# 1980 camaro problems! Please Help!



## WarriorxXx206 (Mar 10, 2010)

I have a 1980 camaro and there are a few problems i am having with it.

1) When it rains the water is somehow getting inside my trunk and behind the driver seat. I have checked where it would be coming from but cant find it. I have tried to put a tarp on the back of my car but still, water is in the trunk and car. 

2) If i drive for about maybe 30 - 45 minutes it starts to quit. It'll run great up to a certain point.. But it runs great when i just go here and there but it'll try and quit when i drive it for awhile. I think its flooding the carburetor and choking her out because you can tell that its running rich. Nothing i can do because I'm not an expert at this stuff. Ive also thought it might be my fuel pump, it is an electric one. 

Please help. I'm 17 and about to turn 18 and do NOT want to sell this car..


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Hi and welcome to the world of old car ownership :wave:

On the carb problem, your are pretty much need to find somebody that has been turning wrenches a long time/know something about carbs to help you.
Carbs probably have not been used in 20 years an your car 30 years old.

On the water - since the car is 30 years old, probably old/hard seals. Plugged drain holes? Don't understand the wetness behind drivers seat. Make sure the floor is not rusted out.

BG


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Older GM cars usually rust out in the rear window channel under the stainless molding, if you remove you fill in the gap with clear or black silicone sealer and reinstall the molding, that will stop it for a while.

The fuel pump would not cause the carb to flood unless the pressure is way above 12PSI, do you know if it's the stock Rochester carb or a Holley or other replacement?


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## WarriorxXx206 (Mar 10, 2010)

It's an edlebrock carb


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Usually if there are going to flood it'll be cold or all the time, you may want to check the ign system for a bad coil or rotor, is it the stock HEI, or a after market replacement ignition system?


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## WarriorxXx206 (Mar 10, 2010)

im not sure about the ignition but i think it might be stock.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Then that should be the old big HEI cap with the coil in the top, used to be simple to find someone with a scope to see the output voltage waves but today not so easy, the rotors were known to go bad and arc from the top through rotor to the shaft it mounts on, and the coils would get weak. If it does not appear to have been tuned up for a while I would start there Plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil.


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## WarriorxXx206 (Mar 10, 2010)

ok. its not stock im not sure what it is but i remeber my dads friend sayin it was an aftermarket part that he gave to us wen we got the intake manifold. im not sure what most things are or how they work because im only 17 so if i sound stupid sorry..


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Been there, started with a 65 GTO in pieces learned as I went
See if there is a label or a name anywhere on the Distributor or the coil.

The first image is the Stock HEI setup, the second a Accel aftermarket unit.


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## pat mcgroin (May 1, 2009)

After the car warms up look at the choke butterfly and make sure that it is fully open.
I dont know the exact model carb that you have but it may have a vacumn operated
choke pull off. If it is old and weak it will allow the choke to close or at least not open fully and cause all of this.

One other possible cause I should mention as I cant see what you have.
Some older cars had a temperature operated butterfly valve in the exhaust manifold. If yours has this make sure that it moves freely or wire it open.

Be sure to check the EGR valve for proper operation.
If it is staying open after warming up it can cause issues as well.


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## WarriorxXx206 (Mar 10, 2010)

wrench97 -- Ok. Its neither one of those pictures you have there. My dad is coming home today so i will show him what you have told me  and see if he will understand, and i will find out what type of ignition system it is and let you know.

PatMcgroin -- I have a edlebrock carb. Im not sure if there is a butterfly valve on the exhaust manifold but there's probably not.


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## pat mcgroin (May 1, 2009)

check the choke pull off. When it is warm it should make the choke at least 3/4 open.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Pat has a good point, the Eldebrock should have a electric choke, make sure when the engine is warm that is fully opening, if not check for voltage and ground to it.


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## pat mcgroin (May 1, 2009)

Thanks Wrench,
I didn't consider a electric choke.
I haven't messed with a Edelbrock Carb.

What else is possibly electric? that could be a factor.

To the OP please if you can give a better description of the Carb.


