Please help me!

[WIKD CUT]

Alright, the 307 in my Cutlass had been running really rich for about three years now. This year I decided to have the carb rebuilt to try to solve the problem. When the guy pulled the carb apart, he found that the TPS was broken. We couldn't find one in town and I was heading to a cruise the following day, so he put it back together and ordered a new TPS. The rebuild solved the running rich problem. I bolted the carb back up and fired up the motor and it purred like a kitten.....for about 5 mins. It started spittin and sputterin and then just died. I fired it back up and it did the same thing and died again. I had to hold my foot on the gas until the engine warmed up just so it would stay idling. When it did idle, it was terribly rough and sounded like the car had a radical cam in it. It drove ok out on the road but when I put the boots to it, it would stumble, hesitate and then pick up and take off. I then noticed that the secondaries weren't opening. Well I drove it twice while waiting for the new TPS to arrive. Each time I started it I had to keep my foot in the gas to keep it running after startup whether it was hot or cold.

The TPS arrived, it was installed,the secondaries were fixed. The TPS came with instructions on how to adjust it, but I had heard that you needed a special tool to do it and it wasn't included in the kit. We just put the carb back on without adjustment and fired it up and it purred like a kitten....for 5 mins. It started spittin and sputterin again but this time it actually stayed running. It idled really rough and sounded like it was missing. I shut the car off and then tried to start it right back up and it coughed and choked and died again. Once again I had to keep my foot in the throttle to keep it running. After it has been idling for about 20 secs the Service Engine light comes on. I unhooked the battery and then reconnected and it made the problem worse!!!

Please give me an idea of what's going on. TPS need adjustment??? Do you need special tools besides drilling the cap and pulling it off??? Timing off? Plugs bad? I'm just really frustrated right now because I can't figure it out.

 

[87montecarlomrc]

wow that sounds like a head ache to me. it mite just be easier to get a new carb. i just got a new holley and it runs perfect

 

[Blake442]

Most 'presumed' carburetor problems are actually electrical.

I'd start combing through your ignition system before I went out and bought another carb...

 

[Stoopud]

The electrical issue is true. Been there done that. However, the car was running good until you pulled the carb and now it is not. That definetly points to the carb. I would look at all of the vacume lines. Maybe you missed one or one is cracked or installed in the worng place. Sounds like it could be a vacume problem to me. Did you replace the carb gasket?

Also, I do not know much about TPS (throttle position sensor? - on a carb?). I run a demon and dont have one. But if you know you cut a corner, that is ussually the first thing to suspect. You had a bad part that you messed with and ran the car anyway, then ran it with it unadjusted and it did not run right. I would start with adjusting the TPS. The have one and an adjustment for a reason. I would imagine the care would not run right without it. However, like I said I do not know anything about TPS, so it could be a useless part.

Do you hava buddy with a similar carb? Switch them and see what happens? Carbs are easy enough to change. If the problem moves to his car, you found your problem. If not, check the rest.