Wont stay running! 73 cutlass supreme- help
October 8th, 2014, 02:55 PM
#1
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Wont stay running! 73 cutlass supreme- help
Well yet again another problem, the car starts fine and fires right up but cant stay running it just starts chugging and sputtering until it stalls withing about 30 seconds. I have a bunch of new parts to i just got the carb rebuilt new dizzy,coil,wires,plugs,battery also the gen light comes on while its sputtering
this car is really bugging me and any help will be greatly appreciated thanks.
this car is really bugging me and any help will be greatly appreciated thanks.
Last edited by roblen73cutlass; October 8th, 2014 at 03:04 PM.
October 8th, 2014, 03:32 PM
#7
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The distributor is just a point factory replacement. it ran until the carb needed a rebuild and the rebuild deff fixed what it was doing before. Yeah it always comes on at low rpm but i can get it to about 800-900 rpm and the gen light is still on...
October 8th, 2014, 03:34 PM
#8
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Did you make sure your spark plugs are in the right order, set dwell and timing? If the battery cranks the engine fast then there is enough voltage to run the car off the battery. You can run a jumper wire from the pos battery post to the pos coil post and see if it runs better. You must still start with the key and to turn off remove the jumper then turn the key off.
October 8th, 2014, 03:40 PM
#9
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i had it running after the distributor install and timed it by feel and it ran up and down my street fine until the carb took a dump but would not setting the dwell cause this much of a problem? i feel like its lack of fuel but fuel is getting into the carb with no problem
October 8th, 2014, 04:18 PM
#13
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The jumper bypasses everything and assures battery power to the coil. This issue started with the carb and then you had it rebuilt? I'd start from scratch and check your tune first.
October 8th, 2014, 04:35 PM
#14
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Ok and yeah the carb needed a rebuild and was gummed up so bad but even then there was no problem with starting or misfire it would just start up and then die, now it starts runs ok for about 10 seconds then starts sputtering and chugging almost like its being starved and the gen light is on the whole time im just out of ideas and totally lost lol
October 8th, 2014, 04:40 PM
#15
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when it's dying, spray carb cleaner down the carb and see if that fuel lets it continue. If so, it's a fuel issue.
Ck dwell
it should be at 30 degrees
I usually say "to find the current trouble, look at the last thing "fixed" " but in your case that's a long list.
determine if it is spark or fuel with basic troubleshooting
Ck dwell
it should be at 30 degrees
I usually say "to find the current trouble, look at the last thing "fixed" " but in your case that's a long list.
determine if it is spark or fuel with basic troubleshooting
October 8th, 2014, 04:49 PM
#16
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lol i agree there is just to much going on. well i do see gas coming into the throat when manually giving the car gas but while the engine is off of course. last year it had no spark at all until i did the distributor then it ran fine until the carb **** the bed but the carb is solid now. anyone want some gas money to come over and help me fix this haha
October 8th, 2014, 05:51 PM
#17
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You can do this, first check your plugs and wires. I've seen bad ones new out of the box. Then if you recently replaced wires, double check your firing order. Check your point gap, and the voltage at the coil pos is around 9v when running. If you have the old condenser and points put them back in, again they can be bad out of the box. You can remove the belt and the power wire from the alternator and see if that's loading the circuit, it will run off the battery. I highly doubt that's the problem, but you can isolate that issue.
See if any of this helps.
See if any of this helps.
October 8th, 2014, 06:00 PM
#18
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Once the engine starts can you rev it up? If it will run above a high idle but coughs and dies at idle, it could be a bad vacuum leak. This is a common problem with a stuck PCV valve. To check and eliminate the PCV, pull it out of the valve cover and shake it. If it rattles clearly it is probably good, if it rattles with a dull sound or doesn't rattle at all it could be bad. Cap it off and see if the engine runs that way.
October 8th, 2014, 08:29 PM
#20
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I read in your post you changed the distributor then the carb dumped.. Coincidently sometimes it does happen, however did you lock down the distributor after timing it.
Cause if it moved it may cough and do all kinds crazy noises..also check your ground wires. If you removed any wires... Pull a plug and ground the the plug to the engine, get someone to crank the vehicle and check for a blue spark.
Cause if it moved it may cough and do all kinds crazy noises..also check your ground wires. If you removed any wires... Pull a plug and ground the the plug to the engine, get someone to crank the vehicle and check for a blue spark.
October 8th, 2014, 09:00 PM
#21
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Once the engine starts can you rev it up? If it will run above a high idle but coughs and dies at idle, it could be a bad vacuum leak. This is a common problem with a stuck PCV valve. To check and eliminate the PCV, pull it out of the valve cover and shake it. If it rattles clearly it is probably good, if it rattles with a dull sound or doesn't rattle at all it could be bad. Cap it off and see if the engine runs that way.
October 8th, 2014, 09:07 PM
#23
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I read in your post you changed the distributor then the carb dumped.. Coincidently sometimes it does happen, however did you lock down the distributor after timing it.
Cause if it moved it may cough and do all kinds crazy noises..also check your ground wires. If you removed any wires... Pull a plug and ground the the plug to the engine, get someone to crank the vehicle and check for a blue spark.
