AnilNarine

Hello everyone, I feel honored to join the c3 forum. I've been wanting a vette ever since I can remember and Yesterday I finally bought one.

Here is where I need some help. I was driving on the freeway, everything was fine when I suddenly lost power. I tried stepping on the gas but there was no response. I was able to shift it from 4 to neutral, pop it back in 4 and it would turn on but then it finally shut off on me and I had to pull over. When I started the car back it was idling really rough until I gave it a lot of gas(revving it) and then it stopped and went back to normal. It did this a couple times while on my way home. I would just get out every time the car stopped let it sit and then start it let it idle and then continue to drive it. I was able to make it home with the car with no mechanical issues other then that. I am just trying to figure out what the problem is.

When I opened the hood I noticed my radiator overflow cap to to the Reasavour (didnt spell it right excuse my spelling) of the coolant was broken. Could this cause the motor to stall or could it be a carburetor issue? Has this happened to anyone?

Sorry if I sound like a newb but its the first time I've ever worked on a 350.

Car is a small block 350

Go-Gone

Sounds to me like a vapor lock issue. You mentioned some issues with the cooling did it get hot. I think the fuel is getting hot and boiling causing your cutting off issues. It cools off some and then goes back to working correctly.

AnilNarine

It never over heated. The coolant in the radiator was fine. It was the resivore that cap has broken off leaving it exposed. I am assuming that could be the cause but not sure. I have ordered the replacement cap just waiting for it in the mail.

How can I test the vapor lock issue?

mchar

I agree fuel delivery issue. Filter clogged?
Pump working?
If you look into the carb and give it throttle,
does gas squirt into primaries of the carb?

Reasavour resivore Reservoir think reserve

F22

It sounds to me, like you need a quick education in working on these cars. They can be tough to work on as well. I highly suggest ordering from either Amazon or Ebay, the "Readers Digest Complete Car Care Manual". If you're a new guy to fixing cars (and from your reservoir comment, I believe that's true), then you need this book.

It covers everything from the tools you'll need, to adjusting the linkage on the four speed transmission, to explaining how the power brake booster works. Suspension, brakes, cooling and tons of excellent illustrations. It is very, very thorough and I own a copy, despite working on cars, most of my life, it's that good of a book.

And the best part? They are dirt cheap! But an excellent book for any auto enthusiast, mechanic or anybody else, working on a car.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...ar+care+manual

AnilNarine

I have ordered it. This is my first time working on this type of car. I have never dealt with Carb cars. I am sorry if I sound like a newb on here, in the meanwhile I am just trying to see what I can do to fix it in the meanwhile. Appreciate everyones help.

tpfarm

I agree , it sounds like a carb issue. Has the car been sitting a long time, if so it could have bad gas , clogged fuel filter, doesn't sound like an ignition problem but with such limited info on the car it could be anything. I would start with the fuel system changing the fuel filter making sure the fuel pump is delivering a steady stream of fuel to the carb . In short you have some investigating work to do. It comes with these old cars.
I have a '73 L82 also welcome to the forum and the '73 club.

AnilNarine

Thanks for the welcome... Yeah it was at a dealership for about a month. They just replaced the heater core on the car before I got there. I am assuming no one really drove this car. Again I hope the dealer didnt get me on the deal that I got.

It might be the carb, I know its the original carb. I hope its the filter. I Just filled up the tank with 12 gallons of premium and lucas carb cleaner. I plan on replacing the fuel filter tonight on the carb.

Like I said I just got the car I know there will be things to fix, I am looking forward to learning. again I appreciate you guys helping be Diagnosing the problem.

Tom73

Welcome to the 73 club. Quite a few 73 owners here on the Forum and they can provide a very good knowledge base for new owners. How about some pictures?

AnilNarine

Thanks man appreciate all your help. Heres the pics

http://s78.photobucket.com/user/anilnarine13/library/

Let me know what you guys think.

CameronC

Beautiful car, good luck with your hopefully minor issue.

ddawson

Anytime I buy a used car with a carburetor I send it out for a rebuild.

Once I get it back I do a full tuneup it's usually all good from then on.

Easy Mike

Congrats on the 73. When was the last time the car was tuned?

AnilNarine

I have not done anything to the car just yet. I just bought it Sunday. I'm sure it needs a rebuild, But I was thinking wouldn't it be better to get a new edlebrock for it and just change the plugs? What would you guys suggest for soild Carbs? I don't know where to start to look for, I've only worked on fuel injected cars. My budget would be 300$-450.

I do know the water pump, heater core, breaks, and oil was just recently done. The dealer freshened up motor with a chrome dress up kit but I do want to redo the headers but all in due time.

Does anyone know a great place to get it tuned or even checked out in the Bay area? I am about 40 minutes away from SF.

Go-Gone

Make sure your fuel lines are not located near any hot spots such as the exhaust. Also remove any rubber lines longer that a few inches and replace with solid lines. This will help with any vapor lock issues. As to a new carb, I would recommend Quick Fuel. They are the best I have seen out of the box.

ddawson

Hey you are local, I'm in San Mateo.

I use Vince at Mean Street Performance in San Carlos for most of my stuff.

http://www.olescarb.com/ if you want your Carb rebuilt. Henry is awesome.

http://mspfabrication.com/ San Carlos
http://www.precisionmotive.com/ is in Hayward
http://www.ditosmotors.com/index.html South City
http://www.garyswestcoastcorvette.com/ Burlingame

The13Bats

Score that book and start reading it...

When I was like 16 I bought this 72 bb vette I was not the savvy flying rodent I now am with cars,

I took off on the highway and it started overheating badly, had to pull over, I raise the hood to a cloud of spewing rusty antifreeze smelling juice, no cells phones back then,

Then orlandos answer to cheech and chong pull over and cheech really wants to help me, pours water in the radiator and gets it all cooled off,
I thank them for helping offer a few bucks and then chong decides it's time to get out and try to rob me, saying how valuable that dirty bottle of water cheech put in my car was and more like 100.00 would be right.

A bit scared I started the car and peeled out, leaving them in cloud of dirt and I made it a parts store where a new 'stat fixed me right up.

Don't let little set backs get you down...you have a 73 vette and that is the biggest part of the battle you own it the rest is just fun and game...congrats....

ddawson

Forgot Able http://www.abelgm.com/

Tony and Rich are great. Tony has a C3 race car.

AnilNarine

Thanks for all your recommendations, I will be trying to look over all the good recommendations everyone has given me.

Yeah I plan on keeping it forever. I just need to get dirty and start playing detective.

My last car that I fixed up was a 94 miata lol night and day difference. But I think I am ready for the challenge, I just need to do some reading and look into what I want.

When I get it up and running maybe you local guys might want to do a weekend meetup.

ddawson

Rainbow run in the spring!!

I have an 1988 RX7 as my daily driver.