Geocritter

Ok...did the key on/off thing, and after a couple of rounds it started. It's loping a little bit until it warms up; exhaust doesn't smell right, either (it's still got water I think, plus the drygas I put in it, so....). Anyway...took it for a spin around the block. Running a little rough, and the carb's got a wicked dead spot. Also acts like it's lacking some power. Can't tell if it's not getting enough fuel or if it's flooding and not burning it fast enough. Kind of back where I started. Don't know if my main problem is the carb or the fuel pump. If it's the carb I'm screwed, as I'm not *permitted* to put much more into the car. Fuel pump would run me 50.00-ish, which I might be able to squeeze out before too long. A carb's gonna set me back 200.00 for a rebuilt one...unless anybody's got a lead...

I'll check it when I get home. I have a manual choke, so I know it's open. I didn't smell gas like I used to when it would flood, but maybe I'm just not "tuned" to it. Temp outside this AM was upper 20's. I'll let you know... Dan

Sigh. Didn't work. It fired off one time (rumbled), and that was all. I tried the process again to see if I could get some fuel up in there, but no dice. Back to the drawing board...

I do see what the trick does, though. It gives enough 2-sec pump bursts to give it a chance to fill the line and the carb with enough fuel to start...just like if I put gas in the carb, the engine is "running" and the pump is pumping long enough until it finally builds up and will run on it's own.

Thanks Skip, I'm going to give it a try before I leave for work this morning. It'll either work or it wont. No ruby slippers, though...my workboots will have to suffice. Maybe if instead of clicking my heels together, I just kick the car... dan

Thanks everybody. I do appreciate your experience. Sounds like everybody's leaning toward the fuel pump being posessed. Glen, 85Sub4WD - thanks for the input. Sounds like ya'll have been through it all, too. Skip- I'll give the 3 on/offs a go in the morning, just for grins if nothing else. Do I click my heels together three times, too? Of course, if my wife sees me in her ruby slippers... [hey, you KNEW that was coming!] I know that I could use a new carb, but right now it's kind of out of the question. If the fuel pump is the issue, I can make the carb hold out well enough, between the new manual choke and all. I always did like Carters a lot better, though, for the record (my old Dodge 225 slant 6 had a single bbl carter, manual choke...it was so simple, and worked so well). I'll keep everybody posted. Thanks again, Dan

Hi again, guys... Ok, I think I narrowed down most of my running problems to a fuel supply issue. Dont' know the first thing about what all needs to be checked (or how to). 87 GL Wagon 4wd, 1.8l engine, Hitachi carb 2bbl Gas drains out overnight, and she will NOT start. Can't hear if the pump is kicking in on "run' or not. I can pour gas down the carb and make it run, though, and once it gets going, I can keep it running. 1. Fuel filter has been replaced 2. I know there is a sensor of some sort for the fuel pressure to turn the pump on and off. Don't know where it is, or how to check it, though. 3. Don't know why a pump would not work, then work, then not work again. I *think* the pump on this one is outside the tank? Any thoughts? I'm getting really frustrated (so is my other half!!!). I gotta get this thing on the road. thanks, Dan

Hehe...interesting. Wife picked me up from work this afternoon (temps were slightly above freezing) and when we got home I gave it another whorl, just for grins. You guessed it...the sucker started on the first crank. Blew loads of steam for a minute or two, then smoothed right out while I was choking it. After it warmed up, I ran some MMO thru the carb (thought the neighbors were going to call the FD on me!), adjusted the idle just slightly, and the mixture. Still need to play with the mixture a little bit...it's "pooting" a little more than it should. Anyway...I think that gives me a good feeling regarding the cause of my pain. Water freezing in the line or somewhere. Maybe even in the fuel pump. It'll be interesting to see how it does as soon as we get a warm spell...

It is a 4wd 87 GL, 1.8 l engine, carb. I don't recall when I was working on putting on the choke (and pulling the accellerator cable to move it out of my way one time to reach a screw I dropped) an odor of gasoline implying that it had "squirted" any gas. But I was smelling some gas the whole time while working, obviously, so who knows. Also, on this line, a mechanic who looked at it a few weeks ago and didn't know how to work with Soobs said that he had checked it and it wasn't spraying like it should (I had forgotten about that). The filter was replaced about a week ago, and I've only run the engine for a little while; I guess it might be clogged again. One other thing...last week, when we got below freezing, she wouldn't start. As soon as it warmed up, it started right up (a la frozen water in the line). I put in 2 bottles on a full tank of drygas, and have run it some since. Could it STILL be pulling up water enough to freeze?? The temp yesterday dropped into the upper 20's by the end of the workday, and of course, last night... It DOES fire...I can put in a bit of gas, and it fires right off... Thanks

What would that do? Like clearing a computer control code or something?

