Carbureted 1974 Dodge Tioga RV dies when put into drive or reverse, dying/idling problems

[Guest]

<h1 class="subject" style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; font-size: 21.111112594604492px; line-height: 1.2; border: 0px; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</h1><div class="content" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.2em; padding: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17.77777862548828px;">So I have no idea what I'm doing. You know that yellow plastic thing that opens up the - I don't know what it is - the choke or throttle plate, and the adjusting screw that hits that little yellow plastic thing? The yellow plastic thing has steps on it, like stairs, and when the screw is at the bottom of the stairs, the car dies. When it's at the top of the stairs, idle is really high and the car doesn't die. So guess what this genius did (that's me). I literally took scotch tape and taped the thing so that the screw would rest at the top of the stairs. Fixed the dying at idle thing, lol. Please, I have no idea what I'm doing.<br><br>So I thought, "Yeah! I'm in the money!" Then when I put my foot on the brake, and shifted into reverse (it's an automatic transmission if that matters), car dies. Wild goose chase - I tried turning the distributor clockwise and counter-clockwise, started the car at different timings, shifted into reverse, and dead. Now, my friend drove this wicked thing home for me yesterday when we bought it. Guys a savant or something. His carburetor Baja Beetle used to die at idle too so he had some experience. On the highway it was no problem but when we hit traffic, he'd shift it into neutral, and feather the throttle to keep it alive. Mentally unstable/insane skills, lol.&nbsp;<br><br>So a few YouTube videos here and tinkering there, I have no idea what I'm doing. The yellow plastic thing, if the tape wasn't there, I could start the car fine with the screw resting on a middle or top stair. Then when I hit the throttle, stairs fall down all the way to the bottom, and the car dies unless I feather the gas, or manually place the screw back on the middle or top stairs. I've got both adjusting screws screwed all the way clockwise, as deep/tall as they can go with the screws compressed.&nbsp;<br><br>So did I mention that I literally used scotch tape to tape the thing stuck so that it wouldn't die at idle? Man I'm a genius. Lol. Just so absolutely amazing. I have no idea what I'm doing.</div>

 

[ontheroadagain]

avoid using tape on your vehicle please.<br>I would by some gumout carb cleaner. With someone throttling the engine a bit so it doesn't stall have the other person spray some cleaner in short bursts into the carb. wait for the engine to rev back up and spray a short burst in again. repeat until it runs smooth at idle. If this doesn't work I would have someone change the fuel filter.

 

[James AKA Lynx]

Well, usually these do not need adjustment so I would suspect that something else is the cause. <br><br>Fuel additive, the good and expensive stuff,&nbsp; Put it in when at 1/4 tank and run for 30 miles or so then top it off. IF possible,&nbsp; take off and empty gas tank.<br><br>Get a can of good spray carb cleaner. take off the air cleaner and spray the outside. start it and spray the inside will give it some gas. Don't get to close or you may lose some hair.<br><br>Replace all vacuum hoses. PVC valve and the like.<br><br>replace air filter.<br><br>Major tune up including wires, distributor cap, rotor, points and coil. Make sure wires are not touching anything unless insulated.<br><br>After that adjust idle screw.<br><br>James AKA Lynx

 

[Terry]

To elaborate, your carburetor is likely giving the engine too much air somewhere. A leaking vacum line is a good possibility. Get some carburetor cleaner an spray around the intake and carburetor and observe where the spray is going when/if it suddenly revs&nbsp; up a little bit when you are spraying the cleaner around. Be careful if there is a likelihood of backfires . This is just one thing to try and there are surely many others if this doesn't find the problem.

