Help '66 Pickup won't idle...

[tragic59]

Took my 66' Dodge out today to pick up my trailer out of storage, and it kept dying on me after it got warmed up.

It started easy, and ran great until it warmed up, then it would run great down the street, accelerate smoothly, etc...
But it would die every time I came to a stop sign, or took a turn too slow and it had to idle. It would just die off. Always started right up again real easy and would run great as long as I was revving the engine, or in gear and driving... But as soon as I let it slow to idle it would die.

Tried messing with the idle adjustment on the carb, but it made no difference. Disconnected the choke(because it only started after the truck got warm) and it made no difference.

Thought I might have a vaccuum leak, because I had brake booster go bad on a car and give me identical symptoms, and because I could hear a "hissing" sound. Replaced ALL the vaccuum lines and that did't help...

It's a Dodge LA318, out of a later truck. Not sure of the year, but I would guess late 60's early 70's. 2bbl carb. 727 auto trans. No A/C. No power steering.

Any ideas? Where should I begin trouble shooting this thing?

[lilbill]

i'd suspect a plugged idle circuit or a vacuum leak. see how much manifold vac you have at low rpms, should be around 20" for a tight system.
what kind of carb are you running?
there is also the off chance that your points are closing up.

[dabond]

Could be a bad diaphram on the dash pot??

[SamIyam]

Take some starting fluid and spray around the car and intake... if it picks up idle, you may have a vacuume leak.

But I suspect it's something else... check out your float level. And your idle circuit, spray carb cleaner through the idle air bleeds and through the jet screw holes... double check timing.

Sam.

[tragic59]

I couldn't do the starting fluid trick to check for vaccuum leak. I was by myself and the truck wouldn't stay running without someone having their foot on the gas pedal. A friend is supposed to be coming by to ride to Turlock with me tomorrow, so hopefully then...

How do I check the idle circuit? My knowledge of carbs is next to zero. Will I have to take the carb apart, or can I check it another way.

As for the timing, I've had some suspicions that it might be too far advanced. It was running hot, but don't own a timing light, and haven't been able to borrow one to verify this.

Running hot could be a sign of running too lean, right? Would that(a lean condition) be a symptom/ cause of any of the other carb woes y'all have suggested?

[Threedeuce56]

another place to check for a vacuum leak is at the vacuum advance pod on the distributor.I had the one on the 56 go and the car started running rough,when i opened the hood could hear a hissing sound.easy way to check is to,take the distributor cap off,unplug the vacuum line from the carb and suck in it, you should see the advance mechanism inside moving.just figured i'd throw this out there, not something you allways think of checking.good luck with er! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[lilbill]

make sure everything else is ok BEFORE you mess with the carb.

[tommy]

I had the same problem. it would start and run ok as long as the choke was on richening the mixture. Once the choke opened it wouldn't stay running....Vacuum leak like everyone else said. Check any vacuum hoses for accessories etc. it could be as simple as a cracked rubber hose.