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Missing only on freeway, 4th gear? '84 ea81


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I've been having odd symptoms the past few days in my 1984 carbed wagon.

 

I'm getting an inconsistant miss on the freeway, but only on the freeway and only in 4th gear. At WOT and cruising in 1st-2nd-3rd gear it's fine, but just cruising along on the freeway in 4th between say 50-65mph it has a weird miss/loss of power. The miss lasts ony for a split second but does it intermitenly when staying in 4th gear between these speeds.

 

It seems like it's only when the car is cold, like when I just start it up and go to work or am leaving work. When it's started up while still warm, it doesn't seem to do it.

 

I was keeping in eye on it this morning when I was coming in and noticed that the voltmeter or the oil pressure gauge doesn't drop. It didn't even seem like the RPMs were dropping while it was missing.

 

I've also noticed my exhaust smells different, like less like gas and more like....I don't know something more stinky/stale. Could I have gotten bad gas or could my catalytic converter be dead?

 

Could the catalytic converter being dead cause my car to miss at freeway speeds-Loss of back pressure? I know a dead/dying one will smell sulfur/rotten eggs-esque and that's sorta what it smells like.

 

So, it's got a newer disty and cap from about 4 months ago, I only run premium gas, it has newer NGK wires, the spark plugs look fine, and I just cleaned the carb yesterday the best I could with Carb/Choke Medic.

 

BTW, I'm not getting any check engine codes.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

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My 84 Hatch would do this in the mornings on my way to the ole' community college, like it would bog down as soon as I pulled out of the driveway. I remember this is only problem I have had with carbuerted (spelling) vehicles.

 

My solution: before leaving your residence or place of employment, go out and start the car up and let it run for a good 15 minutes so it was ample time to warm up.

 

Still might want to check the cat, or just cut it off.

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My 84 Hatch would do this in the mornings on my way to the ole' community college, like it would bog down as soon as I pulled out of the driveway. I remember this is only problem I have had with carbuerted (spelling) vehicles.

 

My solution: before leaving your residence or place of employment, go out and start the car up and let it run for a good 15 minutes so it was ample time to warm up.

 

Still might want to check the cat, or just cut it off.

 

I don't know that you need to let it warm up for 15 minutes but i do agree to let it warm up for at least 5. Its an old car with a carburator so it needs some time in the morning. They all do. If it doesn't do it when its fully warm i wouldn't worry about it. Its just that the carb was not warm enough to introduce the mixture well.

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So,

 

I just changed the oil, did the ritual SeaFoam thing, added Lucas Oil Stabilizer, and topped off the radiator.

 

I took off the disty cap and noticed it was *dead* so I replaced that with a brand new one. The disty itself is fine, the rotor has no play...Which is good.

 

So, we'll see how it goes...Hopefully it'll run better.

 

Thanks for the help again guys.

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