engine and drivetrain Dies On Acceleration :(

[antho!]

I have a 1973 Automatic with 40mm Italian Webers.  So weird things happened a few months back, drove a lot in one day and as I got close to home, the car was bogging and sounded like a lawnmower.  Other random issues (backfire, won't start, timing, etc.) and things just got busy, so I haven't worked on it for a while. 

 

Today, I got it to start fine, no backfire, idles in neutral fine, idles in gear fine...but as soon as I give it any gas, it dies out.  I have no idea what's going on.  Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance!

[Hans]

Assuming that it ran fine and now it doesn't, I'd skip the ignition test for the moment and look in the fuel delivery system for accumulated sludge. Try blowing out the idle circuit jets. Pull one carb top and see what's in the bowl. Then I'd do a quick review of ignition side: points, dist cap, maybe plugs, timing.  could just be the accumulated impact of overdue tune-up, or, something blocking idle side of carbs.

[Mike Self]

As my late father-in-law used to say, "Mike, 90% of your carburetor problems are in the ignition, so keep your cotton-pickin' hands off the carb until you know the ignition system is perfect.  Then start checking the carb."  

 

After you know your ign is OK, then I'd look in the float chambers for crud that could be clogging both idle and main jets, and check both the fuel filter and the filter screen in the fuel pump.

 

mike

[Mark92131]

Once you sort the ignition, make sure that the set screws that hold the chokes in are doing their job.  I had one fall out on my Weber 45 and it would idle, but not accelerate.  After my incident, I safety wired those screws.

 

Good Luck,

 

 

Mark

[antho!]

thanks everyone!  will check all of those things!

[eurotrash]

I like that you have an automatic with side drafts.  That's awesome.