Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

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Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby swagnwagn » Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:56 pm

I just bought my 73 Vega Wagon! The engine was froze up so we concocted a diesel laced cocktail to loosen it up. After a few days we used my grasshopper to pull back and forth on the flywheel.... And...it broke loose! After two days of carb work We got it running! Now the problem is it that it idles fine but it has no power! It's is a pig! It eats through a quart of gas in minutes. So if anyone can throw out some suggestions I'd be glad to
Hear them. Thanks for your time!
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby cjbiagi » Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:38 pm

You could have some damaged cylinder walls from the engine being locked up. I don't know what a "diesel laced cocktail" is but it sounds like you need to do some basic checks starting with a compression test. This is relatively simple and cheap to do with a basic compression tester that is inserted into each spark plug hole. If you don't have decent compression you have to make some serious decisions as to what to do with this engine.
Clyde.........75 Monza 2+2
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby bugdewde » Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:41 pm

Good idea on the compression...... I didn't think of that. I bet that's a majority of the problem.

Not real sure what it might be..... but maybe if the top end(cam) was froze up just like the bottom end, you might have jumped timing by spinning the crank a tooth or two before the cam broke loose.
Check the timing marks on the crank and cam pullies. The crank pulley matches a mark on the block and the cam mark aligns with a mark on the head(if I remember correctly)..... I have pics of this I'll have to dig around to find them here.

Not sure if a stuck distributor advance would keep the power down off idle. Use a timing light to check to see if the timing advances with revs. Distributor weights/mechanism could be stuck.
Dwight

'72 Vega GT Kammback, 215 V8
'73 Vega Wagon - Currently in Limbo....
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby swagnwagn » Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:45 pm

Thanks for your reply. FYI the cocktail had diesel, tranny fluid, and gasoline. It has compression, timing is set, and I checked for clog in the exhaust. I was just trying to get it moving so I can complete a bbc 454 I'm putting in it.
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby bugdewde » Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:48 pm

Here's the pics of the timing marks........ lower part of the 2nd page. They do not match up with each other like V8s.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24291&start=15
Dwight

'72 Vega GT Kammback, 215 V8
'73 Vega Wagon - Currently in Limbo....
My rides: http://www.cardomain.com/id/bugdewde
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby cjbiagi » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:13 pm

Did you actually measure the compression? If it is good, (I am guessing around 125lbs or so) that is great. Then you need to check the other things mentioned such as cam and ignition timing, distributor advance, vacuum leaks, etc. All the basic stuff as mentioned. Sounds like the BBC will take care of any lack of power :D
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby swagnwagn » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:24 pm

We're checking out the timing right now...on cam timing gear which mark is zero? (the guys want to know) by the way. I'm a girl. And this is my first gonna be race car! I'm stoked! Knowing this bare with me... I'm pretty motor savvy for a girl but still learning. Ok. About that timing mark?
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby swagnwagn » Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:24 pm

No luck yet. 9:30 Kansas City time. Can't seem to find correct timing.
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby swagnwagn » Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:31 am

Just an update... Set the timing right. It is running like a "4 cyl"...It must of jumped when we broke it loose. Thanks for everyone's help. Sometimes it's not that we don't know, it's just that it never crossed our minds!!!!

And yes, we just put it away for the night... Thanks again.
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby Stevie » Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:48 am

Good to hear, that you did found your problem.
If you got something like this, you always have to check the simple mechanical things (compression, timing, ignition etc.) first, before going more deeply into the search.

And: we love pictures ! Post us some here to check your ride. :th:

Steffen
'75 Vega hatchback, bright yellow, mostly stock- except of 14'' Minilite wheels on 205/60 R 14, Grant steering wheel and some minor changes...
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby swagnwagn » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:27 am

Thanks. Gotcha Steffen, I emailed the admin and asked how to upload pics for my profile and
Posts. I have tons of pics on my computer that I
Want to share. And it was the cam timing that was off.
That's why we were puzzled, because the obvious things were correct. Anyhow, thanks, and pics are coming soon.

Kim
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby Kenova » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:44 pm

Welcome aboard! :th:
As a fellow 2.3 owner, I have to ask "Is it really possible for these engines to make less power?" :lol:

Ken
My other car is a Nova.
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby swagnwagn » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:52 pm

Ken,

My husband's riding mower moves faster than this! But after we fixed it last night it feels like a hot rod! It was that bad!
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Re: Stock 4 cyl 73 Vega has no power!! Carb?

Postby bugdewde » Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:36 pm

swagnwagn wrote:We're checking out the timing right now...on cam timing gear which mark is zero? (the guys want to know) by the way. I'm a girl. And this is my first gonna be race car! I'm stoked! Knowing this bare with me... I'm pretty motor savvy for a girl but still learning. Ok. About that timing mark?



Cam Timing Mark: ( I painted mine RED) The tab is behind the cam gear with the notch in it (behind the red timing mark on the gear).
Image


Here's the Crank Timing mark and tab. The tab is behind the balancer on the block (just behind one of the belt teeth) and the mark on the crank gear is either the hole or the notch in the crank gear.
Image
Dwight

'72 Vega GT Kammback, 215 V8
'73 Vega Wagon - Currently in Limbo....
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