NEW PROBLEM(S):

[Stewart G Griffin]

i kinda figured i was reading it wrong.  It's definitely a vacuum gauge, but there are actually something like 3 rings of number on the gauge and i am reading the outside ring, and to make it simple, the 6 o'clock setting is the normal idle and high vacuum (like coasting) setting.

[VileZambonie]

yes just pop the other egr valve on it.

[Stewart G Griffin]

i will try the EGR thing as soon as i can, Mr. Vile.

The one other thing i can add, and this sort of came to me as a dream or i was half-asleep-half-awake is that if you can imagine a steam locomotive----it "chugs."   Well, my engine does that below 950ish rpm and it does this in rhythm at say 700-800 rpm.  And then, the vacuum gauge is at 9 o'clock position during the "ch" sound, and then at the "g" sound, the needle of the vac gauge is at the 3 o'clock position.  And this is done in rhythm with each and every "chug."

[VileZambonie]

Well now you can write a song to the tune of your chugging engine. Eliminate the EGR as a possible cause. If it's stuck open it will act like a horrible vacuum leak, the engine won't idle and if it does it will idle poorly. Your vacuum gauge will read crazy. It's an easy enough thing to eliminate to determine if it's stuck open.

[Lt.Del]

"I hear a train a coming..."

Sorry, Johnny Cash just popped into my head 

[Stewart G Griffin]

This problem is really getting lame.

Anyways,

1) The engine seems like it won't stall out anymore, but the overall problem is still there---very rough idle.  Therefore, i was able run around to the front to do the cupping hand over the carb horn thing, and what happened was that the rpm tended to go down almost to stalling, but before stalling i would remove my hand because i didn't feel like re-starting the engine. 

2) RE: EGR
i tried the EGR thing without hooking up the vacuum hose and no-real improvement---besides the less propensity to stall out.  But the thing about EGR situation is, and i didn't really catch this was:

i noticed that the "tube" mechanisms of both EGR valves are different heights.



But the "pintle" mechanism/valves are roughly at the same height in both instances, therefore both EGR are sealing ok.



In addition, i could not blow air thru either one of them until i pushed up on the diaphrams, so therefore i'm ASSuming both valves are good.  As another note, i would not recommend blowing or sucking on the valves (unless you have a rubber tube connected to them) as they taste awful.

3) Vacuum advance:
Is the engine supposed to recieving any vacuum advance at idle?    i'm thinking (then hoping and then demanding) yes?

So what i did was, and please refer to the following diagram,  i hooked vaccum advance directly to the carb, at the final red arrow where it would normally feed into eventually a, which is a distributor delay valve and then into b, which is, of course, a thermal vacuum switch.



No improvment.

4)what else could cause an HEI to retard besides the distributor body rotating clockwise?

[Irish_Alley]

i cant seam to find my Haynes manual anywear but if you look at the trouble shooting part and then look at engine lopes at low rpm it will tell you what to look at thats the best i can tell you since everthing else i tell you just gets blown off

[VileZambonie]

Stewart:

If the EGR isn't hanging open and you are 100% positive then just check your basics. Don't worry about the vacuum advance just set the initial timing. Check all of your spark plugs and gaps. Check your wires and the firing order. Check the cap and rotor. If everything checks out ok and you have no major vacuum leaks check the needle and seat in the carb.

[Irish_Alley]

X2
Ty vile

[eventhorizon66]

Have you checked all the plugs and wires?  Timing?

[Stewart G Griffin]

Yes, i'm pretty sure all the plugs and wires are ok and in correct order.  The distributor itself is ok.  i am about to embark on the carb rebuild;  The only reason why i haven't started is i need to get my transportation/life planning ironed out for the next 1-3 months or so.

[Stewart G Griffin]

.......The sad, strange and stupid saga begins another chapter............

Welp, i've decided to start on the carb rebuild.

NOTE:
1) This process may take a while and go slow because a) my slightly tight financial situation(due to miscalculations on my part, unexpected medical bills and maybe the economy) and b) i have other things going on and c) i may have to wait on some parts on tools to come in.

2) This is not the cleanest carb in town.



i got the carb off the engine and my questions at this point are:

1) Regarding the accelerator pump arm, i've read that all hi-po applications---gto, corvette etc., use the hole closest to the pivot---this is the rod that connects the throttle to accel pump arm.  i would think that the hole farthest away from the pivot would provide more leverage and thus more "squirt?"

2) Does anyone offhand know what size torx bolts on the top of the carb?

[oldwhity]

The answer to 1)The hole farthest to the pivot point does have more leverage but less travel(not more "squirt") then the closer hole to the pivot point.

2) bit size is a T25.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Thanks, i forgot to ask also what torx sizes are the bolts that attach the vacuum break canister and the idle stop solenoid?   Apparently, more recent quadrajets had these instead of regular bolts.

[smitty77]

Like yourself, I know only the basics about cars/trucks.  But I do know that a vacuum leak will be your undoing unless you go over every hose carefully.

When I was about 8, my dad had his car die on him when he went to start it after work.  He is one of the smartest guys I know when it comes to cars and even with a trunk full of tools he ended up getting it towed home.  After 2 days of troubleshooting ignition, wiring, plugs, wires, etc. he happened to stumble upon a vacuum line that was hanging off of the associated port.  Not off completely, just open enough to cause problems.  He put the hose back in place and she fired right up.

As vile said - go back to basics.  If you let those ideas swim around in your head, you'll go insane.

When I read early in this thread your "assumptions" I cringed.  Don't do it Stewart, ASSUME makes and ASS out of U and ME.  Do you know FOR SURE your fuel delivery system is up to par?  Especially the pump?  The distributor, the timing, the wires, the plugs?  Check everything vacuum related, and drop the $49 on the new distributor.  With the remote engine switch and the carb rebuild, you'd have paid for it already.  It is 33 years old after all, and might just have had enough.

Just my $0.02 from a broke and learning truck enthusiast.
Smitty