No Power on inclines

[keith]

These are low powered engines, but it should still get you up any reasonable incline. You may find a 5% grade, with AC on will require a downshift to 4th to accelerate, but should hold 55 in 5th.

If yours is not capable of this, then you need to start with the basics. If the idle is smooth, you can assume that all four cylinders are firing. First check all vacuum lines for leaks, then check the timing to be sure it is up to spec. It should be 5° BTDC with the vacuum advance disconnected and 13°BTDC with the line connected at idle. Slowly rev the engine up ant the timing should advance.

A common problem is that the advance weights freeze and the timing won't advance.
there is a little hole at the base of the distributor pointed down. Its a drain, but its in line with the weights, spray a little wd40 up into the hole with the engine running and it should free the weights. You may need to spray it and shut down the engine for awhile to let the wd do its work, the fire it up and check again.

If that fails, or timing is working to spec and you still don't have power, check valve clearance, .007 intake and .011 exhaust cold. If that turns out to be ok, or doesn't solve the problem, then check cam timing. Stop the engine at TDC on #1 and remove the top half of the timing belt cover and check the position of the cam gear. It should have a hole at 12 o'clock in it that you can see the timing mark on the head through. There are also two raised marks at 3 and 9 o"clock that should be in line with the plane of the head.

The next step after this would be a compression test. You may find it easier to do the compression test before checking the cam timing.

[Petros]

Another very common cause of this behavior is fuel starvation. Check or just replace the fuel filter to verify it is not clogged up (they are cheap), then verify that the fuel pump is working properly with a pressure gauge.

If the pump is bad you should also check the motor oil for the smell of gas, if present change it. If the pump diaphrame leaks, it will allow gasoline to mix with the motor oil. If the pump failed because of a faulty check valve you will not get fuel in the oil.

Usually when it is a fuel starvation issue it will start and run fine, even drive and idle okay, but with the heavy demand on an uphill run it will not allow enough fuel to carb. This will cause the engine to cut-out or buck when you depress the throttle past a certain point, but still runs fine at any throttle postion less than this.

If not the pump or filter, you should also visually check all of the fuel lines between the carb and gas tank for damage, kinks or leaks.

Good luck.