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Author Topic: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww  (Read 14072 times)

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Offline jsherrod

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84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« on: November 14, 2013, 03:21:56 PM »
Heres the problem... Got new carb and that is all set up but the car is now insanely slow.
What are your shift points?
My wagon will never rise above 2000rpm... it shifts at 1800-2000 everytime....needless to say this makes it dangerously slow and a top speed of about 60 MPH.... any ideas?? thanks

the car will rev up as high as you want in park or neutral but when the car is under load its is really dogging it..

JAMES

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2013, 03:36:57 PM »
Are you implying it was doing OK before you put on the carb??   If so; you probably got a messed up carb!!
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Offline IowaEagle

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2013, 03:41:49 PM »
Yeah, those numbers are incredibly off.  Did you reconnect and adjust the throttle rod to the transmission?
Click for Toledo, IA Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150   


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Offline Amc1320

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2013, 05:17:10 PM »
You may have to readjust your timing too, its its too far retarded it will run like it has less horsepower than your lawn mower

Does it run ok otherwise? any missing? If the carb is not seated correctly it will cause a vacuum leak that will make it run like a dog too

Also speaking of timing, when you put on new carb did you hook distributer advance to ported vacuum?

this group will get it figured out for you, while an Eagle is never going to be incredibly fast, it should be a lot better than it is for you now.
Rob c
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Offline jsherrod

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2013, 05:28:22 PM »
yeah i had carb issues when i first obtained the car stalling...chugging...ect... I ended up getting one of the jeep carb set ups from GRONK... I put the new carb on and all those problems dissapeared. The car runs great other than being very weak/slow. It doesnt miss fire or anything like that. I dont seem to be running to rich or lean (at least not enough to be this bad.)

I have eliminated all but a very small amount of vaccum .. The vaccum advance is definantly hooked up, and the car doesnt hesitate or accelerate unevenly... its very smooth...just slow lol  However i was certainly thinking about a weak spark issue?

I set the timing on the car, but it was before i got this carb. Should i need to time it up again?

I have not done anything with the throttle rod to the tranny... not familier with that setup. While i am very mechanically inclined.. its my first AMC :)   im assuming this is a rod that hooks to the throttle via a little ball in socket joint?  If so i have that hooked up

thanks for the help
« Last Edit: November 14, 2013, 05:30:55 PM by jsherrod »

Offline IowaEagle

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2013, 06:40:12 PM »
Yes the throttle rod goes from the carb to the transmission.  Without It the shift points are way off and eventually you will destroy the transmission.  We have pictures of it in the Eaglepedia.
Click for Toledo, IA Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150   


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1970 Ambassador 2 Dr HT, SST
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Offline eaglefreek

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2013, 07:41:31 PM »
How did you set the timing? I have never used a timing light on my car. I use a vacuum gauge to get it close, then I 'advance it till I get pinging on acceleration, then back it off a hair.
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Offline eaglebeek

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2013, 08:25:44 PM »
Slow timing may cause it to overheat. Is the engine running hotter than normal? :eagle:
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Offline Amc1320

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2013, 08:46:34 PM »
AMC' s like a little extra advance had been my experience, I always set the timing by ear. Like eaglefreek said get a vacuum guage and set it till you get max, around 19 or 20 then take it for a drive. A little extra advance will give it a lot more jump, of course if it pings back it off just a little bit, repeat as needed

On the kick down its the long rod that runs down to the transmission, this has to be hooked up correctly, and dont forget the spring! Without it the transmission will shift way too soon
Rob c
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Offline jsherrod

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2013, 09:05:24 PM »
used a timing light and some generous chap before me have scratch lines that matched up when it was in time :)

sounds like maybe this rod is my issue?  Would this account for early shift and appear as weak or underpowered?
« Last Edit: November 14, 2013, 09:09:17 PM by jsherrod »

Offline IowaEagle

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2013, 09:11:10 PM »
used a timing light and some generous chap before me have scratch lines that matched up when it was in time :)

sounds like maybe this rod is my issue?  Would this account for early shift and appear as weak or underpowered?


