My first post and it's a doozy

[5thtimesthecharm]

Hello all,
I hate for my first post to be like this, but here we go. I'll start off with a little background.

I don't work in winter, no heated garage haha.
I got this big betsy 89 fifth ave for the low low price of $1500 3 maybe 4 years ago now.
To be clear, it is in my name HOWEVER it IS NOT ON THE ROAD, so I cannot test drive it any further than my drive way. I have driven it down the road to a local business (maybe 200 meters away) and turned around there. But I cannot do a highway drive or anything. I apologize as I know that will make any testing or diagnosis difficult.

Has roughly 630000 on the dial but let's be real it's probably been rolled over.
It was stored outside in the home of the squirrels for roughly 15 years.
My first year with it, was spent removing all inoperable and broken parts in the engine bay that I could find-
Smog pump and bracket gone
Charcoal canister gone
Alternator replaced
AC removed, replaced with pulley from a non ac 318
Voltage regulator replaced
Belts replaced
Air filter and spark plugs new
New battery
Oil/filter change

This led to the entire fuel system being redone
Dropped the tank, rusted to the point of falling apart at a glance, and a hole in the trunk I suppose from the evaporating gas
So hole patched then,
New tank
New sending unit
New lines ran
New filter
Only to realize the ignition didn't work(something wrong with key tumblers)so had to replace that as well.

Now last year unfortunately I was working a lot, and this car being stored at my father's means I only get a day a week if that to work on it, so I did not get far.

However brake lines ran and replaced
Calipers
Front and rear pads and hardware all replaced
All 4 tires replaced

This year however, this year I had time. And so
I started it, and drove it out of the garage. It ran like crap, but what do you expect after sitting that long so with it outside, started working again.

Front and rear shocks replaced(monroes)
New wires(Taylor's)
New cap(standard)
New rotor(standard)
Vac lines replaced
Carb rebuilt twice(Holley 6280)
New coil (bluestreak)
Old inoperable radio that wasn't original or even wired properly removed and replaced with a pioneer I had laying around
Those side lights in the rear doors, replaced with LEDs.
All fuses and flasher replaced
Fuel gauge wasn't working, fixed that
EGR valve cleaned
Rad hoses all replaced
Old coolant all flushed out, but have to still cycle to get the new stuff in.

I should also mention that the metal line going down to the 3rd cat was rotted off of both ends, and I had no idea where it was meant to go, besides the cat of course. So I just pulled it and tossed it. The cat leaks exhaust from the hole it left but I have a pipe to replace that cat.
The metal line for the air pump however is still fully intact, not capped off, just sitting in the engine bay.

So to sum up, all primary fuel delivery, ignition, electrical and spark components have been replaced entirely, and tested good.
And they replaced ALL ORIGINAL PARTS, Mopar wires, rotor, coil ect all original, honestly amazed lol
Carb was dunked and rebuilt the first time, then I tore it apart again to double check everything when car ran terrible afterwards, but all is in spec.
It is the Holley 6280 feedback model
Cyl compression all around is good
All rubber vac lines replaced, at least all the ones I can see or all the ones I felt could cause issues.
Oh and all unused ports on the carb EXCEPT the bowl vent have been blocked off.


The only thing I have been unable to check is timing and vacuum, I don't have the tools. But I'll be buying both a timing light and vac gauge next pay.

Now here is the problem, even after everything that had been done, it still runs like crap. If it runs.
To be fair, it does start up and run a lot better than when it was first started mind you.

Not sure where to start with this but here goes.

So on a fully cold, sat overnight start.
It will start and run like an absolute champ, high idle seems to be fine, maybe a little high but no problems for the minute or two it takes to drop off high idle.
Once it does, it will seem to idle fine, might have a small hiccup here and there but honestly I've been blaming those tiny hiccups on how long it sat before I got my grubby hands on her. But again all seems fine.

