Don't really know what to even look for. 82 rex won't stay running at idle. runs pretty good at like 2500 RPMs then hits a brick wall at 5000 RPMs meaning wont really accelerate beyond that. Also my choke all of a sudden won't stay out when its cold.

I have checked vacuum lines, jets seem to be spraying ok, fuel pump is working. Haven't checked anything electrical but don't know much about checking that.

Any ideas???

Thanks

 

does the car run a cat or all the stock cats if so could be that some thing has caused them to melt down or plug up. when i picked mine up the cats were melted down and the car would stumble badly under 2000 and woudnt exceed 5500

 

High idle, and not being able to bring it down is a sure sign of a vacuum leak. Hiting a wall and not being able to rev into the upper rpms is usually due to a lack pf fuel supply or the cats are plugging.

There is a temp sensor on the back side of the waterpump housing. This is what sends a signal to the ecu telling it to hold the electromagnetic choke open. Either the ecu isn't recieving a signal due to a broken wire or the choke cable is broken.

 

Won't accelerate? Does it buck, miss, or shudder at high rpm? If so, I would say check your timing. If it just sort of levels off at that range, fuel system would seem more appropriate. Your low-range problem sounds like a vacuum leak, but could be a number of things. Have you pulled and looked at a spark plug to see what's going on in your combustion chambers?

 

Don't think the cats are bad. This was a sudden problem. Went for a drive yesterday and all of a sudden I can't idle without giving gas and I have no power in the high RPMs??? I don't have a high idle, just wont stay running unless I keep on the gas at between 1800 and 2500 RPMs.

I will check plugs now.

Can pulling out the choke when the engine is already warm cause something to break? I did that to try and get revs up while I dump seafoam down the carb. I wouldn't stay out b/c engine was warm and now it doesn't stay out at all.

 

You may have broken the cable, although I must say, I used to pull the choke out to keep my rpms up sometimes during hard shifts, and I've never broken one. Either way though, unless the choke is somehow stuck ON, then a broken choke cableshouldn't affect your performance beyond starting.

 

Choke cable is not broken, still operational, just won't stay out on its own after pulling it out when car was already warmed up.

Plugs looked ok. Lite brown with small deposits on one side and dark brown with no deposits on the other. All 4 looked this way.

Yes is kind of bucks and shutters while driving now.

All this was a sudden problem, happened yesterday while out for an afternoon cruise.

 

If it bucks and shudders, look at the distibutor cap and see if the little 10mm nut that holds it in place has come loose, allowing the cap to move. Bucking and shuddering is chaacteristic of too much advance, especially if it occurs only at high rpm (when the centrifugal advance is maxed out). Without a timing light you can't adjust it perfectly, but you might try retarding it at the distributor VERY slightly, then see how it behaves at high rpm. Too far advanced timing can also cause it to run very poorly at idle. Also look to see if your carb is pouring gas- sometimes a little piece of crap get past the filter and sticks in the needle valves. To check on this, turn your fuel pump on (if it's a stock 82 setup, this probably just means turning the key on) without the motor running, and see if you can see any gas pouring into the carb barrels, although if you're not seeing heavy carbon on the plugs, this probably isn't the problem. Maybe it's time to grab a can of starter fluid and look for vac leaks.