Could you guys please help me out? Lately my car has been running really rough, the idle is terrible, and the exhaust gets so hot it starts glowing red. I had a vacuum leak around the base of the carb, but I fixed that by putting a new throttle body on, and it still runs the same. I have gutted the cats, but I have not checked the timing, because I'm afraid I will mess it up. I don't think it's that anyway, because I can adjust the mixture screw all the way shut and it keeps running. I have searched, but I haven't found any problems like the messed up mixture screw. I am considering buying a new carb, because the one on their now is stock and I think it's pretty messed up. Oh and it is kind of hard to start.

My car is an 85 GS, please help I am really stumped!

BTW I tried to adjust the mixture richer and the car runs a little better, but the exhaust still glows red

 

BTW I tried to adjust the mixture richer and the car runs a little better, but the exhaust is still glowing.

 

Why is people so aprehensive about adjusting timing? nothing could be easier, providing the pulley is marked.

I bet your timing is retarded.

 

I guess I will give it a shot , Thanks for the reply

 

got a timing light? what kind?

 

Before you do anything else, verify that you have spark on your leading ignition.....

 

rofl

 

what's so funny?

 

If she starts up no problem and idles fine then I'm leaning to an retarted timing Even if you don't have a gun just Advance the distributor a couple of degrees by guess. ... But once again I didn't read Every word of the post.. Crappy idle, poor time starting, high EGT... Your RETARDED! meaning you have a shot leading (Ignitor,> coil, >wire, >plugs)

 

The starting position for the idle mixture screw should be somewhere around 2 1/4 turns out from closed. The idle speed screw should at first be turned in so that there's at least a 1/16th inch gap between the throttle body bore and the edge of the primary butterfly valve. That ensures a high idle at roughly the correct mixture.
Reduce idle speed and then correct mixture.
Repeat until idle is set @ 750 and mixture is slightly rich.

If you can screw the mixture all the way in and it still runs, then you have a vacuum leak. That will screw up your idle, but not everything else you describe.

You say you've gutted the cats, but do you still have the Air Control Valve in place?
If it's hooked up, perhaps at idle the air pump is blowing into your exhaust. This might account for glowing pipes.
Maybe someone else can pick up on this.

Most definitely look at your timing. Chances are you won't have to adjust it, but rather you'll end up simply replacing an ignitor like these guys said. Get new plugs and a cap and rotor, too.

I think you have a combination of problems.
First be sure about the ignition. Then find the vacuum leak. Tune the idle, and then find out if you went about gutting the cats correctly.

 

I don't have a timing light yet, so I will have to get one. Do I need a special kind for a Rotary? I will check the leading Ignitor. I read about a test for it where you start the car and disconnect the wire going to the leading coil and see if it runs any different, is that right? Also, the old throttle body that was on there was warped and would always leak on the firewall side of the carb. I tried to seal it off using RTV Silicone but it didn't work. Do you guys know of another way to seal off a vacuum leak around the base of the carb? About the Air Control Valve there was a pipe that lead to the main cat that broke off when I was taking the exhaust off, is that what you're taking about?

Thanks for all the replys!

 

I got one like this, cheapest one, http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00902137000

 

I found a craftsman one for 10 dollars on ebay that I'm going to try and get. I found a vacuum leak at the shutter valve, I fixed it and the idle was better. Although the engine still shakes every now and then and the exhaust still gets hot. I tried the leading Ignitor/Coil test that I was talking about and they are still good, so I guess it's either another vacuum leak or the timing. Also, Could the timing be to far Advanced? because I looked at the nut that you loosen to adjust the timing and it was on the advanced side of the distributor.

Thanks for all the help! Nobody where I live knows anything about these cars, so you guys are a big help.

 

Cool. Got a pic of the dizzy? not that I don't trust you know where is fully advanced and where fully retarded, but wanted to see by myself.

 

Advanced timing typically results in a hot engine, retarded causes hot exhaust. Its all about when the spark hits the fuel, and how much time it has to burn off before it exhausts. Good luck.

Also, just to be sure, you might try this. Remove the plug wire at the bottom front plug. Place the end of the wire close to, but not touching, the engine block or some other grounded metal. Turn the engine over and make sure you see a good strong spark jump the gap.

 

I'm probably wrong, but I thought this was a little advanced, not all the way though.

 

You're right about the fact that you were wrong . That's slightly retarded. If you move the dizzy clockwise, you will advance timing.

This is how fully advanced timing looks like:

 

Did you verify the operation of your leading ignition yet? Minor retardation should not result in glowing pipes....

 

I got it to jump from the leading coil (which is the one closest to the driver right?) to the spark plug wire and it shocked the crap out of me!
I haven't checked the Ignitor though, Will it blow the Ignitor if you don't ground the spark plug when you check them, because I don't think I did that?

 

Today I also noticied that when I pull the choke out and set it at around 3,000 RPM, by the time the car is warmed up the choke is about at 4,000 RPM. is this normal? Is that a sign of another vacuum leak?