Several years ago, I bought a '73 that hadn't been driven in a few years. After getting it running, it ran and idled well, and I drove it around the block a few times without issue. The only issue I had at that time was the choke not working, but once it got up to temperature, it would idle smoothly all day long.
Because of other projects, that '73 ended up sitting unstarted for about three years. My Spring resolution this year was to get it running and drivable. After putting a rear axle under it (thanks Doug) I tried starting it up only to find that the original carb leaked like crazy. I also knew the gas was old from only being driven about 10 miles in the past six or seven years. So, I had the carb rebuilt by gottafish carbs and have been trying to get it running correctly over the last month.
I can get it to start fine, but the idle has a noticeable surge to it. Unless I have the idle screw set almost all the way in, it will stall out on the lower part of the surge, which means on the upper part of the surge, the idle speed is crazy high. With a vacuum gauge hooked up, the vacuum will gradually fluctuate between 14 and 20 inches with the idle surge. When I rev it to about 2,000 RPM, the surging seems to go away, but when I rev it to 3,000 rpm, the engine starts to stumble and the vacuum drops way down below 10 inches.
For the heck of it, I took it for a drive around the block this evening. Throttle response on the rebuilt carb is great. Gradually accelerating and driving around the neighborhood was OK, but any time I got on the throttle in first or second, it bucked and sputtered like crazy. Second gear was the worst, and third gear was the smoothest. Cruising in third at 40 - 50 mph was great, smooth, and still had good throttle response. The other gears were choppy under acceleration.
As the title says - freshly rebuilt carb, Bronco runs like crap. I don't dare take it on the freeway. I'm not sure what could have happened in the three years it sat to make it go from a fairly decently running Bronco, to what I've got going on now. ?:?
Because of other projects, that '73 ended up sitting unstarted for about three years. My Spring resolution this year was to get it running and drivable. After putting a rear axle under it (thanks Doug) I tried starting it up only to find that the original carb leaked like crazy. I also knew the gas was old from only being driven about 10 miles in the past six or seven years. So, I had the carb rebuilt by gottafish carbs and have been trying to get it running correctly over the last month.
I can get it to start fine, but the idle has a noticeable surge to it. Unless I have the idle screw set almost all the way in, it will stall out on the lower part of the surge, which means on the upper part of the surge, the idle speed is crazy high. With a vacuum gauge hooked up, the vacuum will gradually fluctuate between 14 and 20 inches with the idle surge. When I rev it to about 2,000 RPM, the surging seems to go away, but when I rev it to 3,000 rpm, the engine starts to stumble and the vacuum drops way down below 10 inches.
For the heck of it, I took it for a drive around the block this evening. Throttle response on the rebuilt carb is great. Gradually accelerating and driving around the neighborhood was OK, but any time I got on the throttle in first or second, it bucked and sputtered like crazy. Second gear was the worst, and third gear was the smoothest. Cruising in third at 40 - 50 mph was great, smooth, and still had good throttle response. The other gears were choppy under acceleration.
As the title says - freshly rebuilt carb, Bronco runs like crap. I don't dare take it on the freeway. I'm not sure what could have happened in the three years it sat to make it go from a fairly decently running Bronco, to what I've got going on now. ?:?
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