But then 30 seconds to a minute later, it acts as if it drops off high idle again, and rpms go even lower.
This is the point where it starts to shudder, shake and act like it's going to stall and it probably will stall unless you give it a shot.
If I give it a shot it will come back no problem, but continues to idle at that very low rpm. These cars don't have a tach so I can't say for sure how low.
I bought a tach gauge to determine that but havnt had a chance to install yet. If I had to guess, I would say it's idling around 600rpm maybe even lower "scary" though 630rpm is what it's supposed to be at?
I also noticed there is a...idk winding sound? At that low rpm mark. I'm not sure what to call it but I only hear it once it drops low. Sounds like maybe coil wine.
Oh and when it is at high idle or that mid idle, the voltage gauge seems fine, once it drops to that low idle state the gauge starts fluctuating. Gauge doesn't have numbers of course but if I had to guess it goes up and down 1-2 volts. Give it a shot of gas and the gauge stabalizes for a few seconds till it drops back down to that low idle.

Now, if you drop it in gear it does not stall, it shudders a small amount but stays running. All gears act roughly the same.
R and D back and fourth in the driveway it surges a small amount both ways as soon as it is fed any gas.

Took it for a very short drive, 200 meters or less both ways.
The entire time it was surging/lacking power it did not stall however, and that was with my mechanic friend and other friend in the car, so it was pushing about 800 pounds with the 3 of us.

I tried pulling the green pin of the feedback solenoid out, and car acts no different with or without that connected.

I'm a driveway mechanic, I've done a lot. Never gone as far as rebuilding an engine yet. Valve cover replacement at best. But I'm at my wits end. Mostly just frustrated at this point lol
Mechanic friend is not familiar with the fuel control computer system, so he is saying that might very well be the problem. He is a cheby/GMC/Pontiac guy(owns a 76 trans am that he fully rebuilt)
His timing light got ran over, only reason we haven't checked that yet.
I think it's the feedback solenoid not reading right so the computer isn't giving it the fuel it needs, or the computer just not giving the fuel it needs in general.
If we spray intake clean while it's running like crap it does rev a little higher but then settles right back down.
Belts are tight, and I hear no obvious vac leak screaming sound lol

Again sorry for this being so long, hopefully some have some ideas of areas to check lol
I've also most definitely forgotten some stuff we have tried, I'll let yas know if they come up
Cheers

 

[Mikes5thAve]

Running great at faster speed sounds like idle is set too low or possibly other carb adjustments. You should also try spraying starting fluid around the base of the carb and where the intake meets the heads to see if there's a leak anywhere. If there is it'll speed up.

It probably surges in gear because of the low idle. That's also causing the voltage problem altho the dash guage for that can't be trusted. Alternators need so much rpm to work.

The line to the back of the manifolds and cat is no longer needed with no air pump.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Running great at faster speed sounds like idle is set too low or possibly other carb adjustments. You should also try spraying starting fluid around the base of the carb and where the intake meets the heads to see if there's a leak anywhere. If there is it'll speed up.

It probably surges in gear because of the low idle. That's also causing the voltage problem altho the dash guage for that can't be trusted. Alternators need so much rpm to work.

The line to the back of the manifolds and cat is no longer needed with no air pump.

Carb I can confirm no leaks, already sprayed fluid all around the top and side, no difference unless I sprayed right in the neck.

As for adjustments it's the 6280 so not a lot of adjustments can be made, I did check all adjustments I was aware of (I'll attach a pic) however and everything except the floats were still at factory spec. I adjusted the floats back to factory. The second time the carb was opened I checked them all again and nothing had changed, all in spec.
I didn't think to spray around the heads though, good call. I'll check that next day it isn't raining.

That's also good to know, I figured it was because of the idle as well. But figured I should mention it

 

[Aspen500]

Have you tried adjusting the idle speed screw and idle mixture screws? Just asking. Also, how old is the gas in the tank?

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Have you tried adjusting the idle speed screw and idle mixture screws? Just asking. Also, how old is the gas in the tank?

