engine problems

[BetsyBabe64]

i can't get to work ! My engine is doing weird stuff. It rained last night and was super cold. It's been 100 degrees during the day everyday.
Lately i've been noticing that sometimes it sounds and feels like my engine wants to back fire, it makes a pud sound sometimes but no big deal.

this morning i started the car up, let it warm up awhile, then got in and started to drive off, and pretty much can't. There is like a triple pud sound and feeling coming from my tail pipe. it's bad, i can't even get up to speed, nothing seems to be wrong visibly. Help !!

when i sit there and idle it seems fine, but when i rev it, it does the triple pud thing.

i have a manual choke, 170 CUI btw.

 

[CobraSix]

First thing to check would be your timing. Make sure it's still set properly to between 8* and 12* BTDC.

 

[BetsyBabe64]

i dont have a timing light

can't i just set it by ear sorta ?

all i do is loosen a bolt by my distributor and turn it clock wise right ? Does the car have to be off when i set it, or can it be on while i turn the distributor ?

 

[BetsyBabe64]

well i just watched a video on how to set timing. Seems easy enough if i had the right tools.

How does something like this happen ? Car works fine all day everyday and then out of nowhere it does this !?!?!

 

[ludwig]

The shaft can move by itself for what ever reason. Even a little changes the timing. You can time it with the car running. Loosen the bolt at the distributor shaft with a 1/2" box end wrench and slowly turn it toward the block (counter clockwise) to advance or back to retard. Don't loosen the bolt too much and don't turn the dizz too much all at once. When it runs smoother, tighten it down. If you get knock (aka: ping, rattle can), retard the dizz just a touch.

If you had a vacuum gauge you could get closer than by ear (+/- $20). You hook it to a vacuum source (manifold vac, btw, not carb vac). Adjust the dizz until you get the highest vacuum. Otherwise, adjust it until you get the best idle.

 

[BetsyBabe64]

i don't think it's the timing. i've adjusted it on both sides of the extreme (advancing and retarding) and it still does the same thing where the car is chocking so bad that it's almost impossible to drive.

is it possible that a cylinder is missing or something ? Maybe i have a lifter that's dead or something ?

 

[BetsyBabe64]

i notice that when i drive in reverse the car doesn't choke and jerk like it does when i drive in gear. i've tried all gears, the faster i go the worse it gets, the car jerks and kinda chokes.

its bad enough where i cant drive at all

 

[FalconSedanDelivery]

Points

 

[MPGmustang]

if it's an auto, try checking your fluid, if it's a manual to check your fluid is by getting underneath the car. but still check fluids,

also check oil level too, after your drove it (never cold).

it's starting to sound like my old c4 tranny that was going...

also, make sure that the air/fuel screw isn't out all the way, last time I cleaned mine it would easily come out.

what about vacum leaks, if it's an auto you have a vacum line going to the tranny. if this line is inturupted it shifts/drives horribly.

well that's all I can think of right now.
Oh and be careful when driving!!
Richard

 

[bigblue91]

Do what others have suggested and do the basics.

-Adjust the carburetor to factory or until smooth it out. If the carb hasn't been rebuilt in a while a rebuild may fix if its a air/fuel problem.

-Make sure plugs are clean and gapped correctly. Check for any kinks or damage in the plug wires so you know your getting electricity to the plugs everytime it needs to be.

-replace points if its an older distributor

-check oil level or any signs of head damage. coolant in oil, oil in coolant. run a compression test on cylinders and look for anything really low.

im not an expert but these are the things i would do. condesor replacement or coil as well?

i would just check and make sure electrically the engine is where it should be and then vacuums and fuel.

if its the transmission like someone said, which it could be then let someone with trans knowledge help you out.

 

[ludwig]

Check your transmission fluid level. Mine went down too far and all that worked was reverse, then it would slug into drive after a long empty pause. Fill it warm. Actually, if you pull the trans dipstick, you can hear it pant from the filler if the pumps are dry.

 

[Eaglo]

I had a similar problem and it was a bad condenser. Drove me nuts. I had changed the condenser a month earlier and it went bad. See if you have one in your junk box and just switch it out.

 

[fordconvert]

Make sure your exhaust isnt kinked or blocked somehow. Maybe some wild monkeys shoved a banana up the tail pipe.

 

[BetsyBabe64]

Thanks everyone for the replies !

