Hey all,

I’m working on my 85 dodge and I’m having some issues.

1st - I can get the engine to start and idle but whenever I press the accelerator it will die. Also whenever I press the accelerator it only squirts a little gas as opposed to a steady stream. It is a strong stream but only lasts a second or so. I’m thinking it probably is an accelerator or fuel pump issue but I’m not exactly sure what to work on.

2nd - the choke doesn’t really automatically adjust. It also won’t open all the way without some manual pushing. I’m thinking this could be an issue with the spring attached to it but not entirely sure if it needs to be replaced or adjusted. It also seems like it should be affected by heat but it doesn’t seem like it is in a location where is would receive the heat it would need.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Start with rebuilding the carb.

 

how long are you running the engine before expecting the choke to be fully open. it can take 10-20 minutes of the engine running for the choke to fully open. it is the crappiest part of the old style chokes. i think you need to try running the engine for a bit and see if the choke fully opens and then look at the accelerator pump. sounds like the carb may need a rebuild but may want to make sure the engine is at full operating temp first. sometimes driving it enough will help. i know it did for my elcamino. use to occasionally stall while taking off but not no more. you could also try hooking the choke to a choke cable or upgrading to a carb with a electric choke. electric chokes are usually way nicer than the old ones. i use to have the one on my 81 setup to shut off real quick which is great in the summer but not so great in the winter.

 

So I only got it started for the first time yesterday. However I ran it for a solid 20-30 minutes. The choke doesn't seem to be adjusting on it's own at all is really the issue. It basically just goes where I manually place it. What about the gas not steadily flowing? Anyidea on that?

 

you can try tying it open for testing purposes but it may cause it to be hard to start cold if you leave it tied open, the accelerator pump only give quick squirts.

 

Ok I'm just wondering if it should be adjusting at all because of right now it won't really adjust automatically at all. Excuse my ignorance, but shouldn't it be a continual stream when the pedal is pushed?

 

No. It's just shoots an initial jet of fuel.