There is only one screw on my carb, from my understanding it's for the high idle. I did play with it a bit over multiple starts. Honestly I didn't notice any difference in the symptoms. But once it's warmed up the car doesn't start in high idle anyways so it goes straight to the low idle.

As for gas, the oldest in there is from last year, stabilizer and seafoam put in every winter.
Put another 25litres in last week
So far used 89 octane

 

[AHBguru]

You've definitely removed too much stuff.

The canister holds the vapors from the carb. That's all it does, never a reason to remove it unless it needed replacing. It doesn't affect power or drivability.

The air pump and its plumbing could be dispensed with, but you have to remove it all, and cap the open ends at the cat and back of the heads.

The EGR reduces spark-knock, and allows the computer to add more timing (which means more power and better fuel economy). On these cars, it's run from the pair of solenoids on the firewall. If you circumvent that system, you can cobble up a new vacuum routing by adding a tee into the bottom hose of the CCVS. But it does need vacuum to work.

The carb: what a mess you gave going there. I'll start with the adjustments.
- First, realize that Chrysler used to tune everything very lean. That works fine if everything is in place, functional, and adjusted properly. Typically, even with the newer feedback carbs, the biggest problem is almost always the choke. Test the choke vacuum kick (see if it holds vscuum). Replace as necessary. Next, with the car fully warmed up, there should be no play at the choke - it should be wide open, vertical, and should not move under throttle changes. If it does, the choke thermostat is shot. Replace it.
- Next, even the feedback carbs have a fast idle screw and a curb idle screw. The fast idle screw you've already found. The curb idle screw is inside the idle stop solenoid. Remove the external screw, and you'll find an allen-head screw that controls curb idle. Set it to spec with the engine warm and the choke fully open. Should be 625-650 RPM. Next, reinstall the spring-loaded idle step-up screw. You adjust that by turning on the A/C or rear defrost, and set the screw so the idle bumps up to 750 RPM. If it doesn't work, you'll have to check for power at the solenoid with the A/C or rear defrost on. If there's no power to the solenoid under those conditions, the engine computer is bad. Replacements are available and affordable at RockAuto.
- Finally, find the vacuum diagram, and hook the hoses back up that you took off. There's no good reason to remove any of them, and that's very likely why it won't run right. You don't gain performance or drivability by tearing stuff out. It's designed to work as a system.

Next, the coil. You need to find the correct coil for that car, as Lean Burn coils were different than regular/aftermarket coils meant to be used with a ballast resistor. I had a helluva time over that once, with a modified Diplomat. The situation was reversed (I was using original lean burn coil with an aftermarket ignition), and it kept eating coils on me.

Ignition: definitely get an adjustable timing light. The procedure is a bit convoluted to check and set the timing, but you can find out an awful lot about the car's mechanical condition once you get one and learn how to use it. Basically, you plug the vacuum line to the computer, and isolate the idle solenoid from its contact point. Start her up, double check your idle speed(s), and see where she is. If it bounces around, it's a problem in the distributor. If it floats around, probably a bad harmonic balancer or sloppy timing chain. If that's all reasonably OK, set the base timing for 7-9° BTDC. Tighten the distributor back down, then remove all the timing stuff and whatever hoses were disconnected.
- Next we'll test the computer. With everything situated properly, you'll reconnect the timing light, but do not unhook anything. With the timing light hooked up, we'll check timing advance first. Rev the engine gently to around 2500-3000 RPM, and hold it there for at least 30 seconds. Check to see if the total timing advances beyond, say, 36-40° BTDC. If so, good. You're done. If not, we'll test the idle control solenoid. With the timing light still hooked up, turn on the A/C or rear defrost. The timing should bump up to the 750 RPM you set it at earlier. If not, check for power at the solenoid. If no power, the computer is bad. It is far cheaper and easier, and makes the car much more reliable, to replace the computer. It costs a lot of money to replace both the carb and the ignition system, and you gain absolutely nothing in power or fuel economy. Some may argue that point, but unless you're converting it to a top-fuel dragster, there is no power in ignition.

Let us know how things progress.

