Just sold my daily driver to cover a huge bill I had to pay off. Now I need to rely on my '75 for a little while until I can recoup and go get another car payment. Had gas in it when parked, so I cleaned out the fuel lines, replaced fuel filter, cleaned out carb, etc. Tried to fire... nothing. No spark. Went to change the cap and rotor, and noticed that the rotor is not turning while cranking. Pulled timing cover, and teeth are chewed off the plastic covered cam gear. Cam turns fine in block, so I replaced timing set with cloyes double roller and new pretty shiny chrome timing cover (cheaper than stock). Put everything back together and fires right up. Start driving down the road, and once you get past about a quarter throttle, it falls on it's face. I assume there's junk in the jets, so I rebuild the Quadrajunk ($20 rebuild kit - no brainer). Put newly rebuilt carburetor back on Vette... same deal. No change in symptoms. I'm tired of the Quadrajunk, so I buy a used holley off a buddy and an Edelbrock torker intake off Craigslist. Also picked up some sweet original '63 finned branded aluminum valve covers! Anyway, installed holley and torker. Reworked fuel line and throttle cable mount. Take off down the road... same symptoms. Put your foot on the floor, and the car falls on it's face. Less than a quarter throttle, and you're fine.

What the hell? I'm pretty mechanically inclined, but this is stumping me! I talked to a local mechanic, and he says it sounds like the cam is rounded off. He'll rebuild the motor with a year warranty for $1400. Nice, but guess what... NO $$$!

Any ideas, guys? Is he right about the cam? I can pull down the motor and put a new cam in it... I don't want to, but if that will get me back on the road I'll do it. Please hit me back with suggestions quickly. I have to get to work. Thanks!

 

Well I sure wouldn't change the cam until I was sure that the fuel delivery and ignition systems were both solid. Have you made sure that the advance weights in your distributor haven't frozen up while sitting still all that time? Have you checked the new fuel filter to make sure it isn't clogged with sediment or have you checked the sock in the tank to make sure it's clear of debris? Are the fuel lines free of kinks? It's tough to troubleshoot when a car has sat that long but these are the things that come to mind first. Did you park it because it stopped running? Since the timing gears were broken I'm guessing that's the case. Was it running normally before that?

 

I am by far no expert on this stuff but I do recall on a '74 Chevy pickup with a 350 that I bough brand new I had to have the cam shaft replaced. With only a 12,000 mile warranty back then I had to pay out of pocket. The guy did tell me the 350 cams were known to be soft and to wear. I was just a dumb kid so maybe i ran it out of oil. I don't recall what problem I was having but that took care of it.
Was the truck and Vette 350's the same back then?

I also just had a similar problem with a '78 I got last summer. Low miles and it sat a long time. Started and idled fine. Step on it and it died. Let it sit and it would start. Rebuilt carb and had pump and lines checked. Still did it. Dropped the tank replaced the sock and it runs great now.

 

Thanks for the ideas... I will drop the tank this evening. Is the sock necessary if I run an inline filter close to the tank?

 

Did 75 come with the cat? Is it still there? Could be the exhaust system is clogged or restricted.

 

That what did it on mine. was having the same problem, dropped the tank, removed the stupid fuel sock, and problem solved!!

 

SWEET! I'll pull the sock as soon as I get there today.

Yes, '75 had the cats on it. I thought about removing them. We don't have emissions here.

 

Ask Lars if he will have a look at it. He's in Lafayette, just down the road from you. If he can't diagnose your problem no-one can!

Regards from Down Under

aussiejohn

 

Being you changed the timing gears are you sure you are lined up right with the timing

 

I would think if the cam were rounded it would run crappy at all rpm. I know from having put many cars back on the road after lengthy sits fuel delivery problems are almost always present.

 

Your symptoms have nothing to do with a rounded cam. You either have a fuel supply restriction caused by the fuel tank sock or the rubber lines at the tank or at the pump inlet, or you have a bad/plugged cat.

Once fixed, trash the Torker intake and get a good intake manifold...

Lars

 

Think fuel pump!

Have not seen that mentioned but it sounds like the diaphram in the fuel pump is dried out and not working enough once there is a load on it.
That and junk in the fuel lines would be where I would start on something that old sitting for 3yrs.

Good luck.
Bman

 

The fuel sock was completely plugged up. Also, there was some kinda blue crap floating around in the tank - a lot of it. Dropped the tank, pulled the sock off, and swished around some good gas in the tank to get all that crap out of it. Put an inline filter just before the carb. Now it runs, but it does not run great. I'm sure it's just tuning/wires/plugs/cap/rotor/etc.

I saw an aluminum intake for cheap on Craigslist and bought it... so the Torker is not a good one? Well, at least it looks cool. I know it's an older type intake. At this point, I'm not real concerned about performance. I would be happy if this thing would go down the road reliably. Right now the Holley is dripping gas constantly from the rear boosters. I never sear the rear throttle plates open while looking down the carb throat and having one of my employees rev the motor. I'm thinking maybe this holley needs a rebuild. That's a bummer, as it was advertised as coming off a running motor the day before. If it was running, it was not running well.

 

If you can get the car up here, bring it by and I'll set it up for you/with you.

Lars

 

There is only one cat not two.

 

If you can get the engine running on at least 1 cylinder I would try to get the car up to Lars to have a look at it.



Rick B.

 

The Quadrajet is a great carb and personally, I'd go back with it, especially since you rebuilt it. Now that you you have the fuel system issue resolved. I'd also check or replace the fuel pump. Also, get new plugs, wires, distributor cap & rotor.
Glenn

 

Now theres an offer you cant refuse,, get it to the maestro, just bring a few beers,,,
Cory