318 Dart is Surging/Runnin Rough Need Help!

[staygold711]

Daily driver 74 Dart SE 318 Is Barely running. At low RPM's it is running like it is miss firing. I had a small hole in my muffler and I thought it was building back pressure and thus causing the surging. I put a new cherry bomb glass pack on today but didn't fix it. So I changed the plugs, They were really wet fouled. Full of black carbon. Put new ones in but didn't solve it. Thought maybe somehow my plug wires were on wrong but nope, on right. When I start the car it takes too many cranks and barely catches then the RPM's start climbing way past the normal almost 2000 then it will kick-down to normal for a second then flux till it conks out unless you give it more gas. I just had the carter bbd rebuilt by a trustworthy guy. I tried to tune the carb but it doesn't matter if I put the idle all the way up or down. main jets up or down. Do you think I bent a rod? Or a piston is sticking? The fouled plugs says to me- oil or rich fuel mix but it was running fine until it didn't. I am not a engine guy so I will prob. be taking it somewhere when or if I have the cash. Anyone have this problem? let me know if you have any ideas. I really need some help!!! Stay Gold

 

[Bulldozer]

Daily driver 74 Dart SE 318 Is Barely running. At low RPM's it is running like it is miss firing. I had a small hole in my muffler and I thought it was building back pressure and thus causing the surging. I put a new cherry bomb glass pack on today but didn't fix it. So I changed the plugs, They were really wet fouled. Full of black carbon. Put new ones in but didn't solve it. Thought maybe somehow my plug wires were on wrong but nope, on right. When I start the car it takes too many cranks and barely catches then the RPM's start climbing way past the normal almost 2000 then it will kick-down to normal for a second then flux till it conks out unless you give it more gas. I just had the carter bbd rebuilt by a trustworthy guy. I tried to tune the carb but it doesn't matter if I put the idle all the way up or down. main jets up or down. Do you think I bent a rod? Or a piston is sticking? The fouled plugs says to me- oil or rich fuel mix but it was running fine until it didn't. I am not a engine guy so I will prob. be taking it somewhere when or if I have the cash. Anyone have this problem? let me know if you have any ideas. I really need some help!!! Stay Gold

sounds like your flaots are stuck and its flooding like a big dog.......tap on the front of the carb,not real hard,and you may notice it level out in a couple minutes.just had the same problem...

 

[Prine]

:-k
Sorry to be the barer of bad news.....but:

Most likely....if that is the original 318....you have a TON of slack in the timing chain and the base timing is jumping ALL OVER THE place.

You need to take heed NOW, while its still running and do a double roller timing chain, and regasket, before it breaks the NYLON Cam Gear and bends valves.

Good Luck, again sorry to hear that.

 

[BillGrissom]

:-k
...you have a TON of slack in the timing chain and the base timing is jumping ALL OVER THE place.

You need to ... do a double roller timing chain, and regasket, before it breaks the NYLON Cam Gear and bends valves.

Before jumping to conclusions, you can easily check for a loose timing chain. Manually turn engine forward w/ a socket wrench to TDC mark. Then rotate backwards and note how many crank degrees before the rotor turns backwards. If < 5 deg it should be OK. Another indication is that timing jumps all around when using a timing light. I thought only big blocks had the nylon cam gear. The two LA engines I tore down had metal gears.

I second the running rich. Why else would the plugs be sooted? A carb rebuild sounds the best bang to try. Longer term, consider installing a lean/rich indicator.

 

[Bulldozer]

i didnt think about the chain..good advice fellas...

 

[Cudafever]

Before jumping to conclusions, you can easily check for a loose timing chain. Manually turn engine forward w/ a socket wrench to TDC mark. Then rotate backwards and note how many crank degrees before the rotor turns backwards. If < 5 deg it should be OK. Another indication is that timing jumps all around when using a timing light. I thought only big blocks had the nylon cam gear. The two LA engines I tore down had metal gears.

I second the running rich. Why else would the plugs be sooted? A carb rebuild sounds the best bang to try. Longer term, consider installing a lean/rich indicator.

Good advice but i thing it will take 10 to 15 degrees of slack before i would condem the Timing Chain........... It Was the first thought on my mind as i read the OP.

My 318, it popped and banged while going down the road, never started again untel i replace the chain.

Didn't bend any Valves and or push rod Either.