PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA
Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: Walston on April 21, 2016, 06:21:58 PM
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Hi guys. I am a newbie here but not really a newbie.
I recently bought a 1929 Mercedes Gazelle replica with a 1980 Pinto drive train. It was factory built in 1981 at Classic Motor Carriages in Florida. It has 20K miles and is in incredible shape. It has not been driven much as you can tell from the mileage.
The car idles great and accelerates perfect up to about 25 MPH, but it just won't go much faster. Seems 2500 RPM is the limit. Since it acted like only the idle part of the carb was working, I bought a rebuild kit and I just rebuild the carburetor (Holley 5200) and I found sludge in the gas bowl and the main jets were plugged. I felt certain I found the issue. I cleaned every passage I could find. I replaced all the diaphragms and cleaned all the jets. I just drove the car and it frankly is about the same. It will rev to 5000 rpm easily in park, but 2500 is the max driving. Vacuum looks good according to my gauge. All the emission stuff is just like is came from the factory. I also installed a new fuel pump and new filter. I flushed the gas tank and it has fresh gas in it.
I replaced PCV, plugs, wires, cap and rotor. Timing is right on and the advance seems to be working properly.
I am an experienced "shade tree mechanic". Rebuild many many old cars and tractor engines from soup to nuts.
Right now I am stumped. Could there be passages in the carb that I have not got clean. Any ideas guys?
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I had an idea it may be a plugged catalytic converter, but I disconnected it and it ran the same way. :(
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I'd verify timing next.
Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk
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Does it have a pinto tank or a after market tank , most tanks have a strainer at the end of the pickup tube in the bottom of the tank, did you look at it , I have seen these sludge over before and cut down on the fuel flow
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Timing is correct, I checked it twice.
The tank is a Pinto tank. I will check that out, Thanks.
Any chance that a bad Ignition Control Module could cause this?
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The ign module will work or it will not , does sound like you have a fuel problem , you may have to put a tee in the fuel line between the pump and carb and route the gauge inside to watch it when you drive to figure if it's the carb or fuel supply, drive until the problem shows up , you should have 4 to 6 pounds of pressure, if you do its in the carb , if not it's the supply, since you do have a pinto tank remove the sender , the strainer is at the end of it ,
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Check tank ventilation also..
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The Ignition control module was bad. I swapped it out this morning and now I can hit 4200 rpm driving. It accelerates well and I can now go 55 up hill. I could barely get to 45 downhill before. The pinto was 0-60 in 10.7 seconds so it is not set up to be a race car, but I can beat that now.
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I had a fair bit of crap in the gas tank, so I replaced the gas tank and sending unit. I got them from Rock Auto.
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Glad to hear you got it fixed..
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Yup, runs and drives Great.