 

[Justwondering]

AHBguru​

That was an excellent response. 50 points!

JW

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

You've definitely removed too much stuff.

The canister holds the vapors from the carb. That's all it does, never a reason to remove it unless it needed replacing. It doesn't affect power or drivability.

The air pump and its plumbing could be dispensed with, but you have to remove it all, and cap the open ends at the cat and back of the heads.

The EGR reduces spark-knock, and allows the computer to add more timing (which means more power and better fuel economy). On these cars, it's run from the pair of solenoids on the firewall. If you circumvent that system, you can cobble up a new vacuum routing by adding a tee into the bottom hose of the CCVS. But it does need vacuum to work.

The carb: what a mess you gave going there. I'll start with the adjustments.
- First, realize that Chrysler used to tune everything very lean. That works fine if everything is in place, functional, and adjusted properly. Typically, even with the newer feedback carbs, the biggest problem is almost always the choke. Test the choke vacuum kick (see if it holds vscuum). Replace as necessary. Next, with the car fully warmed up, there should be no play at the choke - it should be wide open, vertical, and should not move under throttle changes. If it does, the choke thermostat is shot. Replace it.
- Next, even the feedback carbs have a fast idle screw and a curb idle screw. The fast idle screw you've already found. The curb idle screw is inside the idle stop solenoid. Remove the external screw, and you'll find an allen-head screw that controls curb idle. Set it to spec with the engine warm and the choke fully open. Should be 625-650 RPM. Next, reinstall the spring-loaded idle step-up screw. You adjust that by turning on the A/C or rear defrost, and set the screw so the idle bumps up to 750 RPM. If it doesn't work, you'll have to check for power at the solenoid with the A/C or rear defrost on. If there's no power to the solenoid under those conditions, the engine computer is bad. Replacements are available and affordable at RockAuto.
- Finally, find the vacuum diagram, and hook the hoses back up that you took off. There's no good reason to remove any of them, and that's very likely why it won't run right. You don't gain performance or drivability by tearing stuff out. It's designed to work as a system.

Next, the coil. You need to find the correct coil for that car, as Lean Burn coils were different than regular/aftermarket coils meant to be used with a ballast resistor. I had a helluva time over that once, with a modified Diplomat. The situation was reversed (I was using original lean burn coil with an aftermarket ignition), and it kept eating coils on me.

Ignition: definitely get an adjustable timing light. The procedure is a bit convoluted to check and set the timing, but you can find out an awful lot about the car's mechanical condition once you get one and learn how to use it. Basically, you plug the vacuum line to the computer, and isolate the idle solenoid from its contact point. Start her up, double check your idle speed(s), and see where she is. If it bounces around, it's a problem in the distributor. If it floats around, probably a bad harmonic balancer or sloppy timing chain. If that's all reasonably OK, set the base timing for 7-9° BTDC. Tighten the distributor back down, then remove all the timing stuff and whatever hoses were disconnected.
- Next we'll test the computer. With everything situated properly, you'll reconnect the timing light, but do not unhook anything. With the timing light hooked up, we'll check timing advance first. Rev the engine gently to around 2500-3000 RPM, and hold it there for at least 30 seconds. Check to see if the total timing advances beyond, say, 36-40° BTDC. If so, good. You're done. If not, we'll test the idle control solenoid. With the timing light still hooked up, turn on the A/C or rear defrost. The timing should bump up to the 750 RPM you set it at earlier. If not, check for power at the solenoid. If no power, the computer is bad. It is far cheaper and easier, and makes the car much more reliable, to replace the computer. It costs a lot of money to replace both the carb and the ignition system, and you gain absolutely nothing in power or fuel economy. Some may argue that point, but unless you're converting it to a top-fuel dragster, there is no power in ignition.

Let us know how things progress.

Well, that's a lot.
Ok, let me clarify, and ask a few things here.