My falcon is a 3 on the tree, just gave it a tune up, oil change and carb has been rebuild within the last 3 years.

heres what i know about my engine.

i know that my piston rings are bad, my car smokes a lot when it idles. its a white smoke.

lifters are worn out, can't drive fast without them getting really hot and making a knocking sound until they cool down.

clutch is rebuild, but transmission is tired.

fluid levels are good.

the points are about 5 years old.

the engine from my knowledge hasn't been rebuilt, neither has tranny.

exhaust isn't original. when i got a new gas tank, my muffler was in the way so i cut it off, drove like that for awhile until i threw on a flow master muffler and new pipe. i think it''s a 3 and a half inch muffler, which is way too big i know, but it's what i had laying around. the car is loud as all hell. probably isn't good for back pressure.

i kinda know what a condenser is, it's for the ignition right ? Where is that located ?

i think i totally messed up my timing today, when my buddy get's back from the bonnivle salt flats this weekend i'll borrow his timing light and reset that.

i just got a new falcon, a 65 two door. it has a 170 that has been taken apart and for the most part rebuilt. when i get that, i plan on throwing that engine in my 4 door so i have something to drive while i start rebuilding my 65 from the frame up. until i pick up that new falcon (which wont be for a month) i need something to drive to get to my two jobs. Any temp fix i can do will save me lots of trouble. i don't feel all that bad about my engine giving me problems, it has five hundred thousand miles and has been a trooper as my daily drive for 3 years. i drove it from port angles washington to eugene oregon with no problems. 400 miles almost none stop.

Thanks for all the help, you all rock !

 

[gtm1086]

Sounds like it's time for a good tune up. Points, Condensor, cap, rotor, plug wires and plugs. I would also replace the fuel filter

 

[bigblue91]

just try the little things mentioned by everyone and see if that helps.

that thing is a trooper.

if you plan on swapping the six from your other falcon i would find or have the tranny rebuilt when you swap so you know that is fine and that you wont have to swap it someday.

 

[BetsyBabe64]

what if the problem stems from my spark plugs ? i just got new ones from Napa. Some autolites. I asked for the recommended ones for my car and they gave me 46's. i set the gabs and replaced my old ones and noticed my old ones were 45's. Half the tips on the old plugs were really really black and the other half where white.

i'll go through what everyone said, thank you all.

 

[bigblue91]

i wouldn't worry about the black plugs. the white could mean alot of different things.
one cause of white plugs is by the timing being off. just reset timing when you borrow the timing light.

 

[Eaglo]

I'm shouting: POINTS - CONDENSER. They are under the distributor cap. Change the condenser first. It's one screw and a needle nose pliers or ignition wrench for the wire. That may be all you need.

It that doesn't solve your problem, change the points. Read up on how to set them. You'll need to take out two screws and get a feeler gauge or matchbook cover.

Five year old points? Come on now!

 

[BetsyBabe64]

hahaha i love that reply Eaglo.

i'll change the condenser and points this weekend and see if that's it.

i just gave a small 'tune up' that consisted of a new fuel filter (first one actually, the car has never had one)
new air filter, new spark plugs (set the gabs), and oil change. last summer i got new spark plug wires, coil, new belt and fuel pump. My regulator box is new, generator rebuilt last month, starter rebuilt last month, clutch rebuilt two months ago, fuel lines cleaned and new gas tank last summer. All signs do point to distributor. the previous owner said he had one time put in new points but didn't say when. it could have been longer then five years.

i have another question for you all !!!!

Anyone here with a 170 or 200 with the original style snorkel please take a picture of the inside of theirs with their air filter in PPPLEEAASSSEEE. i want to know how it's suppose to fit, or rather sit. For the last 3 years i've gotten a new air filter every summer and each time NAPA has a hard time finding one that fits and sells me one that's different every time. The one i have in there fits weird, i want to know how it's suppose to sit. My snorkel has a piece of metal on the inside that sticks out and is in front of the snorkel opening. Is an air filter suppose to fit in front or behind that ? This sounds silly, but i've never been able to get a straight answer on the question. Can someone please take a picture and post it in here ? Thank You

oh and i'm buying a 200 for my new project falcon. i wanted a 250 but have not been able to find one. i'm buying this 200 runner for $200. The guy who is selling it to me said that v8 transmissions hook up to it just like the 250's. Is that true ? i'm house sitting and don't have my falcon handbook with me, so i can't look it up. i suppose i could search for it but i rather be lazy