Dodge72
Odd one out
So I recently got my 72 Dart (225 /6, 1 bbl Holley) into my auto shop to get some new fluids to freshen it up. Bought it a few months ago not running, figured out the timing and wiring was all 'effed up. So I fixed it to about 9* before TDC and ran alright. Starting cold it would have high idle and have to baby the throttle until it warmed up. Once I put it into drive though, if I didn't immediately feather the gas pedal, it'd die out. Die out at some decent inclines in roads, and die out if it sat too long at the light and I pressed the gas too hard.
Well now that finally backfired on me, quite literally. Just today I was informed my shop teacher tried to fire it up but backfired on him and would misfire. I got in, managed to get it running but the throttle had to be almost all the way open, and sounded it only three cylinders were firing at all. Finally, the poor thing puttered out and didn't fire again.
I found by doing a vacuum test I had some major vacuum leak going on underneath it (also found a whole tuft of rat hair caught, ugh), as well as some leaking by the carb/intake gasket. Pinched off the vacuum and it ran like above, but unpinching it caused it to not fire at all. Checked for spark, seemed like my distributor was too far retarded (got spark by turning it CW). Pulled the spark plugs, coated with fuel. So my carb might be running too rich.
Apologize for the novel, but it just baffles me that one day it ran pretty good, no misfiring, and then the very next day I'm finding myself back to square one. Why would it run pretty decent one day, then just completely quit the next?Tomorrow I'm going in early to adjust timing, preferably over 9* before TDC to hopefully get it a little better. Any tips on timing, and then once that is good, possibly tuning the carb? I obviously need to fix that vacuum leak, but for right now I'd like to be where I was a day ago: running.
Well now that finally backfired on me, quite literally. Just today I was informed my shop teacher tried to fire it up but backfired on him and would misfire. I got in, managed to get it running but the throttle had to be almost all the way open, and sounded it only three cylinders were firing at all. Finally, the poor thing puttered out and didn't fire again.
I found by doing a vacuum test I had some major vacuum leak going on underneath it (also found a whole tuft of rat hair caught, ugh), as well as some leaking by the carb/intake gasket. Pinched off the vacuum and it ran like above, but unpinching it caused it to not fire at all. Checked for spark, seemed like my distributor was too far retarded (got spark by turning it CW). Pulled the spark plugs, coated with fuel. So my carb might be running too rich.
Apologize for the novel, but it just baffles me that one day it ran pretty good, no misfiring, and then the very next day I'm finding myself back to square one. Why would it run pretty decent one day, then just completely quit the next?Tomorrow I'm going in early to adjust timing, preferably over 9* before TDC to hopefully get it a little better. Any tips on timing, and then once that is good, possibly tuning the carb? I obviously need to fix that vacuum leak, but for right now I'd like to be where I was a day ago: running.
