After leaving work last night, I noticed that the truck was running rough at idle as if it was soon to quit. I kept driving to get to a parking lot at the bar where my buddy works. Smell gas along the way. So I get it stopped, open the hood, take the air cleaner off and inspect the fuel line/filter going into the carb. It was wet. Tried to start the truck again to see if gas was ****ing out of it. The truck turned over but wouldnt start unless I held the key over and held the pedal to the floor. Got it started, sure enough, it was leaking. Turns out my moron roomate who "wanted to learn" used an ADJUSTIBLE WRENCH to change the fuel filter and most likely stripped the carb where the filter goes in.

So anyways I get a couple of wrenches and tighten it up best I could. So then it was tight. Thanked my buddy for the help, and still the truck was hard to start. Lots of turning, no spark, like before. Idled like crap all the way home, same on the way in this morning.

It seems fine on acceleration, but at a red light it idles like garbage. If I put it in park, it idles better. Im not sure if the fuel line thing was the reason or just a coincidence, or whether something else is going on.

Good plugs, wires, cap, rotor. Can hear the timing chain rattle, havent checked to see if distributor is loose. Any ideas?

-Matt

 

i had all of the same problems, you need to check your idle adjustment on the carb. i had replaced most of my ignition system and drove myself nuts trying to figure out why it was acting like you described. turned out when i installed my new carb i forget to fine tune the idle adjustments. if it has been a while since you have done it might be a good time to check. also get some thread sealer and put it on the threads of the filter, be sure not to get any in the end of the filter. DO NOT USE THREAD LOCKER!

 

Dont mean to be a pest guys, but if any of you have an idea as of what may be happening could you chime in? get off work a half hour before the auto parts store closes so I would like to know if I have to get anything.

Skeletor, good idea on the teflon tape and the idle adjust, but the truck went from running fine in the morning, then crappy when I got back into it at night. Could the idle adjust go screwy in a snap like that?


-Matt

 

Just to update, I got the truck home after work last night and checked out the carburator. Upon close inspection I saw gas leakage out of the base of the carb. I also heard alot of hissing when I borrowed my neighbours stethoscope. So im assuming that the gasket between the carb and intake is gone. So I went to the auto shop this morning before coming to work to ask how much a carburator re-build kit is (might as well have the thing good enough to eat off of while its off). They told me it was $80 for my Holley 4 barrel!!!! Now I know this is Canada, but when I read some previous posts I saw that some of you in the states were paying something like $20 for the same thing. Im pretty sure that the exchange rate isnt that bad! Is this crazy?


-Matt

 

I would get the kit and rebuild the Holly. They are pretty simple to do and only take an hour or so. If its your first one take your time, the instructions inlcluded in the kit, from memory, are very detailed. Some may however, cover different types of Holly's, just make sure you have the right one.

Let me know how you get on.

Regards,


Nordo

 

i live in west texas and it only cost me twenty here. make sure and pull the tag number off of your carb and match it up with the carb kit. it will come with more crap than you actually need. and the instructions practically do it for you. very easy to follow instructions, i used this recently (my first ever carb rebuild) and it was very easy.

 

Your buddy put the fuel filter in backwards.

 

Hes getting beaten in his sleep tonight.

BTW, the fuel filter: is the hollow end pointed towards the carb, or down towards the fuel line?

-Matt

 

the fuel line should screw into the fuel filter, the fuel filter screws into the carb.

 

The fuel filter is a small little golden yellow cylindrical thing, hollow, with a cone in the middle. What I meant to say was, does the open end of the filter point towards the carb, or down towards the fuel line. I know how the whole thing is assembled.

-Matt

 

Open End Towards Fuel Line-threaded Into Carb