Poor idle

MoparDan

MoparDan

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Location
Daytona Beach, FL
I had to drive somewhere today about 20 miles one way, Cherry Bomb was fine, until I got back to Daytona as soon as I got to the first traffic light engines idling very weak to the point of almost stalling, I had to cash a check a couple of blocks away and every time I had to stop it did this, the fuel gauge was low so put $25. of non ethanol in, still was doing the same thing, but get home and roommate needs a ride shortly after, not that far away, and no improvement idle still weak and will stall if sitting long enough, acceleration is decent, so what's going on?
 
lean burn is gone?

checked for vacuum leaks? how are your spark plugs?
also check the vapor canister. i've had that thing shoot crap into the carburetor causing similar issues.
 
I meant to get on here the day after, problem seems to be fixed: we found a few things one of the springs somehow came off the carburetor, but more importantly we found the fuel line to the carb was bent, and all four bolts to the carburetor were loose, also one of the vacuum lines to the canister had a big hole in it, so new fuel line, tightened the bolts, put the spring back on the carb, replaced the vacuum line and changed the fuel filter since I had an extra one lying around and she was fine that day until night when the same issues with the idle happened again, that was the last time though, idles been fine since, hell I just drove about an hour to see a band, she was fine all the way here and hopefully will be fine on the way home
 
Got an update, she was fine until today, made a couple mile trip to give plasma filled out paperwork ECT everything took like two hours, Cherry Bomb fires up, I pull out and she stalls and would NOT start no matter what I tried, until I finally decide to pour what's left in the gas can in the trunk (a little bit at the bottom) in the carburetor and she fires up, revs high, I let run for a minute, hit the gas and got home while I could, she sputtered a few times as I got up to speed, but then felt fine got home, someone needs a ride after a few... Cherry Bomb starts right up and is fine, someone else needs a ride a little later and she's fine until we started going home, sputtering mildly on and of, what's going on?
 
The fuel pump was replaced three years ago, and I've driven less than 12k miles in that time. I'm pretty sure that replaced the original fuel pump so three years seems a little early to fail, of course the original starter lasted 30 years, and I've had to replace the starter three times since, so with they parts are built nowadays I'll believe anything. So it could be the fuel pump? I wondered about that because I took the fuel line to the carb off and it didn't seem like any fuel was in it, the last time the line clogged fuel poured out when I removed it
 
But if the pump was bad wouldn't the engine have died after the little gas I poured down the carb ran out? I had to do a short trip today and she was fine, just an occasional stumble after a stop, which has been happening on and off lately, she's been tougher to start the past few weeks especially mornings and after sitting a couple of hours
 
MoparDan said:
But if the pump was bad wouldn't the engine have died after the little gas I poured down the carb ran out? I had to do a short trip today and she was fine, just an occasional stumble after a stop, which has been happening on and off lately, she's been tougher to start the past few weeks especially mornings and after sitting a couple of hours
Click to expand...
when was the last time the carb was rebuilt?

my random guesses are choke vaccum pull off, fuel pump, floats, clogged fuel filter, accelerator pump

other guesses are cap and rotor or ignition coil.

these are just random guesses from some clown on the internet though
 
The carburetor was rebuilt April 18, 2019, almost 42k miles ago.

We replaced the fuel filter when we changed the carb fuel line so that's like a week ago.

The fuel pump is three years old and The Cherry Bomb has traveled almost 12k miles since

The cap and rotor are a few years old and on the list of things to replace.

I think the ignition coil is original.

Hey, random guesses are better than none at all
 
MoparDan said:
The carburetor was rebuilt April 18, 2019, almost 42k miles ago.

We replaced the fuel filter when we changed the carb fuel line so that's like a week ago.

The fuel pump is three years old and The Cherry Bomb has traveled almost 12k miles since

The cap and rotor are a few years old and on the list of things to replace.

I think the ignition coil is original.

Hey, random guesses are better than none at all
Click to expand...
Try changing the coil.

This is the coil I'm running now

The price really went up since I bought mine a few years ago
 
MoparDan said:
fuel filter
Click to expand...
There is a filter in the fuel tank at the end of the sending unit. I had to replace the one in my '88 Diplomat (along with the rusty and leaking fuel tank).
sending-unit.jpg
 
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