running funny after tune up

[lamboman]

I installed a new cap and rotor / plug wires and relay update kit...also changed out the relay in the engine bay (same as main ones in fuse panel)...and rpm relay.Ran great before but i wanted to make it nice and to know what i have / have done. Unfortunatley after this all was done i started it up and it is idling a bit rough and popping every few seconds (in exhaust i think)...I have looked over everything done 3 or 4 times and all seems well...including the plug wires routing.

I notice when putting the car in gear (auto) the idle drops and popping gets worse.

I am not sure the proper idle point? and where it should idle in gear aswell?.

I did notice on thing though that the throttle cable was out of its track on the engine end and i did put it back in correctly but the engine ran better with it out of the track (P/O must have set the engine with this wrong as it changes the length when it is in the track correctly.

I still think the throttle cable is not all my issue and just a fluke thing i noticed during the parts change over.I did check the wires were not pushed out of the lambda or rpm while inserting the new parts...and i checked the little 2 inch red ground wire on passenger side of engine. I know there is lots of wires and vaccume lines hidden around the area of the distributor so not sure if something there could be causing this?if i had a vaccume leak would the car not be idling high?.I did check the vaccume routing that is visible but all looks well.

There is a couple things unplugged and i am not sure if i knocked them loose or if they were like that...i think they were always un plugged.I will attach pics in a few minutes.

I do think it is running rich.

[lamboman]

pics...two of the plugs look like they go together but not certain.

[sdg3205]

Double check your spark plug wires are correct. Trace them directly from the distributor to the spark plug. If 2 are mixed up you'll get a popping sound.

[lamboman]

pic 3 is coming from what i think is the diagnostic plug on the drivers side valve cover.

[lamboman]

I did trace each wire and they are the same as the old setup.Where could i find a proper routing diagram?.thanks.


Double check your spark plug wires are correct. Trace them directly from the distributor to the spark plug. If 2 are mixed up you'll get a popping sound.

[sdg3205]

I did trace each wire and they are the same as the old setup.Where could i find a proper routing diagram?.thanks.

Is this the popping sound (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDIMfI8JKBc)?

Check the number on the distributor cap in relation to the numbers on the valve cover.

[DMCMW Dave]

The red plug is the connection for the reverse lights on a manual trans car. The one plugged in is for your automatic safety switch, backup lights, governor etc. Later cars had the non-used plug cut off in the harness, on early cars it just hangs there.

If you plug in the loose one and leave the other one off, the car will start in any gear, will have no reverse lights, and will be stuck in third gear all the time i.e. act like a dead governor.

[lamboman]

Yeah it is a popping like that.


Is this the popping sound (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDIMfI8JKBc)?

Check the number on the distributor cap in relation to the numbers on the valve cover.

[lamboman]

Thanks for the info dave.any idea on the other connectors?.


The red plug is the connection for the reverse lights on a manual trans car. The one plugged in is for your automatic safety switch, backup lights, governor etc. Later cars had the non-used plug cut off in the harness, on early cars it just hangs there.

If you plug in the loose one and leave the other one off, the car will start in any gear, will have no reverse lights, and will be stuck in third gear all the time i.e. act like a dead governor.

[sdg3205]

Yeah it is a popping like that.

This video is from when I had plug 2 and 3 backwards.

It's hard to check with the mixture unit in place, but it can be done and mixing them up is easy to do. Now im super vigilant.

[lamboman]

I will check it out again.and your right it really is a hard to deal with that area with the mixture unit there.


This video is from when I had plug 2 and 3 backwards.

It's hard to check with the mixture unit in place, but it can be done and mixing them up is easy to do. Now im super vigilant.

[Ron]

If it is the plug wires, you can pull one at a time until the popping changes/stops to find the culprit...

[lamboman]

Just updating this...i had number 5 and 6 wires reversed...not sure how that happened as i took the old wires off on the cap to use for referance.Perhaps it was like that from the last owner....who knows.either way it is running smooth and not popping.Still have a bit of a hesitation trying to drive the car from a stop.