The connections to the charcoal canister were dry rotted off, that's why the lines were all removed, air pump was completely seized, rubber line connected to it hanging on by a thread. You should have seen it, most of the rubber vac lines in the thing were ready to disintegrate. Only one I felt was actually usable was the breather cap rubber.
Same reason the picture shows a non original coolant overflow, the plastic cracked where it was held in so I just bought a cheap Amazon unit to replace it with.
I think I got everything but I can go over the connections and the vac diagram and cap off anything else that may have been rotted off or removed.
The EGR was not removed, I only took it off and cleaned it, it does have vacuum, and rpm will change a a little bit with the vac line on/off.

The coil that I replaced with was a bluestreak UC16, is that coil ok? It says 12v and "for electronic ignition" directly on it, based on the amount of things the computer controls I was under the assumption that would be fine, but willing to accept my ignorance if not.

I tested the choke by just removing the hose, pushing the kick in and holding my finger over the nipple, it did not budge for over 10 seconds so I let it go. Is that enough of a test or should there be something else to check for?

The thermostat I was not sure how to test, it is free, but does feel....loose? I guess that is the word. Moves very freely back and fourth when not connected to choke. Should it be stiffer?

Oh and as mentioned I do have a piece of exhaust pipe to replace that 3rd cat with the hole in it. Needs to be plugged for when it goes for safety anyhow.

So I will likely have to install the tach gauge to get an accurate rpm readout, no problem there.

And no I'm certainly not making a monster drag car, that said I do intend to put SOME money into it, once it is actually safetied and on road. 300hp would be the absolute max in my mind, juuuust enough to scare the civics away.

 

[AHBguru]

Well, that's a lot.
Ok, let me clarify, and ask a few things here.

The connections to the charcoal canister were dry rotted off, that's why the lines were all removed, air pump was completely seized, rubber line connected to it hanging on by a thread. You should have seen it, most of the rubber vac lines in the thing were ready to disintegrate. Only one I felt was actually usable was the breather cap rubber.
Same reason the picture shows a non original coolant overflow, the plastic cracked where it was held in so I just bought a cheap Amazon unit to replace it with.
I think I got everything but I can go over the connections and the vac diagram and cap off anything else that may have been rotted off or removed.
The EGR was not removed, I only took it off and cleaned it, it does have vacuum, and rpm will change a a little bit with the vac line on/off.

The coil that I replaced with was a bluestreak UC16, is that coil ok? It says 12v and "for electronic ignition" directly on it, based on the amount of things the computer controls I was under the assumption that would be fine, but willing to accept my ignorance if not.

I tested the choke by just removing the hose, pushing the kick in and holding my finger over the nipple, it did not budge for over 10 seconds so I let it go. Is that enough of a test or should there be something else to check for?

The thermostat I was not sure how to test, it is free, but does feel....loose? I guess that is the word. Moves very freely back and fourth when not connected to choke. Should it be stiffer?

Oh and as mentioned I do have a piece of exhaust pipe to replace that 3rd cat with the hole in it. Needs to be plugged for when it goes for safety anyhow.

So I will likely have to install the tach gauge to get an accurate rpm readout, no problem there.

And no I'm certainly not making a monster drag car, that said I do intend to put SOME money into it, once it is actually safetied and on road. 300hp would be the absolute max in my mind, juuuust enough to scare the civics away.

Get replacement vacuum hoses, and hook it all back up. It will never run correctly otherwise. For sure, you'll need hose for the canister, EGR, computer transducer, PCV system, and the CCVS.

Wrong coil. Electronic ignition uses a ballast resistor. You have Electronic Spark Control and Electronic Fuel Control (Lean Burn). After 1979, Lean Burn did not use a ballast resistor. You can just look one up from Napa or RockAuto. Be sure to determine whether it mounts vertically or horizontally.

Choke vacuum kick is good, that's the way I always test it.

Choke thermostat, has to be connected to Choke with a little Jesus clip. Once you do that, you test it when it's fully warmed up. Just goose it a few times and see if the choke plate moves. If it does, junk.