 

[Zil]

I will second Terry. I think you have a vacuum leak.&nbsp; I had one that was around the throtle shaft at the bottom of the carb and did the same thing. Also as you turned and adjusted you most likely have other problems as well. You need to make friends with a auto mechanic and get some help and instuction.<br><br>The step part is to raise the idle when the auto-choke is closed(engine cold) and lower the idle when choke is open(engine warm).<br><br>To check the choke, with engine off, remove the air cleaner and look. The butterfly at top of carb should just lightly close at about room temp and be full open when the engine is warm.<br><br>The engine should be at normal idle when warm with stop at lowest step. whats normal? check the tune-up referance for your engine, about 500 to 700 would work. Old engines need to be a little higher.

 

[Guest]

Put a vacuum gauge on and adjusted the ignition timing to where it got the best vacuum, which I think was about 18 in. Hg. Now I don't know if if it was because of the timing or something else that I did, but the car can now shift into drive and reverse without dying! Awesome!&nbsp;<br><br>But now the brakes don't work. Lol. I have no idea. When we drove this thing home, feathering the throttle to keep it from dying, shifting into neutral and keeping it alive with gas, we had brakes. Good strong brakes. Real firm.&nbsp;<br><br>Now I can push the brake pedal all the way down as far as it'll go with absolute ease, and the car still has trouble stopping. I had to just shift into park to stop the car. Now with the car shut off, with the brake booster or whatever it is off, the pedal is stiff again. It's not air in the brake lines obviously. I don't know. There are some weird knobs and buttons around the driver's seat I tinkered with, putting on and off. Maybe that did something? Other than that and the tape on the plastic yellow thing, lol, and the ignition timing, I literally touched nothing else.&nbsp;<br><br>I'll add some pictures and maybe someone can help me identify what these knobs and buttons do and if they could have affected the brakes at all. Last resort, I'd like to somehow disable the brake boosters and go back just like it was in the old days; needing a brick foot in order to press the brake pedal without brake booster assistance or whatever it is that makes braking easier. Lol fixed one problem, and another one pops up right away. Car dies at idle, fixed that. But then it dies in drive or reverse. Car now somehow doesn't die in drive or reverse, maybe the timing fixed that but I know nothing, and now I have no brakes. Lol, I love it.<br><br>So here are the mystery buttons:&nbsp;<a href="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>

 

[James AKA Lynx]

Check the vacuum hose on the brake's

 

[Guest]

How would a disconnected vacuum line to the brakes affect it? Would it make it easier or harder to press?<br><br>I swear every line I reconnected and I touched no other lines. For some reason I think it might have to do with those weird buttons around the driver's seat because they are the only other things I touched.&nbsp;<br><br>I don't know which line goes to the brake booster or whatever it is, but I'll check the lines again and double check everything.&nbsp;<br><br>But if all those are good, what else might it be?

 

[Zil]

If you plug the vac line from the booster does the engine run better? <br><br>Replacing the brake booster would be easier and cheaper than converting back to non-power brakes.

 

[Zil]

Follow the wires. the one on the floor looks like a headlight dimmer switch. The rocker with the indicator light must turn something on and off, like clearance lights. The other looks like a push button, maybe a horn? I don't think your brakes have any electrical connections except brake lights.

 

[Guest]

Alright I'll try disconnecting and plugging and fiddling with some vacuum lines and see how they affect the brakes. What absolutely kills me is that the brakes were absolutely magic the other day. Super firm and strong. We'll see. And I guess I'll check to see if those buttons do affect the lights.&nbsp;

 

[Zil]

Why don't you get someone to identify the different parts under the hood so you can know what a power brake booster is as well as other parts?

 

[Terry]

Pop the top on the brake<em><strong> reservoir </strong></em><span id="taw" style="margin-right: 0;"></span>and check the fluid. That is about the only thing that will cause brakes to go from good to soft or no pedal without messing around with brake lines and/or bleeder valves. Then look for signs of wetness at the back of the master cylinder where it attaches to the brake booster. Then look for signs of wetness around the inside of each wheel to see if there are leaks at those particular places. There won't always be wetness enough for you to see when brakes start leaking but it sounds like yours went south pretty quick inferring a bad leak which should show up visibly. Good luck and be careful with driving with those symptoms in your brakes.

