Warm up transmission

68

Blake Sherwin said:
Is there risk of damage if its driven with fouled plugs?
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Either clean the plugs or just replace them. You can do no real damage with the choke stuck wide open other than it will be hard to start cold and take a little longer to reach operating temperature , stuck closed will do the damage.
 
That shop if BS were electricity they would be a power house. That said 68 Rochester carburators were NOT noted for choke problems. Along with all others here I think choke is sticking due to something bent or gummed up. Best temporary solution have choke set open and just pump the blazes out of the gas peddle cold and it will start. Wait five minutes for it to warm up and all should be well till fixed. The manual choke from the 30s in not the thing to do.
 
since the choke came on the carburetor, they should have set it when the installed it. don't go back there. you need to ask around or get you the shop manual off e-bay and read up on some of these things. they have good pictures and if you willing to learn mostly a step by step how to do it. I could show you but we are a little far apart.
 
A sticking choke is a result of the air cleaner being over tightened, and it will warp the upper section of the carburetor. Best to have it professionally rebuilt, where they will know the proper procedure to repair the warping.
 
Thanks for the comments. At this point the only reason i am at this place (Christian Brothers) is due to the carb warranty. Once i talk to them today i will first ask if they can fix the auto choke since i would imagine thats part of the carb, thus under warranty, otherwise i will ask them to set it open.

I will look for a manual too
 
Paul Steinberg said:
A sticking choke is a result of the air cleaner being over tightened, and it will warp the upper section of the carburetor. Best to have it professionally rebuilt, where they will know the proper procedure to repair the warping.
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I plan to send it to carburetors unlimited in AZ if my taxes are kind to me
 
You will find the shop manual much more handy. I would not go back there for any reasion. There are only 3 parts to the choke that move. My bet is they slapped the rebuilt carb on and ran it out. Now every time you go back it's you need this. Find some one you can trust. If you can't do it yourself,find a mechanic you can trust.
 
Called the shop again. Said they have the choke open for me and the brushed the plugs so they are all firing, said they dont know how long, but they are good for now.

I asked if there was any reason the auto-choke couldnt be fixed since it was part of the carb which was under warranty. His answer to me was that we could replace it with another re-manufactured carb but it might be the same issue, and parts arent as readily available for quadrajets today.

Whether true or not I am picking it up today and will drive with an open choke and see how it fares. Assuming it is tuned right.

When I have the cash I will send the old carb to Carburetors Unlimited in AZ.

As for starting with the open choke in cold weather am I just going to need to either pump the gas more before start or use spray in the air cleaner while its cold?

Currently I usually pump about 4 in accessory before cranking, but I still usually have to give it alot of gas while cranking to get it going (this may have been partly because of the fouled plugs too i suspect). I also have to give it gas to keep it running while idle which those plugs may have contributed to that a bit as well.

Hoping it will be running alot smoother with this open choke once warmed up
 
68

I asked if there was any reason the auto-choke couldnt be fixed since it was part of the carb which was under warranty. His answer to me was that we could replace it with another re-manufactured carb but it might be the same issue, and parts arent as readily available for quadrajets today.
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Well that is BS , if it is rebuilt it should work as new.
 

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Went to pick up the hearse tonight. They gave me the key, said they tied the choke off and it should start right up.

Started it. Idled a few minutes but it died as soon as i hit the gas. Tried several more times then it just wouldnt start. They came out and messed with it a minute and the guy that set the choke said "see? Its jot going to run with the choke open, demonstrating as he throttled it and it would die.

So firstly i was annoyed that they ziptied the choke open and didnt even bother to test drive it or make sure it runs.

Then went in and asked if someone could help me get the ziptie off to drive it. They just handed me a pair of scissors. Messed with it for 15 min, unable to cut it off with a little pair of scissors, before i went in and someone got some actual wire clippers to cut it off for me.

It IS running better now simply because they brushed off the plugs but im most certainly not going back.

Spark plugs are black so i will be replacing those. I researched and determimed fancy platinum or iridium plugs are a bad idea and will be getting copper ones, but can anyone tell me the proper plug gapping for the 68?
 
Ok you can not worry about the plugs. they will clean off as soon as you can drive it without it flooding but the problem is not just the choke. it will not flood with the choke open. like I said put the old carburetor back on. I betting they did not put the tin plate back in and it has burnt threw the center of the gasket. it would then let exhaust gas go into the intake and case it to lean out and stall.

remember you had someone drive this car before you brought it, it ran fine for them. your problems started when you pulled into that shop.
 
.035... thirty five thousands... Point gap is .016 or 30 degrees of dwell. Timing has to be set with the car in neutral, and the parking brake release vacuum line removed and plugged. Don't remember exactly, but I think that the timing is 8 degrees before TDC. (top dead center).
 
Paul Steinberg said:
.035... thirty five thousands... Point gap is .016 or 30 degrees of dwell. Timing has to be set with the car in neutral, and the parking brake release vacuum line removed and plugged. Don't remember exactly, but I think that the timing is 8 degrees before TDC. (top dead center).
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Thanks, and im not going to trust that the previous owner put the correct plugs in it anyway, so im not going to compare it. I want to make sure I'm buying the recommended OEM plugs. Can anyone give me a suggestion. I googled spark plugs for a 68 cadillac engine and some sites tried to say I needed double platinum which I KNOW is grossly incorrect
 
I would use whatever the recomended AC plug is or its interchange no need to get exotic, I also would leave plugs alone unless they foul out again. A recent go round with my wifes Audi A8 shows how this goes everywhere. Problem on recent 100 miles round trip car picked up a dead miss. My Snap On scanner will not talk to this Kraut car I call my godson (Foreign car nut) where do I take this? he tells me of shop that is "reasonable". We go next day less than 24 hours later the call comes all fixed $520.00 YIKES!!! The charge includes two new coil packs ($52.00 each) and Eight new spark plugs @ $20.78 each. Now lets get real here at home had my scanner worked the REAL story is there was a bad coil pack just like my Crown Vics get and that would have done the job for less than $52.00 due to trade discount. Trust me I am getting a scanner that will read kraut cars. One repair here will pay for the scanner.
 
Got some ACDelco plugs during lunch today. I may take a look at one of my current plugs to see how they look and keep these in the coach. Shop made it sound like these plugs were barely firing. If it starts fouling again I will start replacing
 
No you need to fix the reason they are fouling. Fouling is a result of another problem. From the discussion it's flooding. Fix that problem clean and regap the p!ugs and you will be good to go. Replacing the plugs now will most likly only result in the new ones soon fouling.

Now my stead fast rule when you have trouble like you are is to go back the the last thing you fixed before the problems started. You then correct what was done wrong then.
 
John ED Renstrom said:
No you need to fix the reason they are fouling. Fouling is a result of another problem. From the discussion it's flooding. Fix that problem clean and regap the p!ugs and you will be good to go. Replacing the plugs now will most likly only result in the new ones soon fouling.

Now my stead fast rule when you have trouble like you are is to go back the the last thing you fixed before the problems started. You then correct what was done wrong then.
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Your right, problem seems to have started with this "new" carburetor. I do have a spare set of plugs ready to go, but not installing yet. As soon as I can afford it I will send my old carb to be rebuilt. I think I have a vacuum leak now though. Drove it Sunday and its whistling loud from the engine, When its warm enough again I will see if I can find any broken hoses
 
The biggest part of any tune up is fix the vacuum leaks. But if you heard it driving it's a big one and probily the source of your problems. Low vacuum will cause it to run rich.
 
And now its whining when accelerating. Odd that all these problems started after getting it back from the shop. Still not going back there though
 
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