i dont think there is an exhaust leak because i dont smell anything, but after he left i let the car run for another good 5 minutes and the manifolds stopped smoking so 100% it was just dust and rust on the manifolds that burnt off.
High idle or just crazy?
- Thread starter Matthew Goeke
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he was just shopping, if you know the cars from the G body era you know what is important and what is not. For me the body and frame is more important than the mechanics and suspension on a car.
yea i dont think the guy was too smart, he couldnt figure out how to get the radiator cap off, and i didnt help him. plus he didnt really look at the car, the trunk was never even opened.
High idle has several possible causes, some severe. Could be as simple as sticky linkage, or serious like a crack in the carb causing a vacuum leak. Also sometimes sellers raise the idle speed to hide stalling problems so a high idle can be a red flag to buyers. He may have thought you were hiding problems. What engine does your Regal have? Most V8s have a high idle of 1k and a curb idle at 600 rpm. All engines idle faster in park than in drive with the brakes on. It is why you set idle speed in drive. The guy was probably trying to low ball you, but it might be a good idea to hook up a tach and make sure the idle speeds are correct.
Don't spray lube on the carb linkage. That will attract dirt and make it worse. If it's cruddy spray carb cleaner. Make sure it is clean and free to operate. After it gets good and hot take off the air cleaner and see if the choke flap is all the way open. If not- that's your problem.
ive looked into getting a tach, but never went through because it seemed tricky, do you know how to install a tach or where i can get one? also i want to thank everyone for some quick and good replies.
You have HEI so it is not tricky at all. There is a terminal on the distributor cap just for a tach. It is right next to the pink ignition wire terminal. Your tach will use three wires. That one, a hot, and a ground. Easy peasy.
Opie Knievel
Rum Fueled Midnight Mechanic and Moderator
My opinion, the guy was trying to low ball you. If he couldn't figure out how to get the radiator cap off, didn't realize the car would idle fast when first started because it's supposed to, and was worried about a little smoke from the manifolds, oh and didn't even check the body or frame, he doesn't deserve the car anyways. When I go to check out a car, especially a G Body, I crawl under it and look for rust. Check the trunk, rockers, etc. The car should idle fast when first started till it warms up, especially in cold weather. Be patient, someone who knows what you've got will come along. Expect to have to deal with a LOT of idiots in the mean time though.
You would do best to sell the car to a g body guy. Someone who will appreciate what it is. Also, dont forget, after the car warms up, you have to 'kick' the choke down to get the carb off of the fast idle cam. You do this by just giving the accelerator pedal a little stab.
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