mr fredrick.. i hope its just the carb.. but it sounds like what my 1977 gremlin did sometime ago..i dam near tried everthing ur doin rite now..all but buyin a new carb..i took my fuel tank out and took it to a radiator shop they boiled it out..when i went and got it back i put new fuel lines on tank and well it was off i put new sender unit float to.. i reinstalled the tank put fuel in it and she has ran beautiful ever since..she runs today just like she looks FANTASTIC ..you've seen pic's of my cars to.. "GOOD-LUCK" james-{onehorsetrader} fredrick_bc_westerncanada wrote: > Her name is Phoenix. I have spent a lot of time with her this week. > > Today, under supervision of a retired mechanic I changed the fuel > filter and gas pump. I needed help re-attaching the gas line-out > from the pump as I couldn't get it threaded properly. The small hose > that > goes from the fuel filter to the carb line seemed secure (I don't > like or trust those spring clips but they were all I had). > > Vroooom! away I went to see if she wouldn't stall on me after being > warmed > up. A few minutes later: chug, cough, spit, stall. Okay, the carb > was the problem. Pretty > darned sure as we performed vacuum tests. The carb was also set > firmly. It passed the rock it back and forth test with the engine at > idle. > > This evening I figured I would try one more thing before coughing up > the money for a new carb, one with the proper choke and not that > idiotic aftermarket manual one that the previous owner had > installed. I bought some Gunk Carb Medic and sprayed some in as per > instructions. It was quite dirty and it blew some soot out the > exhaust. > > So, have clean carb, will drive. Car hummed along nicely as it began > to warm up. I kept driving around the block. So far so good! Then > she stalled. Okay, not a problem. Tomorrow I get the carb and problem > solved. I sat there and waited for it to cool a bit so I could start > it > up. It would not turn as it usually does. I smelled gas. Flooded > no doubt. I waited again. I cranked her and she still wouln't catch. > Hmmm...something not right. I tried it once more. Same thing. Still > the > smell of gas but stronger. Then I looked at the gas gauge! I had just > put > a couple of gallons in it and the needle was half-way back to where > it was > before I bought the gas! Then the wee light in my head went on! > Good thing the brain doesn't emit sparks when we have a flash of > brilliance other wise I might be writing to you from Gremlin Heaven > right now! > > I jumped out of the car and lifted the hood! OMG! That fuel filter > hose had disconnected itself from the carb line! The car was sitting > in a HUGE puddle of gas! The vapour stung my eyes. I immediately > thought of a movie I saw > where this motorcycle was leaking gas on to the engine, unknown to > the rider...and KABOOOOOM! I quikly re-attached the hose and then > pushed the car FAR away from that puddle! I am suprised that puddle > didn't blow up when the street lights came on! > > While letting the car cool down and the gas in the engine compartment > evaporate, I started shaking, images going through my mind of what > could have happened and thinking that this could have been an omen of > some > kind, a tiny voice telling me to ditch this car and just keep the two > Grems I already have, and leave the mechanical/maintenance work to > the experts. Considering I have the Black Beauty which is probably > the lowest original mileage V-8 1974 Gremlin X in existence at 6,959 > miles, what > more would I need besides it and my Baby Blue other 74 Grem X that I > ought to get fixed up and running...been a year now since I got > her...maybe she is jealous and has had a hand in what happened > tonight :-( > > I consider myself to have had the biggest horseshoe shoved up my butt > tonight than anyone in the universe! I may well end up telling > Mildred to keep the deposit as a belated birthday present and forget > about Princess Levi. As for Mr. Mellow, the '73 refurbished Grem > X/304/3speed...Paul R. you still there? The car might be up for > grabs. I will let you know. As for the Gremlin Phoenix (the bird that > rose from > the ashes...in this case it was nearly a Grem that went to ashes) I > may well be in competition with Rooster/One Horse Trader/James > Johnson for selling good parts off a '76 X...sound > mechanically...passed our stringent air emissions test with flying > colours...purrs like a kitten in idle, just needs a new carb)...body > has lots of car cancer...makes a good runner or if you have a good > bodied Grem or Hornet you could swap the parts. > > Time now to go for a walk to calm my nerves so I can sleep, and > tomorrow I will do other things besides tinkering with the car. > > All the best to you my fellow Gremliners! > > Freddie > > # of Grems uncertain > > > Community email addresses: > Post message: gremlintime@xxxxxxxxxxx > Subscribe: gremlintime-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxx > Unsubscribe: gremlintime-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxx > List owner: gremlintime-owner@xxxxxxxxxxx > > Shortcut URL to this page: > http://www.onelist.com/community/gremlintime > Gremlintime(Home of the AMC Gremlin on the WWW): > http://www.geocities.com/gremlintime > > Your use of Yahoo! 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