dies at idle

[67barracuda]

Pulling out the car first time this year, it won't idle or stay running. I can feather the gas to keep it running, and two foot it in gear to move the car. Guessing it a carb problem? Where should I look or do?

 

[TrailBeast]

Pulling out the car first time this year, it won't idle or stay running. I can feather the gas to keep it running, and two foot it in gear to move the car. Guessing it a carb problem? Where should I look or do?

Run the idle screws in all the way gently and count the turns it takes to bottom them out.
Pull them out and shoot some WD or whatever in the open holes, and then hit both with compressed air.
Put the screws back in and again gently bottom them, and then back them out to the same amount of turns.

Sounds like the carb idle circuits are plugged up with crap from sitting, and most of the time this works to clear it.
The fluid type you use to spray in the holes doesn't matter that much, as it is only to give the air a bit of weight to carry the junk out.

 

[67barracuda]

Run the idle screws in all the way gently and count the turns it takes to bottom them out.
Pull them out and shoot some WD or whatever in the open holes, and then hit both with compressed air.
Put the screws back in and again gently bottom them, and then back them out to the same amount of turns.

Sounds like the carb idle circuits are plugged up with crap from sitting, and most of the time this works to clear it.
The fluid type you use to spray in the holes doesn't matter that much, as it is only to give the air a bit of weight to carry the junk out.

Thanks I’ll try that after I get car back. It just went into that shop to get my HDK coilover kit installed.

 

[67barracuda]

Thanks I’ll try that after I get car back. It just went into that shop to get my HDK coilover kit installed.

Run the idle screws in all the way gently and count the turns it takes to bottom them out.
Pull them out and shoot some WD or whatever in the open holes, and then hit both with compressed air.
Put the screws back in and again gently bottom them, and then back them out to the same amount of turns.

Sounds like the carb idle circuits are plugged up with crap from sitting, and most of the time this works to clear it.
The fluid type you use to spray in the holes doesn't matter that much, as it is only to give the air a bit of weight to carry the junk out.

Can I do this with carb on car or do I need to remove it? Read something about do the same but turning carb upside down when blowing it out.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Easy to do on the car
And easy on the air blasts; some of that air is gonna find it's way back into the floatbowl, so you don't want to damage anything in there. Just a couple of quick blasts and don't be looking down the carb bores,lol. Whatever liquid that you pump in there is gonna come straight out the top at high-speed!

 

[TrailBeast]

Can I do this with carb on car or do I need to remove it? Read something about do the same but turning carb upside down when blowing it out.

On the car is fine, and I have hit those jet holes with 80 lbs without any issues at all.
Just a quick 1/2 second blast should do it.

 

[rigger3006]

thanks for the idea, mines running crappy also, ran great 1st day, all down hill since then

 

[trapster]

Try putting a healthy dose of carb medic in the fuel bowl and run it, you may just have some build up on the jets.

 

[rigger3006]

thanks for the tip! running a little smoother for sure, a moment of panic when the one screw would only go halfway in,put air to it again and she worked

 

[floivanus]

Try putting a healthy dose of carb medic in the fuel bowl and run it, you may just have some build up on the jets.

I’m gonna have to disagree on any voodoo additives.

Just do as stated, remove the idle mixture screws, noting the setting, put your air nozzle in the screw holes, then find the idle air bleeds and do the same, couple quick blasts will do it 9/10 times.

I had to do it on my camaro, wife’s galaxie, kids barracuda and neighbors dart and old pickup truck after this years winter. Most likely the idle circuit is gunked up, blow it out and romp on it for a galf tank or so, fill with fresh gas and some stabil

 

[trapster]

Fixing the idle screws is one thing, but you need to clean the jets also, carb medic will help dissolve the residue left by old/bad gas. it is Not really voodoo. Dont expect it to make bad gas good again though, unless you like replacing push rods on stuck valves or worse.

 

[floivanus]

Fixing the idle screws is one thing, but you need to clean the jets also, carb medic will help dissolve the residue left by old/bad gas. it is Not really voodoo. Dont expect it to make bad gas good again though, unless you like replacing push rods on stuck valves or worse.

OP says he can two foot it to keep it running, car can run on the main jets if that is the case; most likely the culprit is some kind of minor obstruction in the idle circuit.

In the past 15 years I haven’t seen any kind of carb goop that works, the good stuff seems to be off the market, if a carb is gunked up bad enough to be getting some kind of mechanic in a can poured in it, it’s bad enough to get an actual cleaning.

 

[nm9stheham]

Dont expect it to make bad gas good again though, unless you like replacing push rods on stuck valves or worse.

The above is a word of warning to the OP. The gas is not likely bad enough yet to stick the valves but it can happen. I'd be siphoning out or draining the tank if it was not treated last fall/winter with Stabil or Seafoam and putting in fresh gas. Pulling and cleaning the tank is best as the alcohol has likely settled out and turned to gum and it will not dissolve easily once at that point.

 

[67barracuda]

Agree I have a new tank that getting a sump welded in and going wth electrical Holley 150 hp fuel pump.