Hey guys its been a while since ive last been on here but might be because i havent had a problem for a while, anyways, i just got my car out of storage for the winter last weekend. its a 1981 with the 5.7 350. its starts up fine the first time each day, but sometimes it will start to idle really rough and completely die if i do not give it any gas. and when i go to restart it i need to push the pedal to the floor and keep cranking it till it does and takes a while to idle on its own. also on the passenger side of the engine, there is a little almost like a ticking noise, idk if you can hear vacuum leaks as i have not had one yet. from what ive read my problem may be a vacuum leak, bad egr, or do you think it could just be the gas from last year causing this. ive filled it up from half tank about twice now. thanks guys

 

With the engine cold and off, remove your air cleaner lid, stomp the gas pedal to the floor and let go, then look to make sure your choke is closing. I have a feeling the choke may not be adjusted and working like it should be. What kind of carb?
The ticking you hear could be a lifter. Could also be a leaky exhaust manifold/header gasket, or the y-pipe donut at the exhaust manifold, if you have stock exhaust.

 

i did check and the choke does close all the way. its a quadrajet. everything is stock and the ticking doesnt go away once the engine is warm

 

I doubt it's a vacuum leak, as that generally just makes the engine run a little faster. I'd be looking at a tune up after winter and the EGR.

 

It sounds like a flooding problem. We commonly call it "over loading". As the engine idles, the carb starts to slowly "overload" with gas causing it to flood slightly. It will eventually kill the engine. Then, to start a flooded car, you must hold the gas pedal to the floor. This allows the choke flap to be open and allows the most air into the mixture. Once it starts, some black smoke will billow out and the car will clear up within a few seconds.

This type flooding is common after a car has sat for a oong time. It is usually caused by trash under the needle valve in the carb, or a leaking float. Both are cheap and easy repairs.

 

this morning i started it the way i normally do, just pressing the gas down and letting go, and it fired right up. i had the hood up and the air filter off so i could see the carb, it idled for 15 seconds or so and started to idle rough to the point where it almost died, and i opened the butterfly valve by hand and went back to a more normal idle.

 

Loosen up on the choke setting then. It might be set too tight and not opening fully, or not soon enough. Experiment.

 

plug all vacuum ports on the carb and try it, even the one that leads to the Brake booster. I do not think it's the gas, My car car turned on after years in storage. concentrate on the choke and air intake. Manifold leak can cause this too. Small air leaks raises idle but a large air leak can stall the engine.

 

And change the oil. Maybe=longshot, your oil is alittle thin from all the gas. Causing your tick. Maybe just adjust it out.

 

i noticed the tick, its not really loud like other lifters ive heard in the past, right after the first time i started it out of storage, changed the oil shortly after and is still ticking.

ill try doing something with that in the morning so its cooled down overnight

what should i be looking for if i were to do this?