need a little help

[jessiethomposn]

So got my car for free and it was in really bad shape, still kind of is. Before I paint it and do body work and fix other parts of it i want to make sure the car runs well. So its was leaking oil really really bad, fix that. It was losing RPMs and dieing, so I rebuild the carburetor, put it back on, got all new vacuum lines for the carburetor, new seals. the carburetor is were it needs to be floats and all that. i put it on and ran it, started fine and ran really really well for about five, then i turned it off and started it again, it was having troubles starting(starter is still good) and it start run it start to lose RPMs again. it sound great when i first started it and it is was holding RPMs. But after all that it still losing RPMs and dieing. when i push in the gas peddle the RPMs start to go down and dies, when its sitting idle it sound like its having trouble holding RPMs, i see the RPM needle slowly just hit zero. so i need some help isolating the problem. I got all the vaccum line on right, and the carburetor is in better shape then it was. anyone got any idea?

[marlinh]

Did you check if the fuel filter was OK? Take it off and see if you can blow through it. Maybe it is plugged.

[jessiethomposn]

yes, i replaced that. it was deformed and was a little milky. tho i didnt check to see if the lines were plugged from the filter.

[dlb]

it's easy enough to disconnect the fuel hose from the tank and the filter, and then blow it out with compressed air. then i would test the fuel pump. there is a factory service manual (FSM) available for download here

https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8103

so use the test in there for the pump.

does it engine run like you describe all the time, or just when it's cold? check the choke and fast idle settings and make sure they are correct. check the AAP, as it is a common source of poor running, especially when cold. also put a clean hose on the choke opener and choke breaker diaphragms and suck on it. you should not be able to suck air through. if you can suck air through either one or both of them, they will be vacuum leaks when the engine is cold and will cause the symptoms you describe.

try those things and let us know what you find. good luck.

[jessiethomposn]

the fuel pump is good. i have the original manual(a little beat up) that came with the car + one other that was a update manual i think, that is what i been using, tho i will use the test in the book just to make sure. the engine runs like that most all of the time, hot or cold. as far a vacuum leaks go that is part of the reason the carburetor was taken off and rebuilt, and got new hoses for the car. there was a vacuum leak at the base of the carburetor, and the hoses look really bad, so to make sure there was no vacuum leaks i got all new hoses and check them and new gaskets for the car and resealed it up being really really careful and making sure i did it right so i would not have any leaks. sometimes the when the car is cold it runs really well and sometimes really bad, same goes for when its warm, it seems to not hold the RPMs. Before i toke off the carburetor and it was doing the same thing, that was mostly because of the vacuum leak.

but i will check the Fuel lines, choke and fast idle to make sure the are right and the Check the AAP tonight and tomorrow and see if it helps, check for vacuum leaks. I will give you a update when i do this list. Thanks for the ideas guys!