HELP! Just got my 55' and a whole can o' worms!!

[DrivesLikeAMarshmallow]

ok, so a few weeks back i made my first post: http://www.teambuick.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10153

So im in michigan now and am having my share of trouble with the 55' special.... ok, so it started with the fuel filter getting utterly clogged about 40 miles out from getting the car and driving back to my mother-in-laws house about 2 hours from where i bought it. not a big issue unless your in the middle of nowhere with no tools or filters..

ok, so i got a filter a few days and tows later.... immedialty the next time i tried to drive it the master cylinder desided to take a big ol' dump on the at 50mph which caused me to almost pee my pants when i relized i had no breaks in a 4000lb vehicle, and oh ya, the parking break was out of ajustment... luckly, i think i might have found one of the only steep hills in that area, luckily with no traffic on it and rolled myself up to a stop.

so, a few more tows, days and a master cylinder later......

the damed thing wont stay running!! it was doing fine, purring even! no funny noises, no shakyness, no anything after i got that new filter on it... then right after the master cylinder, i was driving it just down the street a bit to a relitives house, and it started stalling after going normal cruzing speed when i hit the breaks for a stop sign... like maybe the throttle was clossing to quickly or the choke or something... but it stayed running yesterday if i started back up after a stall..

so today, i go out there thinking maybe like the book said: adjust the dashpot, so i go to start the car up and it wont stay running AT ALL now!!

it starts right up, but then stalls immediatly, no matter what temp, as soon as i take my foot off the gas. I have adjusted everything i can with a cheap tool kit, but i dont have access to a vaccum gauge, timming light or tach or anything, so i was trying to go by ear with most of it... i tryed the carb from one end to the other with the mixture, did all the throttle adjustments i could try, ect...... it just wont stay running...

and hteres a few side symptoms that may or may not be related: first off, when adjusting the muxture, if i dont have it in a very hair of a sweet spot i hear a noise that sounds like and exhaust manifold leak, but i cant identify the sorce because it wont stay running... and when i have it in drive and give it some gas, i hear what sounds like a vaccum leak that gets louder when i hit the gas, but i dosent do it in park or neutral...

now im thinking my vaccum pump might be bad because with the wipers on their speed is kindof erratic...but would it cause the problems im having or, dose it sound like the carb? or what?

any suggestions would be great!! i desided after these issues to ship the car back to colorado, but now if it wont stay running i have to pay an in-op fee to the shippers- in addition to an already high cost. plus, im leaving back to colorado in a week so i HAVE to get it to atleast stay running so it can drive onto the carrier truck before then

[SM_General]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I'm not great with engines but I have a few suggestions. The gas in the gas tank may be fouled up. Was it sitting at all before you got it. Try draining the tank and using fresh gas. Also make sure it has gas in it. This sounds stupid but the gas gauge in my 55 just started sticking one day and the engine would stall because it ran out of gas and I still thought it had a 1/4 tank. It worked fine then one day all of the sudden 1/4 tank means empty. Took me a day or two to figure out what it was. I'm sure you'll get some much better suggestions from some of the other guys who really know their stuff, but maybe this will help a little. Good luck, hope you get it running.

[DrivesLikeAMarshmallow]

ya, it did have bad gas when i got it 2 weeks ago.. plus junk in the tank, but i ran to almost empty then filled it up with premium and ran some carb cleaner stuff in the tank (could that cause these problems? never had trouble with it in any other car...) havnt been able to drop the tank yet, but plan too.... its wierd, if i put some pressure on the petal it runs fine, then i take my foot off, and stall.....

[SM_General]

Sounds like maybe it just needs a throttle adjustment but from your first post I'd guess you already thought of that. Sorry I can't be more help but I'm still learning about this stuff. There's some really smart people on this forum that I'm sure can help you though.

[chub chub]

I'm thinking it could be a clogged fuel line. If your fuel filter already got clogged once, it sounds like you have problems in your tank. Some debris or large chunks of rust may have gotten lodged in your fuel lines or where the lines meet the tank. This could cause the erratic fuel delivery. I would think the erratic wipers were a result of erratic fuel/vaccume, not the other way around. Is it so bad that you can't keep it running long enough to get it on the truck? Many of the drivers of the trucks are old car guys and will work with you. If you want the number of a guy who specializes in transporting old cars, let me know.

[shoprat]

chubchubs probably right. If you had a fuel pressure gauge you could check it nicely. Look for inline fuel filters which may have been added.

Could your "vacuum leak" be an exhaust leak.

[DrivesLikeAMarshmallow]

sure, ill take a number, se what he says atleast...

well, its a faily new problem, it didnt work up to this i mean.... yes it is so bad theyd have trouble getting it on the truck unless i could talk the guy into driving it with two feet, maybe that would work, but i kinda figure if i say that they might call it in-op as alot of the companies iv talked with so far see to want to charge for any reason they can...

no inline filters added and the filter on it still seems fine and new... i did try the throttle adjustment and just ended up back where i was... is there another way to increase the idle speed?

as for the vacum leak, it sounds like a kinda high pitched whistle... in my experiance when the ehaust leaks its more of a... i dont know, card in the spokes kinda sound... where could the exhaust leak that would sound like that and only in drive possisition?

thanks for the help so far!

[Tom Gallagher]

Sound like you have old gas that has been sitting quite a while that hasn't been stabilized.

Bad Fuel will foul up your system and play HAVOC.

Blocking up lines, filters and carb.

Regards,

Tom Gallagher

[DrivesLikeAMarshmallow]

ya, iv already been through about 10 gallons and have a full tank in it now... would that suddenly be an issue if it wasnt for the last 10? and what can i do about it short of taking everything off or apart and cleaning it and so on? i just need to get the darn thing to even limp long enough to get it shipped and then to the skills center in CO...

[Maikl]

Hi Driveslikewhatever,

sorry to hear about your problems - have some problems with adjusting my idle, too and I know how frustrating this must be.

What puzzles me about the condition as you describe it is that the engine runs when you put your foot on the accelerator, but does not when you play with the idle adjustment screw... (As basically, the idle adjustment screw does the same what the accelerator pedal does: Opening the throttle valves. It even uses the same lever for that.) I don't want to be rude or anything, but are you sure, you tried the correct screw ??? There are two types of srews involved for idle adjustment: Idle adjustment screw (one, located on the the same lever the accelerator pedal rod is connected to) and idle mixture srews (two, at the carb base).

As I assume you already tried all this, I would say your problem still is the debris, water and stuff from your tank that has accumulated inside your carb in the small passages of the idle system where it will not be washed out by the fresh gas and is at least partially blocking those passages... (Would explain the surprising occurance of the problems, too). I guess, you will have to disassemble the carb and clean it (do not start before having a gasket/rebuilding kit at hand!).

As for your current transportation problem, I suggest you proceed in the tradition of my forum-signature : Start and operate the engine from the engine compartment by moving the accelerator lever of the carb. Unhook the return-spring of the accelerator-rod and try to find the lever adjustment at which the engine is running. Then try to block lever (and throttle-valves) in this position (the accelerator pedal rod can be adjusted, with chance, you can shorten it enough by adjusting so that in idle position of the pedal, the throttle valves stay opened as you need them - don't forget to note initial position of adjustment screw for later re-adjustment of rod!) - should leave the engine running enough for a rough ride onto the trailer...

Best regards and good luck
Maikl Kindacool