to work on. However im going to borrow my dads car and pick up the neccesary things i need, you dont know how much all this help means. What else is really ************ty is that the screw to adjust the distrubutor snapped off, haha, PITA.

 

Hope to have good news today. Hopefully....

 

BTW im printing off what you said, haha, thanks. Ya as soon as my car broke down myparents wanted it out and away to the scraper. Ill post pics and videos up of it after, im pretty impressed with the shape it is now even though it has seen alot but i know im using the car for what it is meant for so im not too woried. However there has been this weird problem ever since i got the Car. The RPM gauge bounces up and down a little bit at idle and even in acceleration, ive never noticed it effecting anything so i left it at that...

 

Ya i didnt mention anyhting about one of the cylinders being fried, when me and my friend picked up two GL's for 200$ that both ran and drive we drove the good one away on 3 cylinders we thought for ************s and giggles we would replace the spark plugs and it ran like a champ so we left it at that.

Edited December 17, 2008 by Love_em_when_there_old

[Love_em_when_there_old]

WTF, WTF, WTF

 

GO up to my Car anticipating to fix it up, boost it and it fires right up and runs like a champ, once it was running temp i took i for a rip and it was AWESOME!

 

Then i get to the highway diffrent story.....Cutting out like s fuel starved truck.

 

Lets just say happy to have it home, until the lower hose blew off and sprayed coolant everywhere, hahaha, i love this car.

[The Beast I Drive]

If the tach was bouncing around that is a 1st warning sign of distributor failure. You might need a new disty my friend :-\

-Bill