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## WarriorxXx206 (Mar 10, 2010)

If the intake manifold leacking can that cause it to loose vaccum?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

A leaking intake will cause it to loose vacuum, but a vacuum lose would mean a lean mixture not a rich one.

@Pat they're modeled on the old Carter AFB design > http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/carbs_acc/carbs_access_main.shtml


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## WarriorxXx206 (Mar 10, 2010)

Ok and the edlebrock does have an electric choke. I got info from my dad he said that ignition system is stock. I can try and attach pictures today.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Ahhh yes the Edelbrock carbs  I remember those, if ya ain't pretty good at rebuilding stuff I wouldn't mess with it too much, a rich mixture on those baby's could be anything from a saturated float to a piece of dirt in the needle and seat, or a worn out jet. I used to rebuild those , Holley's and rotenchesters all day long in the 80's, If you live anywhere near Va Beach, Va let me know, and get a kit, bring it here, and I'll be more than happy to rebuild it for ya.

Hey Wrench, my 77 Monty had the thunder series, it replaced a worn out Holley 600


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Yes they got popular because they were cheaper then the Holley's and had about the same performance level. But are a lot more intricate inside.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Your right, but I liked them cause the floats weren't adjustable from the outside like my Holley was, my 600 series Holley had the Flathead screw and "b" nut lock-nut system, I rebuilt that darn pos about 3 times in one year cause somebody at school kept turning the screw on me when I wasn't outside, after I put the Edelbrock on the only problem I had was rerouteing the throttle cable so it wouldn't scrape the rear bowel.besides to me the Edelbrock might be more intricate, but it seems easier for me to work on, especially now that I have bifocals LOL


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## pat mcgroin (May 1, 2009)

I had considered the saturated float idea but in my experience once that happens
the symptoms generally stay rather constant.

@Wolfen do those carbs still use a choke pull of even with the electric choke?
I dont know enough about Edelbrock carbs but have seen others with electric chokes
that still used them.
In the pictures that Wrench put up I couldnt really see if there was one or not.

@Warrior Have you been able to check out the EGR valve?
As above if it is open when the engine is warm it will cause these sorts of problems
due to warm exhaust gasses being recirculated into a already warm engine and cause a rich condition.

Also above you mention that you can tell it is running rich.
Can you explain that a bit more such as do you see black smoke during hard acceleration?
Give this a try when it starts to act up.
With the car in gear and yourfoot firmly on the brake step on the gas.
Look in the mirror and see if there is smoke and a some what smooth throttle.
Or possibly is the engine breaking up such as popping and jumping.
If it is popping and jumping that would indicate an ignition problem.

Hopefully it isnt raining where you are like it is every where else and you can look at it today.

Bifocals are great working on cars...
Not so great with overhead carpentry, I think I need a reversable pair.
Cut it twice and make it nice LOL


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Pat,not on most Chevrolet's, the electric choke coil either open or closes the choke plate, now there is linkage so that when you floor it with the choke fully or partly closed it WILL open the choke, but the electric chokes were pretty much the only thing they used, unless the carb was modified by somebody other that the oem. Chrysler on the other hand is a whole different story LOL. They used a spring set into a recess in the intake manifold that was connected to the choke plate by a long rod, when the intake heated up the choke would open, Ford pretty mush used the same system as chevy, then you had the foreign cars with some wired setup hat not even a rocket scientist could figure out 

Warrior, the egr valve on that car is really easy to check, just unplug the vacuum line that goes from the egr to the intake, and draw a vacuum on it if it opens and closes it works, if it doesn't open and close, replace it.


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

> because you can tell that its running rich.


how did you determine this? do you smell raw gas?

if it was summer, it would sound like a vapor lock issue. the gas line isnt hugging the exhaust or manifold?
also-
at night, in the dark with the car running, check for any arcing from the ignition. *dont touch the ignition wires while its running.*


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## 97'sonoma (Feb 15, 2010)

if you could upload a picture of the engine is would help greatly. plus do a compression check when its cold then when its hot all 8 cyl if it dramatically low when hot then you have a head thats been over heated and is warped. ive had on do this and never use a drop on water.


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