Point me in the right direction

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pacuda59

pacuda59

pacuda59
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Let me start by saying I'm not a mechanic. Up till this point, my passion has been woodworking.

I learned to drive on a 65 Dart, /6, three on the tree. The car was parked outside most of the winter and had over 150K before the speedometer broke. I never had a problem starting the car or did it ever need an extended warm-up.

Thirty two years later I buy the 69 Barracuda, /6, auto. It takes about a minute to get it started and then it needs to warm up for about 5 minutes before I can drive it without stalling, particularly in reverse. The seller claimed it had recently been tuned and it looks like it, new distributor cap, gas filter, plugs, wires...etc.

What should I be focusing on to get this old girl to start up and run smoothly?
 
pacuda59 said:
Thirty two years later I buy the 69 Barracuda, /6, auto. It takes about a minute to get it started and then it needs to warm up for about 5 minutes before I can drive it without stalling, particularly in reverse. The seller claimed it had recently been tuned and it looks like it, new distributor cap, gas filter, plugs, wires...etc.

What should I be focusing on to get this old girl to start up and run smoothly?
Click to expand...

Some sellers will just about say anything to sell a car. Make sure all the parts he mentioned are in fact new.Pull the plugs,and see if they are new.
Do the wires,cap,rotor,look new ?
If the car has been sitting for awhile,a carb rebuild can't hurt. As Joe mentioned,make sure the choke is working correctly. Also,make sure the carb (a/f,idle)is adjusted correctly. Make sure it is getting a good shot of gas when you hit the accelerator.
Make sure the Heat Riser on the exhaust is functioning properly. It should spin freely, if not use a penetrating oil to free it up.
Adjust the timming.
Adjust the valves.
These should get you in the ballpark of a good running car.
Find yourself a factory service manual, and a mechanic buddy for help.
 
Just because parts are new does not mean that they are good or correct.

I worked at a honda dealership for 8 years and never once did I see a misfire caused by a platinum ngk plug. Bosch platinum plugs would cause them all day long. I saw ngk's with 200k miles on them and they still had the correct gap. Non platinum ngk's would wear like a normal plug.

How does it run after it is warmed up?
 
OK guys...thanks.

I was originally thinking of having electronic ignition put on but after reading some posts, I understand that might not be necessary. As I said, my old Dart ran fine without EI.

MC...the car runs fine when warm, perhaps a little hesitation off the line.
 
I go along with the carb/choke as after 40+ years they do get tired.You knew what you had back then, not so with a recent purchase. Go through a maintainance list from bumper to bumper to familiarize yourself to the new car.Good luck and have fun with it !
 
Start with the choke operation check and acc. pump function and go from there. Pull the air cleaner off. The choke should completely close when the engine is cold and you first push the throttle open. There should also be a decent shot of raw fuel from the accelerator pump. If both of those are happening, the engine should start right up if all the other tune up parts are right. Once the engine starts, the choke pull-off (a vacuum operated diaphram) should open the choke a little (typically a 1/4" or so) so it will run smooth and not too rich or too lean. Bending the pull-off rod is the way to change that setting. The throttle should be held open a slight amount on the fast idle cam. There is also an adjustment screw for that if the idle speed is incorrect. It's right next to the regular (hot) idle screw. Once the engine is fully warm, the choke should open all the way and the throttle is off the fast idle cam and then uses the regular idle screw for the hot adjustment.
 
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