egates
Member
My 78 started having a rough idle that got progressively worse. First, just rough idle one day that had me worried. So I checked it out a day or 2 later before I was supposed to drive it in a parade. It had a bit of a stumble to the idle but it was cold and was OK running fast choked. Then after about a couple miles, stalled at a stop sign but I think that's also because it warmed up and idle dropped. Then I had to get it about a mile back home. It got progressively worse stalling if I even slowed down for a stop sign until eventually I just gave up stopping but then it would even let me slow for a turn. It just died down the street and I pushed it spot on the street to park. The odd part is that when I would restart, it had a very hard time restarting it usually cranks freely and easily but now seems to really tax the battery to the limit that the battery light comes on as if it has to overcome pressure or resistance of some sort so that it really was difficult for it to turn over. I let it sit for a few days and checked it out again today and it was a fairly easy start, spinning easily but not staying running unless I rev it. After stalling, it would still do the thing where it would act as if there was something causing resistance or pressure and making the start very difficult. It would run if I rev it to about 1500-2500 but if I let it drop to about 1000 it would just die. I'm expecting something like a fuel pump problem. I was looking around and its very hard to see around that area - I don't have great facilities to work on this. I noticed that the hoses there are wet and it seems that one clamp is off one of the hoses but they are so crammed together that I can't even see how to get it back into place much less get in there with a screwdrive to tighten it. I'll just take it to my mechanic (flatbedding it, I guess) but what has me puzzled is this difficult starting that seems like the engine is locked up somehow.