Regarding power, find a good 360 Magnum and drop it in there. Don't waste one red cent on a 318. You'll always be money ahead with a 360. Just make sure to beef up the suspension to match the 360's torque.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Get replacement vacuum hoses, and hook it all back up. It will never run correctly otherwise. For sure, you'll need hose for the canister, EGR, computer transducer, PCV system, and the CCVS.

Wrong coil. Electronic ignition uses a ballast resistor. You have Electronic Spark Control and Electronic Fuel Control (Lean Burn). After 1979, Lean Burn did not use a ballast resistor. You can just look one up from Napa or RockAuto. Be sure to determine whether it mounts vertically or horizontally.

Choke vacuum kick is good, that's the way I always test it.

Choke thermostat, has to be connected to Choke with a little Jesus clip. Once you do that, you test it when it's fully warmed up. Just goose it a few times and see if the choke plate moves. If it does, junk.

Regarding power, find a good 360 Magnum and drop it in there. Don't waste one red cent on a 318. You'll always be money ahead with a 360. Just make sure to beef up the suspension to match the 360's torque.

I will need to find a new canister then, i see there are none on rock auto so that may be an interesting thing to find.
I never removed the pcv line, I got a new pcv valve and replaced the line for it. I would never remove that, learned from experience not to. Transducer has a new line as of this past weekend.

And welp that would explain part of the issue. I can grab a new coil tommorow hopefully. I got the bluestreak one from rockauto. They have a few offerings, bluestreak being in the "premium" category.


That said I'm somewhat confused, it was my understanding that while it doesn't have an external ballast resistor, that the computer has an internal circuit that acts as one, or at least performs the same function...hence my logic of get the electronic ignition coil.
So Chrysler had the lean burn/spark control, old points, and electronic. They really wanted to make it confusing huh.

 

[Aspen500]

One thing I noticed. You said there's vacuum to the EGR valve at idle(?) There should be none at closed throttle. If the valve is opening slightly at closed throttle, the idle will be rough and erratic.

Only a thought here. If the valve is opening too far at low cruise speeds, it can cause a surge. A weak or broken spring in the EGR valve is the most likely cause. When you get to that point, try disconnecting the valve and do a test drive.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Well I just went to every parts store in town, the only coils that they could get in were the same bluestreak one I have and the lower grade standard option. Both 3 days away at minimum. To top it off id be looking at 80$ at nappa, that's insane lol
The other two parts stores weren't much better

Rockauto it is. Just for confirmation,

NGK 48775-Will this one work?
Or united motor products c838

 

[AHBguru]

Well I just went to every parts store in town, the only coils that they could get in were the same bluestreak one I have and the lower grade standard option. Both 3 days away at minimum. To top it off id be looking at 80$ at nappa, that's insane lol
The other two parts stores weren't much better

Rockauto it is. Just for confirmation,

NGK 48775-Will this one work?
Or united motor products c838

Either coil is fine. If memory serves, there's a difference in ohms. I don't recall the exact details with thst.

Regarding EGR - my little trick was to splice a tee into the bottom hose of the CCVS (front left in the intake). That way the EGR only gets vacuum when the CCVS switch opens (at operating temps). One of the easiest mods you can make, it simplifies that part of the system and works exactly the same way. You could replace the EGR valve with an aftermarket replacement, they usually come with a little bag if washers. I used to play around with those washers to see if a little more or less EGR would do anything.

One final thought: on the 2bbl cars in particular, the heat crossover passage in the intake can become plugged with carbon and gunk. That can really mess up the choke, as the choke thermostat works off the heat generated from that passage. If you replace that part, and then it seems like the choke won't come off in a reasonable amount if time, you may have to pull the intake and give it the roto-rooter treatment.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

If the heat riser valve on the passenger exhaust manifold no longer works That can also cause issues and had an effect on my 88.
From the sound of it your choke is getting heat and working but once you're at that point a few minutes in where it can't maintain a proper idle make sure it's fully open.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

So unfortunately it is on and off storming here. So I won't be doing much today.
I did stop by to swap the original coil back in for now.
I also took pictures of the emission/vac lines how they currently are connected, also the original coil. And apologies for the terrible angles.

