Help in Phoenix

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Deleted member 22463

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Hey everybody,

I don't come around down on the local forum much, but I've lurked around a bit. I've had my 74 Dart SE on the road for going on two years, and have put a fair amount of money into her to get and keep her on the road after buying her out in Waddell (hi Eddie, if you see this!).

Last week, I put a new battery in her after she died on the street. This week I had her in the shop to get the motor and tranny mounts replaced, and was getting ready to put new tires and shocks on her. I was driving her today, coming back from work, and the car died in the driveway, just plain shut off. Gas mileage has been getting progressively worse (filled up yesterday, she's getting ~5.5 mpg), and it seems to smell like fuel and/or burning around her after she's been running, but I've never seen a puddle, leak, or anything else to indicating problems.

Having put money into the car (a substantial amount for a fairly impoverished PhD student) and experiencing these issues, I have a request to the community. I need a Mopar person to help me with this car. I need to figure out what it is doing/not doing, and what it needs. I love my shop, but I cannot continue to afford paying for their time alone, nor do I have easy access to the tools and hardware (much less knowing much of anything about cars [note, I have learned a lot since I started owning her, but most of my energy goes toward school]). Because my functional knowledge is weak, even when I read the forums here, I can't do much with it.

If any of you folks are local, I would be quite indebted to you for any assistance/advice/whatever else you might be able to provide.

Thanks a bunch for reading,

Rick
 
mypunkrock said:
If any of you folks are local, I would be quite indebted to you for any assistance/advice/whatever else you might be able to provide.

Thanks a bunch for reading,

Rick
Click to expand...

The Phoenix area is very large. What do you consider local or where do you live? I am in the 101 and Tatum area
 
Pawned said:
The Phoenix area is very large. What do you consider local or where do you live? I am in the 101 and Tatum area
Click to expand...

Hi Pawned,

Thanks for the reply. I live just north of Downtown PHX (off of 3rd St., on Clarendon Ave).

An update on the car: she is infrequently starting. When she does start, and is shifted into gear, the engine shuts off.

Rick
 
[QUOTE
An update on the car: she is infrequently starting. When she does start, and is shifted into gear, the engine shuts off.

Rick[/QUOTE]

I think I've heard of this before, I'd check the ignition switch first..
 
mypunkrock said:
Hi Pawned,

Thanks for the reply. I live just north of Downtown PHX (off of 3rd St., on Clarendon Ave).

An update on the car: she is infrequently starting. When she does start, and is shifted into gear, the engine shuts off.

Rick
Click to expand...

I would be looking at the voltage regulator. Make sure it is plugged in.
Check the two wires (not the big one that bolts on)to the alternator These are connected to the brushes. When was the last time the alternator brushes were checked.
You can get a volt meter at the auto store that plugs into your cigarette lighter to monitor the voltage

Let me know if this helps, If you are not able to do these things, you can bring it up here and we can put our brains together.

I live near Tatum and Bell road.


Ed
 
Pawned said:
I would be looking at the voltage regulator. Make sure it is plugged in.
Check the two wires (not the big one that bolts on)to the alternator These are connected to the brushes. When was the last time the alternator brushes were checked.
You can get a volt meter at the auto store that plugs into your cigarette lighter to monitor the voltage

Let me know if this helps, If you are not able to do these things, you can bring it up here and we can put our brains together.

I live near Tatum and Bell road.


Ed
Click to expand...

Thank you Ed and Varmintjcl. This will be part of the weekend project contingent on getting stuff at work done.

To answer your question Ed, I've not ever checked the alternator brushes (so we're looking at roughly 2.5 years). The vehicle is very much a (steep) learning curve for me, given my line of work.

Rick
 
I know this may sound weird, but there is a method to my madness.

Let's start at the very beginning going off of what you have told us so far and do this.
Find the very end of your exhaust system and wipe the inside of the pipe with your finger.

What color is it?
I highly suspect it will be a fuzzy black soot.
 
TrailBeast said:
I know this may sound weird, but there is a method to my madness.

Let's start at the very beginning going off of what you have told us so far and do this.
Find the very end of your exhaust system and wipe the inside of the pipe with your finger.

What color is it?
I highly suspect it will be a fuzzy black soot.
Click to expand...

Hi TB, thank you for your response.

I ran my index finger inside the end of the tailpipe, and yes, there is black soot there.

Rick
 
mypunkrock said:
Hi TB, thank you for your response.

I ran my index finger inside the end of the tailpipe, and yes, there is black soot there.

Rick
Click to expand...

Without seeing, hearing, and smelling it run I would say it needs a carb inspection/rebuild
Possible float sinking or misadjustment.