Cause if it moved it may cough and do all kinds crazy noises..also check your ground wires. If you removed any wires... Pull a plug and ground the the plug to the engine, get someone to crank the vehicle and check for a blue spark.
October 8th, 2014, 09:13 PM
#24
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You can do this, first check your plugs and wires. I've seen bad ones new out of the box. Then if you recently replaced wires, double check your firing order. Check your point gap, and the voltage at the coil pos is around 9v when running. If you have the old condenser and points put them back in, again they can be bad out of the box. You can remove the belt and the power wire from the alternator and see if that's loading the circuit, it will run off the battery. I highly doubt that's the problem, but you can isolate that issue.
See if any of this helps.
See if any of this helps.
October 9th, 2014, 01:17 PM
#27
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1) Make sure your choke flap is opening, both by the thermostat and by the vacuum pull-off.
2) Check the carb's slow idle speed setting. This car probably has an idle stop solenoid. Make sure it's adjusted to open the throttle plates at normal curb idle. Its plunger should extend when the ignition switch is ON.
3) Also turn your idle mixture screws in until seated, then back out about 1-1/2 turns. That should get idle mixture in range to run.
4) Tap the power valve to make sure it's not sticking open. You can do this thru a hole in the carb air horn.
Just because it's a quality rebuild doesn't mean everything got adjusted right.
You might want to make sure your coil is good. A bad one will cause symptoms like you describe.
2) Check the carb's slow idle speed setting. This car probably has an idle stop solenoid. Make sure it's adjusted to open the throttle plates at normal curb idle. Its plunger should extend when the ignition switch is ON.
3) Also turn your idle mixture screws in until seated, then back out about 1-1/2 turns. That should get idle mixture in range to run.
4) Tap the power valve to make sure it's not sticking open. You can do this thru a hole in the carb air horn.
Just because it's a quality rebuild doesn't mean everything got adjusted right.
You might want to make sure your coil is good. A bad one will cause symptoms like you describe.
October 9th, 2014, 01:47 PM
#28
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1) Make sure your choke flap is opening, both by the thermostat and by the vacuum pull-off.
2) Check the carb's slow idle speed setting. This car probably has an idle stop solenoid. Make sure it's adjusted to open the throttle plates at normal curb idle. Its plunger should extend when the ignition switch is ON.
3) Also turn your idle mixture screws in until seated, then back out about 1-1/2 turns. That should get idle mixture in range to run.
4) Tap the power valve to make sure it's not sticking open. You can do this thru a hole in the carb air horn.
Just because it's a quality rebuild doesn't mean everything got adjusted right.
You might want to make sure your coil is good. A bad one will cause symptoms like you describe.
2) Check the carb's slow idle speed setting. This car probably has an idle stop solenoid. Make sure it's adjusted to open the throttle plates at normal curb idle. Its plunger should extend when the ignition switch is ON.
3) Also turn your idle mixture screws in until seated, then back out about 1-1/2 turns. That should get idle mixture in range to run.
4) Tap the power valve to make sure it's not sticking open. You can do this thru a hole in the carb air horn.
Just because it's a quality rebuild doesn't mean everything got adjusted right.
You might want to make sure your coil is good. A bad one will cause symptoms like you describe.
April 22nd, 2015, 08:34 PM
#29
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: central nj
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Ok so its been months and the car is still in the garage not up and running like i want it to be, the same crap is going on where the car starts up fine but then needs your foot on the gas and the engine starts to shake really bad so i just shut it off within like 15 seconds of running because it doesn't look right, and i even replaced the fuel pump and rubber lines out of impulse. I'm at the point where i will pay someone near central nj to help find the issue.
i was considering selling the car when it ran smooth again due to having to many cars. Any help appreciated thanks
i was considering selling the car when it ran smooth again due to having to many cars. Any help appreciated thanks
April 23rd, 2015, 04:22 AM
#31
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You said it'snot a fuel issue becauseyou can see fuel squirting? Do you mean you see it without the engine running when you give it gas? I am not convinced it's not a fuel issue. Get back to basics. If it starts and idles fine at first then gets rough, spray starter fluid into it when it gets rough and see what that does.
April 23rd, 2015, 06:23 AM
#32
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Damn that would have been great if if you were in nj when i posted this!! what part of nj where you in?
yeah i think it need to make a video so you guys can see
yes i can see fuel squirting into the carb while not running not sure when its running but that's a good idea about the starting fluid because i still feel like its a fuel problem considering i replaced every tune up part twice.
yeah i think it need to make a video so you guys can see
yes i can see fuel squirting into the carb while not running not sure when its running but that's a good idea about the starting fluid because i still feel like its a fuel problem considering i replaced every tune up part twice.
April 23rd, 2015, 07:25 AM
#38
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I'm in clarksburg its by six flags great adventure the theme park lol yes a theme park.
for anyone in the area
also if someone does swing by you can get first licks at buying the car if i really do want to sell it, all original 73 cutlass supreme that iv'e owned since 1988!
for anyone in the area
also if someone does swing by you can get first licks at buying the car if i really do want to sell it, all original 73 cutlass supreme that iv'e owned since 1988!