Ignore the bright green wire, tac signal wire. Still not sure where I should hook up the ignition wire and it started down pouring again so I just shut the hood for the day.

 

[AHBguru]

The red hose I don't think will work. Vacuum hose is black rubber. This stuff will simply collapse under vacuum.

On the EGR solenoid, there should be an air bleed on each one, and I don't recall how that's situated, but the vacuum diagram should explain it. Or just reroute the hose in the manner I explained previously, and you can eliminate that part of the system. The computer won't see it, nor will it care. It only tells things what to do. The only real feedback is from the 02 sensor, air charge switch (right rear of intake), and the idle solenoid. You could actually run a non-feedback carb, and keep the computer to run the ignition. Fuel economy would suffer, of course. However, because the sensor data runs through the ignition side, you would not be able to run just the feedback carb without the Electronic Spark Control side.

When Lean Burn was first developed, it was always an ignition control system. The feedback Electronic Fuel Control side was added to it when the computers went digital in 1980. So everything runs through the ignition side, the computer then determines what the timing advance will be, what the duty Control solenoid on the carb will do, and the idle control solenoid "step-up" function. But it doesn't have any self-diagnostic capabilities.

Mooving along, you can remove the vacuum delay valve inline with the hose to the computer. That's a weird little gizmo they began using in the 70's that delays vacuum advance. $hitcan it.

You'd have to look up the wiring diagram for the coil. It's been many years since I've messed with one. Just know that it needs to be mounted vertically down under the washer bottle where it previously resided. Or some other place. Don't mount it horizontally, or you'll fry it.

Carb looks good.

 

[Aspen500]

I think you asked where to attach the tach signal wire (the green one). It goes to the negative terminal on the coil.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

I think you asked where to attach the tach signal wire (the green one). It goes to the negative terminal on the coil.

Thanks Aspen but no, the red 12v ignition wire is the one im not sure about. If I were installing IN the car I would be fine, but since I'm temporarily installing in the engine bay I'm not sure.
The green wire is already attached to the - side of coil.

I THINK I can use the pink wire running to the LB computer, I havnt gotten to checking that one yet but fairly certain it's a switched wire..

It's another rainy day today so I'm just holding off till the weather gets better, allegedly tommorow. I do have an appointment tomorrow but I'm sure it won't take too long.

 

[AHBguru]

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

So I got out to it for a few hours today, I did some checking and playing around.
Choke Thermostat kept it wide open when warmed up, so that's good at least.

Also sprayed the heads with starting fluid, no idle changes that I could hear and nothing happened on the tac.

I attempted to go ahead and set the idle, now for the most part I could, fast idle is set....seemingly. I started and stopped it a few times after setting because I was getting a LOT of smoke from under the car, a lot coming from that hole in the cat. Just a lot of gunk burning off, still didn't want to scare the elderly neighbors lol.

But the interesting part, is that during setting the curb idle, if I went too far in or backed off too much with the Allan key, I would watch my tach drop to zero, or very near it, roughly 200 at best. Ok watch and see what it does, sometimes it would come back, sometimes it wouldn't if I just left it to sit at that low idle.

Also if I was able to get it to sit pretty at the 650 mark, if I turned on the rear defrost it would drop and start rpms back and fourth between 500-1200 again. If I set it higher with rear defrost on, then turned it off, it would drop low and do the same.

So I figured I would try what AHB originally said, to plug the vac line to the transducer and block the contact point of the idle solenoid.

Whaddya know, the car acted wonky as soon as I started it up, and the tach was jumping back and fourth between roughly 500-1200

So I'm guessing I have a distributor issue then?

Also I am (supposed to be) going to a boneyard tommorow, I think I'll see if I can find a non feedback carb anyways just to have. But anything else y'all think I should grab, I'll try to. I know for sure they have one 5th sitting there, normal non police model. Hopefully it isn't already picked apart, lots of other Mopar models though, I think I have a picture or two.