 

[Guest]

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.09375px;">Got the hood to pop! Hit it with a rubber mallet over some rags. Still made a dent though, lol! When I disconnect the brake booster line, the brakes seem to go nice and stiff. But I've got to test it further. They say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It was kind of broke, but it worked for the time being. I took off the tape holing the yellow plastic step idle thing that controls the choke plate, and now I can't get the car to even start. But I didn't know that hitting the gas pedal actually pours gas into the carburetor, as opposed to fuel injected cars today that just open the throttle plate, and the PCM orders the fuel injectors or whatever the heck it is. Lol, so I think the carb is flooded now or something. Can I just wait for the fuel to evaporate? Does gasoline do that? Or am I going to have to start pulling wet plugs? I have no idea what I'm doing or if anything I'm saying is even correct.&nbsp;</span></span>

 

[James AKA Lynx]

You can wait for a while. Try to start it without hitting the gas. See what happens. Please get somebody to help you. It is hard just to tell you at the level of training you have.<br><br>James AKA Lynx

 

[Guest]

How dare you. I come from a long line of master mechanics since the days of ancient Egypt with a royal lineage of princes dating back to 3000 BC. My fathers built the carriages that carried the blocks that build the Pyramids. You bite your tongue.&nbsp;<br><br>yeah no lol jk I have no idea what I'm doing. I have literally put tape to hold the throttle/choke (I don't even what it is) open at like 45 degrees. And I literally have scotch tape holding the yellow plastic step idle thing. This is literally the best carburetor job ever.&nbsp;<br><br>Hey! I fixed my brakes!!! It just needed to be bled! I went though a whole large bottle of brake fluid. The master&nbsp;reservoir&nbsp;was empty when I checked it! Now my brakes brake beautifully. So so happy.&nbsp;<br><br>So my friend is a genius. After the brakes were fixed and I reconnected the brake booster, car would die when I put it into gear. He said maybe the brake booster is taking all the vacuum, whatever that means lol. So I taped the plate thing, whatever that is, so that it closed off more than it was open, letting less air in, and the idle shouted monsterously at me, as if to say, "YOU DARE WAKE A SLEEPING GIANT?" Put this beautiful thing into drive, and it didn't die. Thank you scotch tape, lol. You know, there's really no difference from this old RV than a new $50,000 rv, when you really think about it, abstractly,&nbsp;philosophically. Lol, nevermind.&nbsp;<br><br>So I just need to get this thing 150 miles to a permanent location. Hopefully this does it. If I were really trying to fix it permanently, I wouldn't be using scotch tape, lol. Hey, you know what they say, if it works, it isn't stupid. And when you think about it&nbsp;philosophically, scotch tape is more advanced technologically than carburetors. Lol. Stone age technology. Oh they're amazing. We literally have Briggs and Stratton carbureted lawnmowers built in this year of 2013 still to this very day. Even the Amish are like, "Really?" There are literally uncontacted tribes living in the Amazon that have never seen a cell phone or a television in their lives, and when they see a Briggs and Statton carbureted lawnmower, they're like, "Wow. Can we give -you- money? Who has made you do this? You don't have to live like this. It doesn't have to be like this."&nbsp;<br><br>So now when I want to get this beast started, I manually choke the plate, maybe give it one step on the gas, and it starts up. Then I tape the plate to that position. Then I put the air filter on. Lol. And that's all I need for now. <br><br>But if I were to properly fix this, where would I start, oh fellow vagabonds?&nbsp;<br><br>So here is where the two pieces of magical tape are:<br><a href="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br><br></a>And is this where I put the motor oil?<a href="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br></a><a href="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br><br><br>

 

[James AKA Lynx]

