See also my 8/22/2008 post. I took the car to a small local shop. They said there was nothing they could do. The mechanic said he thought it was the valves. He said it would be an expensive fix (valve job). The engine isn't worth that much to me. I want to get through the summer without too much expense. Any thoughts on how to improve the rough running engine that may be caused by dirty valves? I tried stuff you can pour in with the oil. No difference. The oil looks dirty so an oil change is next on my list.

 

Go to a shop that advertises BG Chemicals, and ask for an intake and fuel system cleaning,
actually on second thought i have only ever done that on fuel injected cars, it should work on carbeurated engines but i am not sure, although if it did work it could fix your problem

 

Thank you for responding to my question about my rough running 1966 I6 200 engine. I see a local shop that has the BG Chemicals for the intake and fuel system cleaning. Any idea what they should charge for that?

 

check you spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and points. mine does the same thing about every 3000 miles and all it ever needs is spark plugs. and maybe pour some sea foam cleaner in the carb and in the fuel tank. also check your fuel filter

 

I have very little budget at this point. I suppose I could change the plugs first. But I don't even know what size socket I need. I've got a spark plug socket in a socket wrench set that I have but it is too shallow. Is there a specific size that I should buy?

What type of spark plugs should I get (make, part number . . .)?

I got a price from a local shop for the BG Chemicals intake and fuel system cleaning - $130. But the guy said he'd like to put it on a scope and check the compression first (this conversation was on the phone).

 

the spark plug are auto lite 46. and youll need a 13/16 spark plug socket to get them out and probaly an 6 inch extension. if the car isnt blowing smoke dont worry about the compression test its not gonna tell you anything. and the intake and fuel cleaning is really a waste of money on our cars. have you tried to turn your idle up and see if it smooths out?

 

Like 5pnt said, have a mechanic take a look at you carb and make sure it's tuned properly, unless you think you can tackle it yourself. It sounds like you just need a tune up, filters, spark plug wires, an oil change, and maybe a timing adjustment. If you bring it to a shop a basic tuneup like this should cost about $200 maybe a little less. If you do everything yourself $75-$100. Remember only a 1/8 of a turn on the fuel mixture screw can be the difference between stalling out and running at peak performance so definitely make sure your carb is tuned properly.

 

First of all, don't go tossing money at a motor if it is worn out. I wouldn't go back to the first mechanic. Go and spend $20 on a compression gage. It can tell you a lot. Also handy is a vacuum gage. Make sure it's not a valve problem because you can tune a car all day with no results if it has a bad valve. How many miles are on this car/motor? A valve job is not that expensive. You can pull the head, take it down to have it done, a few gaskets and you're done for less than $200.

Also, I haven't read your other post so when does it run rough? Is it just at idle, or what?

 

Okay, so I took it into a shop. Compression showed fine results. The mechanic took a look at the distributor and found a mess. The rotor was cracked and he said it was glued on. Something was hitting against something else and wearing holes (sorry didn't catch the details). So, new distributor ... Now running much better. He did say that the seals are letting oil get on the spark plugs. So, he suggested just run it for as long as it lasts. I'm thinking of getting a V8 so maybe this is my excuse.

Thank you for all of the help on this.