Dont you love it when its a simple fix???
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 139
From: Syracuse NY
Dont you love it when its a simple fix???
Took the vette to work today as we dont have many riding days left here in upstate NY. When I left to run errands for lunch, the car was hard to start, sputtered and spit some black smoke. (Which is odd, because my engine is new and damn near perfectly tuned) I brushed it off and ran my errands. Car was running just fine. After a brief stop at a local establishment, I got in the car and all it would do was crank. Wouldnt catch, just cranked and cranked. It smelled flooded so I held the pedal to the floor and cranked for 20 seconds. Nothing. Held it to the floor for another 2 minutes, cranked, nothing. Car just wouldnt fire. So Im running thru my head who Im going to call...my boss, my fiance, AAA for a flatbed.....Lars to retune the flooding carb...my mind was racing.
I opened the hood up again and something didnt seem right. The engine was warm, yet my choke was closed......and there I saw it....my choke linkage had come undone. Popped it back on, the car fired right back up.
I love it when its a simple fix.
I opened the hood up again and something didnt seem right. The engine was warm, yet my choke was closed......and there I saw it....my choke linkage had come undone. Popped it back on, the car fired right back up.
I love it when its a simple fix.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 483
Likes: 3
From: Pequannock NJ
I had a similar problem. I was driving the car most of the morning and decided one last run around the block was in order. I get to the end of my street ans the engine stalls. It'll crank but won't start. I opened up the hood and found the choke "stuck" closed. Turned out my linkage came loose. Until I figured it out all I could think of was pushing the car back up the street to my house or just calling a tow truck?
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 468
Likes: 20
From: Warrenton VA
When we first picked up the '69, we had it trailered. Took it off the trailer and things were running good. I take her around the neighborhood for a little welcome to your new home joy ride. I get to the end of the long driveway and she cuts out. I restart her, drive to the stop sign and she stalls again. Started happening more frequently as I drove and especially when the RPMs dropped. You all know that feeling you get when you think, "crap, what did I get myself into now?!"
As it turned out, the car had sat for a while with very little in the tank. You could literally see the moister in the fuel tank. The simple fix turned out to be going to the nearest auto store to get some stuff to help flush the moister out. Filled her full and ran her around for a bit. The tank stays full with some added stabil and she's been running like a champ ever since.
Gotta love a simple fix. The hard part is trying to stay ahead of the problems that always seem to find their way into the car. And that's why we love them so much. God bless the C3.
As it turned out, the car had sat for a while with very little in the tank. You could literally see the moister in the fuel tank. The simple fix turned out to be going to the nearest auto store to get some stuff to help flush the moister out. Filled her full and ran her around for a bit. The tank stays full with some added stabil and she's been running like a champ ever since.
Gotta love a simple fix. The hard part is trying to stay ahead of the problems that always seem to find their way into the car. And that's why we love them so much. God bless the C3.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 139
From: Syracuse NY
When we first picked up the '69, we had it trailered. Took it off the trailer and things were running good. I take her around the neighborhood for a little welcome to your new home joy ride. I get to the end of the long driveway and she cuts out. I restart her, drive to the stop sign and she stalls again. Started happening more frequently as I drove and especially when the RPMs dropped. You all know that feeling you get when you think, "crap, what did I get myself into now?!"
As it turned out, the car had sat for a while with very little in the tank. You could literally see the moister in the fuel tank. The simple fix turned out to be going to the nearest auto store to get some stuff to help flush the moister out. Filled her full and ran her around for a bit. The tank stays full with some added stabil and she's been running like a champ ever since.
Gotta love a simple fix. The hard part is trying to stay ahead of the problems that always seem to find their way into the car. And that's why we love them so much. God bless the C3.
As it turned out, the car had sat for a while with very little in the tank. You could literally see the moister in the fuel tank. The simple fix turned out to be going to the nearest auto store to get some stuff to help flush the moister out. Filled her full and ran her around for a bit. The tank stays full with some added stabil and she's been running like a champ ever since.
Gotta love a simple fix. The hard part is trying to stay ahead of the problems that always seem to find their way into the car. And that's why we love them so much. God bless the C3.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 468
Likes: 20
From: Warrenton VA
It's funny you write that. My father and I got the car to show, love, take care of, restore, maybe hand down to the next generation, and every now and again…open her up and let'er rip! These cars were meant to be driven. We take such good care of them and restore them but you just have to time travel and punch it every so often…get your money's worth as if you've driven it off the showroom floor. Hearing the tires chirp in 2nd gear over the side pipes is just awesome.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 769
Likes: 36
From: Goose Creek SC
They are rare for muscle car and Corvette owners, but they do happen. Two come to mind for me. One was a vacuum advance hose to the distributor that had come unconnected on a trip and one was a non-functioning power brake system that was corrected by finding and installing that little plastic fitting in the vacuum line to the booster.
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Racer
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 480
Likes: 42
From: Los Angeles CA
I had one a couple of weeks ago. Took the car out for coffee and donuts? With the guys on Sunday morning. A local resturant was having a a get together later in the morning. Were home. Turned around and was going to the get together. Before I got there the car start running rough and got worst. Nursed it home coughing, spitting and backfiring. Not fun but close to home. Let it cool. Started checking wires to the plugs and all was well. Check vacuum lines all was well. Checked the spark plug wires on the distributor by pulling one at a time and to see if any were causing a problem. Found #2 when pulled smoothed out the problem some. Checked the spark plug and spark plug wire and both were good. Pulled the distribor cap and found that one one the screws that hold the coil in the cap had broken through the cap material and was causing a short. Replaced the distributor cap and all is well. Not as quick a fix as choke linkage, but still rather easy considering.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,094
Likes: 16
From: Los Angeles California
I had was driving home from work I had just recently got car back from mechanic after 4 years of leaks and knocking of every kind and 3 engine overhauls 
they finally got it right I thought everything was good then one day I feel a misfire on engine no power when I would give it gas I too said i'll just drive home only 10 miles I also work at night so I tried moving the timing forward and back and nothing so I thought man I don't wanna take it back to shop and wait another year. Well next day in the morning I got all my tools ready jack stands and ramps just in case turned on car let it run a minute got a bottle of water put hole on top started pouring water on drivers side headers when I got to passengers side I spayed number 8 and voila the wire was hitting the headers. as soon as I lifted wire smooth sailing. then I just put everything away took me longer to put everything back in garage then it did "trouble shooting" I was looking forward to using my voltmeter.
they finally got it right I thought everything was good then one day I feel a misfire on engine no power when I would give it gas I too said i'll just drive home only 10 miles I also work at night so I tried moving the timing forward and back and nothing so I thought man I don't wanna take it back to shop and wait another year. Well next day in the morning I got all my tools ready jack stands and ramps just in case turned on car let it run a minute got a bottle of water put hole on top started pouring water on drivers side headers when I got to passengers side I spayed number 8 and voila the wire was hitting the headers. as soon as I lifted wire smooth sailing. then I just put everything away took me longer to put everything back in garage then it did "trouble shooting" I was looking forward to using my voltmeter.
