Just can't win, can you?
 

I know I posted this in the engine and drivetrain forum as well, but I want some info from some of you guys who may not check that forum out at all...

Just when I finally thought I got the silly beasty running properly...

Ok, so I recently did some more work on the engine, and I thought I finally got her going properly, aparantly not... I've improved the milage and power a bit, but the thing still has some issues I wanna fix...

First off, when I start her up on a cold day, she fires right up (usually on the first turn of the starter) but she idles as if she is running of maybe 5 cylinders, it sounds like I've got an enourmous camshaft in her, probally a a second delay in each firing... She also ticks like crazy at this point as well.

Once I get her warmed up, the ticking goes away, and she seems to get a whole lot better, but you can feel a noticable tremor in the steering column, and can kinda hear her missing just a little bit. She also has a major tremor when you let off the gas, kinda like when you are sitting on the bench seat next to a large friend who decides to let a big one rip, that sorta feeling. Also, when I step on it, she coughs and sputters, then accelerates a bit, then finally opens the four barrels and takes off line a little banshee.

And a development as of today, she started dieseling after I turn her off....

Now, for what I've done on the engine:

Replaced the intake gaskets, as well as the valve cover gaskets, re ran most of the vaccume cables (seemed a bit large, could that cause problems?) I also bought it new spark plug cables, a new air filter, and new spark plugs. I installed a good strong distributer on it as well.

I've got the in gear idle set at 700 rpm, and the timing set at 8 degrees BTDC. I just went through and reset the valve lash (back them off till they tick, then tighten them till they quiet up and give them 3/4 more of a turn). I haven't played with the mixture screws on the stock Carter Q-Jet. The idle seems a bit fast in park, and when I had the tach on it, the in gear idle speed seemed to gain and loose 10 rpm ever single time that tremor seemed to happen, its very rythmic...

Any suggestions? I'm getting a bit frusterated with the thing already...

Sounds like a choke issue. Do you have a electric or manul or none?

I'll try tieing the choke open when I go to school tommorow, just to see what happens even though I doubt its the choke...

Fill us in on a few more things.

This motor stock?
Miles?
You done a Compression check?
What model quad and what choke set up (stove, Hot air, electric)?

Several things come to mind. High mile Distributors get coked up and hang. That can cause some of the symptoms. Pull the rotor off and flip the weights. They should snap back. If they are slugish it's coked up. Pull it, remove the springs and weight. Drive the roll pin out of the gear and you can slide the shaft apart and clean it.

Yur bog taking off sounds like a bad accelerator pump. Pull the top off the air cleaner (engine off). shine a light down into the primaries with the choke propped open. While looking dow the carb give it full throttle. You should see a shot of gas when you give it gas. That's to richen the mix till there is enoug vac to get the mains flowing. If that shot of gas doesn't happen it will give that sort of bog. The rubber on the accelerator pump will stick to the accelerator bore if the carb sits and dries out. It will pop right off the shaft. You can usualy pop the top off the carb and put it back on without much trouble.

Readjust you mase idle mixture. If it's rich it will diesel. Use a Vac gage.

What's that harmonic ballancer look like? When they get old and the ryubber gets hard the outer ring can slip and then it's not going to be acurate for timing. Might be time to put a degree wheel on the crank and find TDC and make sure that ballance isn't screwed.

Stock motor
31 000 - 32 000
Carter Q-Jet -- Vacuum secondaries with hot air choke.

I'm gonna rebuild the carburator, I've got another one I can put on there for now, just that this one that is on there now is a much better carb. I haven't messed with my mixtures on the carb.

The distributer that is in there has about 80 000 original miles. The cap looks pretty much brand new. The original distributer on there has about 32 000, but the insides of the new distro looked a whole lot better than mine.

Not sure how the harmonic balancer looks like...

I'll check what the gas stream looks like when I give her some gas :)

Hot air chokes can get finicky. If they are set up right they do fine. I actually like how they function a little better then electric in the winter. It will actually put a little choke back in if it see's the temp drop. The electric is going to do the same thing reguardless of engine temp.

The part down into the intake in good condition? The pipes fit tight to it and no vac leaks?

On that distributor...Age playes into as much as anything. Doesn't take long to check so better safe and check it then chasing your tail.

Alright, I'll check the spark on all of plug lines, I just replaced the little tube that goes into the intake, so I know it is also good.