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will not idle [message #280696] Thu, 25 June 2015 10:28 Go to previous message
pzerkel is currently offline  pzerkel   United States
Messages: 212
Registered: September 2007
Location: Salisbury, IL
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In the never-ending saga of "one thing leads to another" (see "belts - size vs. quality" thread)...

So after finding a belt that fits and installing it I noticed one of the water hoses was rubbing against the belt. I zip tied it out of the way, and that put enough a bend in one of the lines attaches to the "T" that one of the hoses is starting to kink. My understanding is that I can fix that by getting some "kink resistant hose". It is a hose about 11" long coming from the intake manifold running to a "T" near the a/c compressor.

I took the zip tie out and tried to situate things so that the hose was not rubbing the belt and the other hose was not kinked. I could just get it, but would never trust it to stay put driving down the road. The hoses need to be supported somehow IMO.

So I tried to start it. It would start, but would not idle at all. It just kept sputtering and would die after a few seconds. I could keep it running if I kept my foot in it though. Honestly it has never idled well, but usually better than this (esp after it runs for a few minutes).

I kind of knew that I had carburetor issues, but as long as it ran and drove, I did not want to "fix" it. Anyway now, I cannot keep it running (at idle anyway). So I started looking around the carburetor. I found two lines unconnected. Based on where the other ends were, I suspect one was supposed to be connected to a port on the passenger side valve cover, and the other was probably to the charcoal canister. I hooked up the one to the valve cover, I need to get under it to reach the charcoal canister.

I also took this oppurtunity to figure out what the ID code is on my Quadrajet. It is 17058254. This is interesting to me because I have a 1978, but it has a 455. My research indicates that 17058254 was a "GMC MH" carburetor (but for a 1978 403). So I suspect that whichever PO installed the 455, just took the carburetor off the old 403, and bolted it up to the 455?

Also, worth noting is that this engine has an Edelbrock intake manifold.

I am pretty sure my choke has never really worked right since I had the coach. So after trying to educate myself some from the manuals and googling "Quadrajet choke". It appears to me that what used to be the heat tube going from the manifold to the chock has been cut, crimped (mostly) closed and just sort of sitting there attached only to the carburetor.

Can anyone tell me if the Edelbrock intake even has a place to attach the heat tube to? If not, what other options do I have?

I am starting to wonder if it is time to think about getting the carb rebuilt (I would likely send it one of the Jim's or DIck Patterson). But even if I do that, I think I have other issues with vacuum lines and choke tubes that need to get solved also. If I do send the carb out, what kind of issues is it going to cause being the 17858254 was from a 403 and is now on a 455?

I guess I will start with the kinked water hose, re-attaching the line to the charcoal canister. If that it gets it to idleing better, I will probably continue with troubleshooting the a/c. But whether that gets it idling okay or not, I think I need to decide what further steps I should take re the carburetor.

Oh and all this looking around, I am realizing just how ugly hoses and wires are routed. Most of the spark plug wires are just dangling (some dangerously close to the exhaust manifold IMO). I guess one just works on these things one item at a time.

I think I should change my sig to "not a car guy, but trying not to be a car idiot"










Paul Zerkel
'78 Eleganza II
Salisbury IL (near Springfield)
 
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