A number of people asked me to reply to them when I figured out why my car
would randomly idle at 1300 RPM or so low that it would stall and would be very
difficult to start sometimes. Well the problem is this: The vacuum line that
controls the vacuum retard is, at least in my car, made of a thermosetting
plastic (I knew I learned someting in Intro to Material Science and
Engineering) and if it gets too hot, it permanently hardens. This causes it to
crack. because the nozzle which it hooks onto is on the bottom of the carb and
is about 1 inch from the exhaust manifold, it can get hot if you don't route it
the correct way. My advice to everyone who is having similar problems is to
feel the hose as it goes into the carb. If it is hard, it is probably cracked.
A temporary solution is to wrap the hose in duct tape, but another hose is
about $2 at Pep Boys.
Kris Powell
1974 Spit
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