Hi guys, Slowly but surely I'm getting it. Got the manual choke on the 87 GL, and got the hoses all worked out (replaced about half of them as needed). Now...here's what's up. Please read this little update, then I need some advice at the end: 1. put a little gas in carb and fired her off last night after finishing up the choke install and stuff. Even drove it while engine was cold by choking it a little. I was excited! 2. This a.m., it was pretty cold out there; car fired right off, had to drive with it a little choked for optimum running power and take off power, but it was running like a dream. 3. Got off work, and the b***h wouldn't start. It would fire off a little gas, then die. Put gas in carb, it would fire off, start running roughly, finally peter out. When I could get it to run, around 3000 rpm, while holding the gas pedal, it would peter out and die slowly. Choke had little effect, esp. on the idle. 4. Got it going, and it got me home ok. Running a little rough, but oh well. Questions: 1. I don't think the fast idle linkage is being affected properly by adjusting the choke. I used to be able to pull a choke a little bit and it would speed up the rpms by using the fast idle. I don't know if it needs to be adjusted after putting on a manual choke (although I can't figure out why). How would I know how much to adjust it? 2. The car has twice had a fit starting (getting fuel) in cold weather. Thought it might be water, and used dry gas the last time. But it shouldn't have frozen THAT fast today, even if there might still be a little water. Almost like a sluggish fuel pump? Any thoughts? After the car gets started, it doesn't seem to have any "fuel supply" issues then, but maybe I'm wrong. New fuel filter, so I know that's not it. I'm so close to having this thing working, and it's driving me absolutely insane. I've got to get it working right and dependable. Any help would be appreciated (and I'm not a mechanic, so please take it easy on me! ;-) Thanks so much, Dan

Ok...I'm gonna just leave the vac hoses. I'll replace the bad ones when I get the conversion done and button it back up. Here's a carb question...when I took the choke cover off, the ring with the three screws (used to be riveted) had a bracket on it with a vacuum control that was attached to the choke shaft on the choke cover, like an automatic choke. The assembly came off when I took off the choke cover, so I know it's part of the choke. But...there was also an electric choke. I assumed that both were part of some auto/electrical choke (which I'm replacing) and I get the vacuum off of there to make room for my hand cable. Either I've done the right thing, or I really messed up?

Hey guys, I'm in the process (stopped by an ice storm just as I was getting good and frustrated) of putting a manual choke on my EA82 87 GL wagon 4wd. Got the cable routed ok, still fighting with finding a bracket to hold the cable. I think I may have it figured out, assuming I didn't take off something necessary to begin with. Probably should've not tried it on my own, but what can I say. Biggest issue is the vaccuum hoses. There must have been a zillion of them on the air cleaner. I've broken off a couple in the cold air, and having made a conversion to manual choke, will be plugging off a couple, I'm sure. Never seen anything like it. But the bottom line is, I have no idea which ones are the mickey mouse garbage and how many are really necessary. Can anybody give me an idea? A diagram of which hoses I could maybe plug off/get rid of? I'm not in an emissions control state, so I don't really worry about that kind of stuff. Anything I can get rid of would be fine. My Haynes manual is next to useless with hoses, so maybe somebody could help. Thanks! Dan

Hi all, I have an 87 subaru gl wagon, 4wd, AT, 1800 engine, 139k mi; carb in ok shape with some wear, but choke acting up. I'd like to convert it over to a manual choke (I used to have one on my old pickup that I LOVED). I've got a kit, and in theory it should be easy, but I'm a little nervous about how hard it's going to be to install in this thing (I'm intimidated by all of the gobbledygook on the carb). The choke's been adjusted (or attemped to adjust) so it's already been drilled open and all. I don't think it should be hard, but I would like to be sure of what I'm getting in to before I mess something up. Any advice? Thanks, Dan