It could. 

Here is the How To we have in the Eaglepedia.  http://amceaglesden.com/guide/index.php?title=Throttle_Cable/Rod_Adjustment_-_4_%26_6_Cylinder_Cars
Click for Toledo, IA Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150   


Not a Jeep.  Not a Car.  Its an AMC Eagle!

1982 Eagle SX/4 Sport;
1980 Concord DL;
1970 Ambassador 2 Dr HT, SST
2002 Hyundai Santa Fe;
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport - Freedom Drive II

Offline captspillane

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #11 on: November 15, 2013, 10:00:08 AM »
Good luck with that. The Motorcraft is a downgrade from the original Carter. Several of us have struggled for a long time to get the Motorcrafts to run right and never have. I've got four of those kits sitting in junk piles here.

The most recent one was Macdude. Once the Carter was back on and his Gronk carb in the trash, he thought he was driving a race car. The power increased dramatically. He tried everything under the sun to get that cursed Motorcraft to run right.

If you reinstall your Carter simply shoot carb cleaner into everything that looks like a tube until you see it come out someplace else. They like to clog up. Dirt also likes to collect at the bottom of the bowel and that is worth shooting out. I don't even bother replacing gaskets most of the time because the Carter is very forgiving for that sort of thing. In that way I like them alot. They're cheap and they give great gas mileage most of the time. I don't care if its electronic or not, I just leave them unplugged.

The big downfall of the Carter is the choke linkage. That was probably your issue the whole time. When you drive the car cold the bimetallic coil of the choke will push the choke plate down. If you push the gas pedal a vacuum diaphragm on the inboard side will pull it back open sometimes and if you really push the pedal all the way down your throttle is supposed to push on a piece of plastic connected by a thin tiny linkage to the choke plate. The system actually works pretty well most of the time.

What happens every winter for me is that the choke resists while my pedal pushing pushes. That tiny linkage bends. Once it is bent you have to bend it back or else the choke plate will be floppy and go where ever it wants, giving you terribly annoying stall problems, hesitations, poor gas mileage, and aggravation. My mother routinely used to stick a screwdriver in the top of the carb to get our Eagle started years ago before I was old enough to drive.

Bend it back and you're on your way making 25 MPG or better. I have gotten 29 MPG out of stock Eagles many times. The Carter is much better than that chunk of junk Motorcraft. There is no hope of that running right.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2013, 10:07:03 AM by captspillane »
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Offline IowaEagle

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #12 on: November 15, 2013, 10:04:56 AM »
Kudos to you for defending the Carter!  AMC, believe it or not, actually had carb experts who evaluated what was out there and typically chose what worked best.  Look at all the different carbs they used because they were not bound to a corporate carb. 
Click for Toledo, IA Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150   


Not a Jeep.  Not a Car.  Its an AMC Eagle!

1982 Eagle SX/4 Sport;
1980 Concord DL;
1970 Ambassador 2 Dr HT, SST
2002 Hyundai Santa Fe;
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport - Freedom Drive II

Offline jsherrod

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2013, 03:49:53 PM »
well the carter was trashed and it will not be going back on. But before this turns into some sort of carb war...a carb issue does not account for early shifting

Offline IowaEagle

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Re: 84 Eagle is unbelievably slowww
« Reply #14 on: November 15, 2013, 04:09:50 PM »
Don't worry.  We have friendly discussions here.  The Den has a great group of folks who visit us regularly.
Click for Toledo, IA Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150   


Not a Jeep.  Not a Car.  Its an AMC Eagle!

1982 Eagle SX/4 Sport;
1980 Concord DL;
1970 Ambassador 2 Dr HT, SST
2002 Hyundai Santa Fe;
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport - Freedom Drive II

 

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