Stalling. Help Please!

[Gdog]

Ok, I have owned a CJ for a month. It is an 84 CJ7 with a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l straight 6. I think I messed up and needs some help.
Yesterday I power washed under the hood so I could track down a small coolant leak, and it was covered in years of dirt and grime. I thought I let it dry sufficiently, but when I went to take it out last night the belts squealed when I gave it gas.
Then my real problems started. It stalled out backing out of the driveway, and at the stop sign at the end of the block. I took it back home, and it ran fine as long as it’s getting gas, but as soon as I had to stop it died. I started it up this afternoon, and it will star no problem, but will die as soon as I let off the gas.
Two questions:
1) How bad did I just screw up?
2) Any ideas what might be causing this problem and how to fix it

Thanks,

 

[LIVELY5R]

You probably got water in the distributor cap & some electrical pieces. Spray it with WD-40 & displace the water & it should be fine. However , wait for someone to confirm this as I am speaking of my own experience & screw ups!

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Remove dizzy cap and dry the inside of the cap.
Remove horseshoe clip around the coil and dry it.
Sounds like your do for new spark plug wires.
Drive it and get the engine good and hot(15-20 miles)
LG

 

[jdcaples]

Sometimes it's not obvious, so I'd add: Leave the spark plug wires connected when you take off the distributor cap, or take note of the firing order.

-Jon

PS: inspect the cap for fractures. I have broken plastic furniture with a pressure washer and old distributor plastic can be brittle, esp in the Texas weather.

 

[Gdog]

Thanks. I didn't think about the possibility of cracking the cap. I appreciate all the help. I hope to have time to fix it tomorrow. I will let y'all know if that gets it going.

 

[Gdog]

OK. I sprayed WD 40 all over the distributor and cap. I dried the cap and the horseshoe clip, then I ran to NAPA to get sparkplugs a wires, then I installed them (I even go the firing order right the first time thanks to labeling them (Thanks for the tip Jon)). It was a good 30 minutes from the time I sprayed and dried the distributor until I started it back up.
She started up fine, idled for about 5 minutes, didn’t sound great, but seemed to get better as she got warm. Finally stalled out as I was putting the tools away. I started it back up and drover her around the block for a good 10 minutes. Every time I came to a complete stop it died. It starts right back up, but then the next stop sign it dies again. It doesn’t matter if I have it in gear with the clutch engaged, or in Neutral. Any time I stop or almost stop it stalls out.

Any ideas why I would still be having this issue?
Thanks again for all your help.

 

[jdcaples]

Is it possible you made a mechanical adjustment with the pressure washer? I'm thinking knocking off - or punching a hole in - a vacuum line or maybe even accidentally turning a screw on the carburetor?

-Jon

 

[Lumpy Grits]

WD40 will insulate/isolate electrical components.
Wash the WD40 off with contact cleaner---
LG

 

[Gdog]

Will do thanks.
I went back out to inspect the cap for a crack, as I forgot to do that the first time. I noticed some black residue in 2 of the connections of the distributor cap. I didn’t notice it before, but I could have missed it. I cleaned it out. and reinstalled. I didnt find any damage to cap.
I ran it for about 10 minutes, had to have gas to it or it died. Now I am getting some sputtering and small black smoke from the exhaust.

Could I have a problem in the carb, or fuel pump or filter?

 

[jdcaples]

Will do thanks.
I went back out to inspect the cap for a crack, as I forgot to do that the first time. I noticed some black residue in 2 of the connections of the distributor cap. I didn’t notice it before, but I could have missed it. I cleaned it out. and reinstalled. I didnt find any damage to cap.
I ran it for about 10 minutes, had to have gas to it or it died. Now I am getting some sputtering and small black smoke from the exhaust.

Could I have a problem in the carb, or fuel pump or filter?

Have a look at this:

Symptoms of a Carburetor Air Leak | eHow

Search for "forcing the use of the gas pedal to keep the vehicle running" in the text.



-Jon

 

[Gdog]

As I was trying to track down the possible vacuum leak. I have discovered that the PO had hoses running everywhere, and none of them match any diagram that I have found. Can anyone tell me if you have any ideas what the PO was trying to accomplish with the hose routing, and how I can fix it. Also as I mentioned before I am not a mechanic, so if anyone has some good clear step by step directions to help me correctly route all the hoses that would be great.
Pics are attached.
Thanks again for everyone’s help.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

This may help--
Vacuum Hoses

LG

 

[Gdog]

Thanks for all the help guys. I had a minor victory today. I have put the vac lines back as close to possible according to the link LG sent. That was a great help, and I appreciate it. I cannot find a leak, and believe I have everything back correctly. I looked at the carb, and when I open the throttle, I get two solid streams of fuel when the engine is off, so I think the jets and tubes are working properly. When the bowl was full they stopped squirting, so I believe the float is working as well.

Here is where I ran into a problem.
I got it to idle (much smoother than last week) with no help from me for 10-12 minutes, then I opened the throttle, and I get a sucking sound from the carb, and no longer see any fuel coming from the jets. Also after I opened the throttle, it still went back to idle, but started to get rough again. I noticed that the butterfly valve started to open wider and wider and the idle got rougher and rougher until the butterfly valve finally stood strait up, and the engine eventually died.

Is the cause of this problem the valve, and if so how do I tighten it up (I turned every screw in the area, but nothing helped close the valve). Or is there another issue that I need to address that is causing the valve to open as the engine warms up?

I wish I would have never rolled out that powerwasher 2 weeks ago.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

From the link I sent you--
Idle Problems

Also make sure the 2 idle mix screws are turned out the exact same.
Sounds like you knocked some loose in the carb bowl, maybe.
Does your carb have the stepper motor? If so-Unplug and dry the plug on the back of the stepper motor.
LG

 

[Gdog]

Thanks LG.
I did see and read through the idle problems in the link too. That is a great source and is still open in my browser. I have adjusted the mix screws, and I believe they are exactly the same.
The Carb has a stepper motor. I will take it off and dry it now.
Thanks again for all the help.

 

[danray48]

It was probably gonna happen at home or 20 miles from home anyways. better you made it happen at home. Looks like LG has you on the right path. Good luck...

 

[Gdog]

Quick question. Can I adjust the tension on the choke? With the choke open at 1/4 inch or slightly less the idles great. However the choke wants to sit open at about 4/10 of an inch when its ideling and I have to manually hold it closed slightly to get it to run. I just dont know if I have a problem with the choke alone or if I have a fuel system problem where it is getting to much air in the system.

Thanks guys.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

There should be a a black capped housing on the right side of the carb.
Rotate that black cap 1/2 of 1 hash mark towards the front of the Jeep.
A FSM will show this adjustment.
LG

 

[Hedgehog]

Sounds like you have a plugged low speed jet to me. With the choke on your getting the gass the motor needs to run, with the choke open she's not a happy camper.

 

[Gdog]

Thanks Hedgehog. Is that something that can be repaired without doing a total carb rebuild? Is that also in the FSM that I have yet to go pick up?