Running Crappy

Took the car out for a drive today. Hadn't been started for about 3 wks. After letting it get to operating temp, drove off. Seems like the longer I drove, the engine got worse at trying to idle, like a vacuum hose was off or something. Barely made it home, let it cool checked all wires/hoses and couldn't see anything wrong. The only thing I did prior to driving off was just screw the idle down just a smidget. Strange, always ran fine in the past. Engine: 1985 5.0 HO

 

Did you try to screw the idle back up a smidget?

Any chance something got damp?

 

Gonna screw it back tomorrow. Had too many this evening. Also gonna check every thing else out, plugs, wires, cap, etc., Thanks for the input

 

What form of ignition are you running (points or electronic)? Is it carbed or EFI ?

 

Duraspark/Edelbrock 600

 

I would also check your fuel filter, could have something gummed up in it.

Mechanical or electric fuel pump?

 

Could be something wrong with the ignition, but in this case my money's on the carb as the culprit.

 

Sounds like the crappy gas syndrome! As the fuel evaporates it leaves a thin film that can clog the ports in your carb. I'd get some "seafoam" or other such cleaner that you add to your fuel. This should help dissolve the crud and let it pass through the system. This is becoming a big problem,now that we are getting stuck with alcohol added into our gas! All it does is absorb water and leave a shellac like film when it dries out! Our government working for us again!:deadhorse

 

Does look like a dirty carb. Took it out again after checking it over and spraying what I could with carb cleaner and it still bogs pretty bad on acceleration. Gonna go for the rebuild, and I hate rebuilds

 

I hear that, I've never rebuilt so many garden tractor mower carbs before, recently in the past year they have got gunked up bad and I never run stale/old gas through any of my tractors

 

The gunked up is a direct result of the government's mandating the use of Ethanol in all MAJOR branded gasolines. I say "major branded" because the off branded gasolines aren't required to blend Ethanol with their gas. Some do, some don't. The ethanol in the fuel is "hygroscopic", which means it readily absorbs moisture, it's the moisture absorbed that causes the corrosion. The ethanol attcks certain types of gaskets and seals. The bulk plant I work for only sells non ethanol blended convertional gas. I don't pick it on the screen at the refinery we load it, so I know what we're getting.