carb. or timing? 66t-bird

[sadeqq]

hi i am new to this forum. i'm glad i found it , its really nice.

anyways, i recently purchased a great 66t-bird with a 390 engine in it. i gave it a tune up last week, it drives real smooth, the only thing is that when i am sitting idle at a red light, it sometimes wants to shut off, and if i dont put one foot on the gas pedal a little bit it does. also, when i take off from being stopped, if i push down more than 1/4 on the accelerator, it stalls. i have to go real easy for the first few seconds and then after i get going a bit its fine.

any suggestions would be appreciated. before i bought it it sat garaged for over 6 yrs. my friends think its either the carb needs to be rebuilt or the top dead center is off. if its TDC, does anyone know the degrees for hte peak?

thanks a lot everyone.

 

[woodward bird]

It's kinda hard to say for sure over a computer what the problem is but if i had to guess i would say it sounds like a carb problem,you said the car sat for over 6 years,if it wasent started that whole time it's poss. that the gaskets in the carb could have dried out and a rebuild is in order. I would still check the timing no matter what the poblem is.

Good luck! WOODWARD BIRD

 

[woodward bird]

I almost forgot.....Also check for a vacum leak!

WOODWARD BIRD

 

[shemp]

Check for vaccuum leak, as mentioned above, first! There are a bunch of vaccuum hoses that all need to be checked for cracks and tight fit. I just replaced every one of mine! Idle will be exactly as you described if there is a vaccuum hose off. If not, adjust your idle according to the procedure in the shop manual. I'd agree, that after 6 years of sitting with gas in it, your carb needs a good cleaning and a rebuild. I also just did mine as it sat for 10 years and was totally clogged up with dried gas varnish. Carb kit was about $25. Good luck!