I noticed this when driving home from school today and on the way to a friends house when I noticed my engine sputter and die. My first thought was that I was out of gas since the gauge isn't hooked up yet . Well I pull over and wait for my brother to bring me some gas while I was waiting i tried to start it up, it started but started sputtering really bad and had to rev it to keep it alive for say 3seconds. Well after I put a couple gallons in it I drove to the nearest gas station and put about 6 gallons in it. Well the car sat in the driveway for a couple of hours and then on the way home it started to sputter really bad, but wouldn't die like last time. The odd thing is that it will only sputter when I accelerate slowly, like coming out of a turn. When I accelerate a lot or not at all it's fine. To me and my dad it sounds like it could be the carb, but since we are body guys not mechanics I have some doubt and really need some help, since it is my daily driver and all. Much thanks appreciated to all of those that can or can't help, cause you guys are the best and I know you will know the problem right away. P.S. I checked the spark plugs, but weren't bad and I cleaned them off. If it is the carb that needs a rebuild, please post any links to rebuild kits that you may know of, Thanks
Check the ignition system first. Could be a bad plug wire or an arcing rotor inside a bad cap. I once had a cracked spark plug do that too. It still could be a carb problem but I would start with the ignition system.Oh and check vac lines(always a good practice)
I just had an ignition system do that to me from resistence. Replaced wires, cap and rotor, runs fine. Dan
I drove it around more, to work a couple of time, I replace the spark plugs, checked the dist cap and it looked like brand new, and it still does the same thing. The thing that gets me is that it all started right after I filled up at a BP gas station. I am really doubting that it could be the rotor. I haven't checked the vacume lines yet, but I will monday. I do however think that it is the carb, it just feels like a carb issue. Thanks for the comments and I will keep you updated on what happens. Oh and does anyone know of a good carb rebuild kit for my 250 in my 74. Thanks
where you live i know this has nothing to do with ur problem but i was born in bradenton thats wierd its a small world
problematic engine hey htr just thinking have you checked the coil for short maybe getting hot after driving for while and shorts out and engine not getting spark required to run right thats of course if runs right when cold.
Any rebuild kit will work for you carb... get one from Oreillys, Autozone, CarQuest, Advanced Auto, whatever you have there. There really isn't much to those carbs if it is a stock one. They are cheap rebuilds also.
It also may not be your vehicle at all. Could be a bad batch of gas from the BP station. Had that happen here once; a tanker truck had apparently gotten water in it before going to the service station thus contaminating many vehicles.
Replaced the fuel filter and still does it, the plug wires seem to be good, but spark plug #3 was bridged completely across, again, with carbon build-up and oil i think. I've driven all the gas out that I got from the bp so I doesn't seem like bad gas, or at least not anymore. I really doubt the carb is the problem now after using a lot of carb cleaner and listening to it, doesn't sound like its plugged or anything like that, but I;m not ruling that out as a possibility. The only other then that I can think of that the actual engine is so full of junk, probably from neglect of the previous owner and now that I'm driving it everyday I'm just now fealing the effects of that. I have put lots of treatments through this thing, such as seafoam, and nothing works. Hopefully I can find something pretty soon cause I can't afford it to run like this, since it's my daily driver. Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming Oh I wasn't born in Bradenton, but i moved here like 5yrs ago I think, but if you haven't been here in years you probably wouldn't evenn recognize it. Tons of construction, I wouldn't doubt it would grow to be like tampa in 10years.
I had the exact same thing happen twice to the 72', sputtering and just about dying if you barely push the gas pedal. But if you keep into it hard or let it coast it doesn't do it. I second the bad gas post. This only started happening after I came back from my grandparents up in north carolina where I got gas each time.
What i guess i'm asking is, if you drive around until it's about empty then fill it up, would it still run bad, or since this is good gas with a tiny amount of bad it would just not matter if the gas is bad or not and it should run better. Since the bad gas fill up I have put 7 gallons more in, then this week another 7gallons, well I guess this gives me a reason to drive wrecklessand waist as much gas as possible until it gets better . Just kidding. But seriously thanks for all the suggestions and help with the problem, hopefully it will go away soon, that way I can move on and start getting my car some nice parts.
There is also some fuel additive that will remove water. Not sure if they make it for unleaded, but they do for diesel. Check out your Autozone or PepBoys.
It's called Heet... it will remove water from gas. If you drove all that gas out of there, there should be very little water if any left.
Be careful with those fuel additives. Most contain methanol and if there is alcohol in your fuel it will make it separate and you will end up with the alcohol and water in the bottom of your tank and the gas floating on top of it. The car will not run on alcohol when it is set for gasoline. It sputters and tries to accellerate but just won't in a worste case situation. You may have to pull the tank and clean it out. If your fuel tank has a drain you can level the car and drain a bit into a glass jar and see what you have. If you are smart you can take a piece of 3/8" fuel line (metal) and push it into the tank until it hits the bottom. put a siphon on it and clear the stuff out of the bottom of the tank, The reason it works under hard acceleration is that the alcohol will move to the rear of the tank and the pickup is covered in gas.
