AMC Eagle Den Forum

The Shop => Under the Hood & HVAC => Topic started by: AMCNewb on March 10, 2012, 11:46:17 AM

Title: Loss of Power
Post by: AMCNewb on March 10, 2012, 11:46:17 AM
I bought an 82 Eagle Wagon a month or so ago for $800. It has 65,000 miles on it and has been sitting for the past year at least. It runs great and has plenty of go, that is until it warms up fully. Once it gets warmed up a loud ticking noise starts from the engine and changes speed with the RPM. (Gets faster and louder when revved) Once this happens I have the same amount of power until it shifts around 15 then it feels like it just falls flat on its face. I can give it more gas and it still just creeps along, but once i get about 90% throttle it takes off like it would before the ticking starts.

Any help with figuring this out would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to take it to a shop as I am a broke college kid with a family and I got this as a winter Beater. (The wife just loves it) >:D
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: AMCNewb on March 10, 2012, 11:49:57 AM
Oh and I have replaced plugs, wires, fuel filter, oil, and checked most of the vacuum lines.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: EAGLER on March 10, 2012, 12:57:26 PM
man it really sounds like a vaccum leak to me, better check on the intake manifold or carb“s base. it is a common problem on these engines.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: carnuck on March 11, 2012, 10:21:44 AM
Could be a loose manifold too.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: SpreadEagle on December 15, 2012, 09:44:25 PM
Hope I'm not reviving an old thread for the wrong reason but I think my Eagle is doing Tue same thing. Replace oil and used a light oil. 5w30... When the car ran a while it would start acting like it was trying to suck fuel through a straw that was way too small.  Seems related to temperature and didn't start till after oil changed. This has a messed up valve cover that the PO welded on to the head. This causes it to leak oil and I'm think may be what this post has hinted at..
Later all.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: carnuck on December 16, 2012, 01:50:19 AM
15W50 Napa synthetic in mine.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: SpreadEagle on December 16, 2012, 09:49:13 AM
Thank you for the replies.makes sense since it didn't start till after the oil change. Saw this thread and it sounded right.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: carnuck on December 16, 2012, 06:45:36 PM
Sometimes there is a flawed oil filter too.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: SpreadEagle on December 16, 2012, 07:37:16 PM
Just noting that the car is earning her name.. put treatment in the oil today and drove to work no issue... Not certain if it's a pressure or a temp problem will have to wait till I'm forced to deal with it again.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: SpreadEagle on January 06, 2013, 06:13:23 PM
Don't see a reason to start a new post for a power issue

Been a while and I've looked at a few things. replaced a collapsed vacuum hose from the PCV valve to the canister.
Fuel lines from firewall to fuel pump to carburetor replaced. In line filter placed before and after pump.
Changed plugs. Compression is about 125 p.s.i. in all cylinders. I have noticed that the transfer case does not disengage. Under load I get a severe drop in vacuum at the gauge this coincides with the loss of power and stutter/stall.  The car will start running really bad, to the point of not going anywhere. Any further thoughts would be great. I do have a fuel pump to replace if I need to.
SpreadEagle
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: mudkicker715 on January 06, 2013, 06:32:39 PM
125 is low. my .02
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: Amc1320 on January 06, 2013, 08:21:59 PM
125 isn't bad for a 30 year old engine, how many miles on it? 150 was factory a long time ago

So if I understand correctly it runs fine then once under load it starts running bad? You said you lose vacuum? Is this according to the gauge inside?

Sounds like a vacuum problem to me, if you lose vacuum it will run terrible, and not pull a feather

Now to figure out where the hole in the system is..... Hmmmm

Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: SpreadEagle on January 06, 2013, 08:41:31 PM
I'm starting to agree.. My Dad of all things is pretty good with those older cars suggested I connect my vacuum gauge to the Motorcraft 2100 and adjust there and then start looking for problems. Being that my transfer is stuck in 4WD it does make me think I have a leak. I see a lot of things down below with nothing going to them.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: BenM on January 07, 2013, 03:46:01 PM
Quote from: SpreadEagle on January 06, 2013, 08:41:31 PM
I'm starting to agree.. My Dad of all things is pretty good with those older cars suggested I connect my vacuum gauge to the Motorcraft 2100 and adjust there and then start looking for problems. Being that my transfer is stuck in 4WD it does make me think I have a leak. I see a lot of things down below with nothing going to them.

Best advice I can give anyone with a Eagle is to replace all the rubber lines. Heat and oil do nasty things to them, and vacuum has a lot of jobs to do on these cars, even without the MCU involved.

It wouldn't hurt to run a gauge inside to troubleshoot. You can get the plastic hard line at the parts store and it's much easier to push through firewall grommets.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: carnuck on January 13, 2013, 06:09:55 PM
If you still have a cat, it may be clogged up (mine is starting to stink)
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: SpreadEagle on January 20, 2013, 09:27:42 PM
Quote from: carnuck on January 13, 2013, 06:09:55 PM
If you still have a cat, it may be clogged up (mine is starting to stink)
Cat is not an issue. exhaust is so loose that if it was clogged it'd leak from the loose connection from in front.
Noted in other places that I took a Vacuum gauge to the 2100 and tried to adjust it. Says it's running better. and was able to lower the Idle after the change. Still seem to be losing power under load. Going to like at a timing advance issue. Maybe even got a lifter that is not working well on the thinner oil causing problems after it warms up..
But I'm at the point I'm going to put 10w40 in it and look at timing..the Inline filter I put before the pump is full of crud.. But the filter after pump looks good.. May of sucked something in before but not sure..

I'm rambling.. Loss of power started after the oil change to the 5w30.. Change that to heavier oil, even out the adjuster screws on the 2100 and check timing..
Old motor having blow by issues and such maybe I'm trying to rationalize too much..
But all this work has allowed me to see I need to drop the tank and clean it at some point after I look at the frame.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: carnuck on January 20, 2013, 11:43:02 PM
The oil change shouldn't do that. I'd try bumping timing up a bit first. You realize it needs changing after the MC2100 because the compu carb was controlling timing before.
Title: Re: Loss of Power
Post by: SpreadEagle on January 31, 2013, 12:03:32 PM
Not totally confirmed but I did change the oil again yesterday.. from 5w30 to 10w40 and it does seem to be running better...
If this is the case it would seem to be due to improved compression and the oil holding the lifters better.
Waiting for the weather to warm up a bit to take it on the highway and try it..
I say it seems fixed because the vacuum seems to recover now that it didn't before. If my tachometer worked I'd check idle and timing.