1977 Camaro doesn't run right.

Question

I recently bought a 1977 Camaro and got it fixed up and running. However, when I step on it the motor bogs its way up to speed. It idles fine and doesn't backfire but when I go to move it just doesn't want to. Now, the guy put an Edelbrock carb on it and I got that tuned to idle perfectly but the motor doesn't seem to get enough fuel to get up and go. Also, I don't think I hear the 4 barrels engaging (2 are working, I don't think the other 2 are).

Any help is greatly appreciated. Being 16 and buying the car with all my money I'm kind of depressed that I can't get it to work right.

Answer 1

What you're describing sounds like a motor that is just old and has lost enough compression to not be able to pull enough vacuum to open the secondaries. If you can hold the brake and step on the gas and it doesn't bog down and die, it's not the accelerator pump (you should be able to spin one of the rear tires while doing this unless the motor is VERY tired). If you're getting about 17" on your vacuum gage (you've got a stock cam) and it's just slightly missing at idle, you've got that set correctly. Check the timing (the loss of compression works to your favor here so you can add essentially as much advance as possible so that it still starts when you turn the key). I'm more familiar with Holley carbs, so I don't know how to set the main metering system on your carb. If you pull a spark plug and it isn't black and sooty or smells of gas, you're probably close to where you need to be on mixture.

The sad thing is that the car might actually be doing the best it can given it's age and the state of auto technology when it was built. This doesn't help when even the civic with f**t muffler, stickers and tin foil wing pulls away from you, though.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Check your fuel filter, fuel pump.  If those are ok, then do a tune up.  Also, you may have a coil or ignition modual going bad.

Answer 3

The accelerator pump within the carb is not working properly.  With the engine shut down; open the choke butterfly, move the throttle back.  There should be two even streams of fuel squirt downward to the throttle plates.

* * *

Answer 4

it may need different jets.. I have heard of these problems with

that carb..

I personally prefer the Q-jet carb easy to work on and lasts

forever.

Answer 5

Ok here are a couple tips. For some of these you may need to try to limp the car to a local garage.

First: Could be a clogged or restricted fuel filter.

Second: Fuel pump may be weak and or dieing out if it is an electric pump.

Third: Since a new carb was put on, someone may have replaced fuel lines and kinked them as they tried to get it to run.

Fourth: The accel. pump in the carb itself may be stuck closed.

Let me know how this turns out as I am a major Camaro fan myself =) When you have tried those, let me know if it still won't run correctly.

Stephen

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