Of course spark plugs are going to be a problem because they are so dirty now causing it to be worse, but you can clean those and they should be ok.

Now without doing anything alse to it at the moment here's your next really easy drivway diagnostic.
While the engine is running, crimp of the rubber part of your fuel line (pliers work pretty good for this) and give it a min or two to make a difference.
The engine should go up in RPM's and smooth out a bit.

If it does, then you are getting too much fuel in the engine.
(Again, a clue pointing towards a carb problem being the issue)
 
Purple Haze said:
Check the bulk head connector, you may have an intermittent connection.
Click to expand...


I also had the same thing happen because on the ammeter one of the screws that feed thru the PCB had snapped the weld and was loose. driving down the road, hit a little dip and the engine stopped and would not start.

You may try jumpering the positive side of the battery to the + side of the coil and see if the problem still occurs
 
As long as we are asking for help in Phoenix. For some odd reason, I have never been able to tune a carburetor. If anyone around here could show me how, I will forever be in your debt (well not forever, but that sounded good).
 
mypunkrock said:
Hey everybody,

I don't come around down on the local forum much, but I've lurked around a bit. I've had my 74 Dart SE on the road for going on two years, and have put a fair amount of money into her to get and keep her on the road after buying her out in Waddell (hi Eddie, if you see this!).

Last week, I put a new battery in her after she died on the street. This week I had her in the shop to get the motor and tranny mounts replaced, and was getting ready to put new tires and shocks on her. I was driving her today, coming back from work, and the car died in the driveway, just plain shut off. Gas mileage has been getting progressively worse (filled up yesterday, she's getting ~5.5 mpg), and it seems to smell like fuel and/or burning around her after she's been running, but I've never seen a puddle, leak, or anything else to indicating problems.

Having put money into the car (a substantial amount for a fairly impoverished PhD student) and experiencing these issues, I have a request to the community. I need a Mopar person to help me with this car. I need to figure out what it is doing/not doing, and what it needs. I love my shop, but I cannot continue to afford paying for their time alone, nor do I have easy access to the tools and hardware (much less knowing much of anything about cars [note, I have learned a lot since I started owning her, but most of my energy goes toward school]). Because my functional knowledge is weak, even when I read the forums here, I can't do much with it.

If any of you folks are local, I would be quite indebted to you for any assistance/advice/whatever else you might be able to provide.

Thanks a bunch for reading,

Rick
Click to expand...

Which eddie? lol, you talkin to me?

Pawned said:
As long as we are asking for help in Phoenix. For some odd reason, I have never been able to tune a carburetor. If anyone around here could show me how, I will forever be in your debt (well not forever, but that sounded good).
Click to expand...

what motor and carb? PM me
 
Pawned said:
As long as we are asking for help in Phoenix. For some odd reason, I have never been able to tune a carburetor. If anyone around here could show me how, I will forever be in your debt (well not forever, but that sounded good).
Click to expand...

I know retired guy in Gilbert who is genius with all carburetors...He even restored an old thermoquad for me that made me understand why Chrysler ever used them in the first place!!! He has small shop at home and does them as a side thing...
 
I found my vacuum gauge, and I can not get it over 14 lbs of vacuum. Fuel injection is beginning to sound good.
 
sounds like the floats may be set to high or the needle seat valve has crap in it,,if you get it running and look down in the carb you will propably see gas gushing out of the vent tube flooding it out
 
furyrestored said:
sounds like the floats may be set to high or the needle seat valve has crap in it,,if you get it running and look down in the carb you will propably see gas gushing out of the vent tube flooding it out
Click to expand...

will check that first thing in the morning
thanx Ed

Maybe I should rebuild it and get it all clean
 
furyrestored said:
sounds like the floats may be set to high or the needle seat valve has crap in it,,if you get it running and look down in the carb you will propably see gas gushing out of the vent tube flooding it out
Click to expand...

I just reread your post. The car is running. starts with no problem. I am just trying to adjust the carb. I have never been good at carbs. I hooked up a vacuum gauge to it but I am only getting 14#s of vacuum.

I would not be surprised it the carb was full of crud. Maybe I should rebuild it?

Ed
 
Pawned said:
I just reread your post. The car is running. starts with no problem. I am just trying to adjust the carb. I have never been good at carbs. I hooked up a vacuum gauge to it but I am only getting 14#s of vacuum.

I would not be surprised it the carb was full of crud. Maybe I should rebuild it?

Ed
Click to expand...

I think he is replying to the op instead of you.
With two cars being talked about in the same thread this is going to get real confusing real fast. Ed (Pawned) you need to start your own thread so these can be kept separate.
 
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