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Carb Dashpot Oil Level

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Ted_Merendino

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Hey guys,

My starter is fixed, now I need to diagnose why Penny is sputtering. She almost dies at idle and runs real rough through the entire rev range. I check the carb dashpots and they look low on oil. Anyone have a picture of how the reservoirs should look when filled properly?
 
Oh about a quarter of an inch from the top of the oil tube.

Tis not critical at all.
 
Sounds more like air leaks or mixture settings. Like Jack said, dashpot level is not all that critical unless they are dry, but even then it is not a "sputtering" problem!
 
Thanks guys,

I filled up the dashpots to spec and no change in engine performance. Back to the drawing board...

Are there some suspect places I should check for air leaks?
 
carb gaskets,throttle shafts looose mounting of the carb a can of carb cleaner helps here spray a little around each carb to see if it changes idle speed
 
I have also used a propane torch (unlit!) which you can point to specific areas with. If there is a vacuum leak she will speed up! (NO smoking with this test!!) /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Dashpot oil wouldn't cause what you're experiencing. The good news, though, is that when performance is really bad, it's usually due to a big, obvious problem. Sputtering at all speeds could be either a carb or ignition problem. I think I'd start with checking all the standard adjustments--timing, mixture, and so on. Be sure you're getting a healthy spark. If not, check points, distributor cap and rotor, wiring, and so on. All it takes is one fouled plug or one bad wire to create dramatically bad running. This is pretty obvious, I know, but fixing these things is often just a matter of checking the obvious.
 
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