So, OK, I get it. Only 17% of the world has a frig. <br><br>Everything looks nice and clean. Just guessing here. This is what I do to fix things. go with the cheapest thing first. You may be surprised how many times this works. <br><br> Was the engine running well with the master cylinder hose off??<br><br>IF there is a computer on your van, disconnect the negative for a few min's. This resets it.&nbsp; <br><br>Where to start, that is really hard to say. How old is the fuel? it gets weak with age also water gets into it. <br><br>Well done on getting the brakes working. Have you considered having it hauled/towed?? (no insult meant) <br><br>James AKA Lynx<br><br>

 

[highdesertranger]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but those old dodge carbs suck.&nbsp; you will never fix them only mickey mouse until the next problem.&nbsp; I am not there to give you a honest answer but I am willing to bet you need a new carb.&nbsp; a carter is what you need.&nbsp; edelbrock makes them now very simple carb easy to rebuild very few parts.&nbsp; you will solve all your problems and get better fuel economy also.&nbsp; like I said I am not there so get someone who knows.&nbsp; what area are you in.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[user 423]

If you will be driving it 150 miles somewhere, do others along the route a favor and be SURE your brakes are working OK before the trip. As in checked out by a QUALIFIED mechanic. An old van that's been sitting can have rotten rubber brake lines,old wheel cylinders and calipers that can fail at anytime; like on a steep downhill grade. It weighs over 3 tons, so you have to very careful. Old tires can fail unexpectedly also. Please drive slowly.<br><br><strong>Tips</strong>: Buy a $25 Haynes manual for older Dodge vans. They have good basic troubleshooting info. Also check eBay for a '74 Dodge factory service manual, it will cover what the Haynes doesn't. Keep an eye out for an owner's manual so you'll know the basics of operation. Google Dodge forums and join up. Much better chance to get specific mechanical info for your MH. RV.net has brand specific sections on Class C's also. Add-on equipment such as you have might be recognized. For questions on the mechanical forums, try and limit the color commentary and get to the point.<br><br>Good luck...<br><br>

 

[Guest]

Thank you. Safety first, always. And lol, I already drive super slow. Even in my fuel efficient Corolla, if I find a truck I can get behind, I follow that thing the entire way. But I keep a really good distance, at least a semi-truck length's distance behind one, and almost always more. They have to go 55mph-60mph here so, it's fantastic for gas, and is just a more relaxing and enjoyable ride going at that speed. Some cars vibrate or get less controllable at 70+ and braking distance dramatically increases when you go that fast. I mean why go 80 miles an hour if it only gets you to your destination ten, twenty, thirty minutes earlier? Are our lives that ridiculous? Oh the road rage and ridiculousness. They say you don't truly know a man until you've seen him get cut off in a car. (No one says that actually.) It's funny how our morality changes when we're in an enclosed metal and glass vehicle. People will literally scream the most hateful and&nbsp;unbelievable&nbsp;things because someone made them swerve an inch to the right for two seconds accidentally. I mean if someone accidentally brushed you while in an elevator, would you turn to them and scream, "HEY. *@!#$&amp;*$%R#*)#@&amp;%R*#)" Then what in the world makes doing that in a moving vehicle of death acceptable? They've done some sickening psychological studies about this. Bystander apathy, that Stanford Prison Experiment, and more. When relieved of responsibility and any fear of repercussion, seemingly normal and good people will do some evil, unspeakable things. Oh the heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it?<br><br>Anywho, thanks for the tip about the Haynes manuals and finding an original on Ebay. I think I saw an original for $58! Talk about rich! Hah! Book almost costs as much as the RV! But yeah, usuing vinwiz I found out from the VIN decoding that it's built on a 74 Dodge B300 V8 360 (LA) Sportsman. So pretty cool.&nbsp;<br><br>I wonder if I could tow a Corolla behind this thing, if it's got enough in it. But more curiously, I wonder how a carburetor is supposed to work, maybe if there's a YouTube video of it, so I can compare with how my carb is working, to see whether the yellow plastic step idle thing is broken or just loose or if something else needs adjusting, or if I just need a complete carb rebuild. But eh, it's working for now with the two pieces of tape I'm using, lol. Oh boy.&nbsp;