OK, lately my car hasn't been pulling as hard. Now when I give it gas there is a sputtering sound through the exhaust and the car idles a little rough. I replaced the PCV valve, but nothing changed. So I think I am going to replace the fuel filter. I know where it is and how to disconnect it, but do I need a rag in case fuel starts to dump out.
My car had this same symptom once and as I was trying to fix an oil leak at the rear of a valve cover ( I have wing nuts that stand up on the valve covers and didn't have hold down plates. So I put one on each valve cover , because they were laying around. Well I went to drive the car and the sputtering went away.)
Now it has come back but I'm not sure why or where, this weekend I actually bought enough hold downs for the valve covers, could I have overtightened them.
Please help, I have to drive 200 miles home in 3 days, and I'm not sure I'll make it.

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'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
FLOWMASTER, NO CAT
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat
2:73 GEARS
Rebuilt 700R4, with manual valve body
B Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite
Soon to be installed
3:73 Richmond Gears and 3" Hooker Aero Chamber
Corvette Servo & .500 boost valve
15.61@ 95.2mph G-Teched, 1-2 shift slippage
"There is nothing more addicting than speed"

 

anyone?

 

Nevermind I changed it.

 

hey get a repair manual at your local autozone or whatever....its by haynes

and they are really good with helpin ya through things


sorry i didnt see your post earlier or else i woulda responded cuz i just did mine last week

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84TA T-tops L-69 305HO TH-700R4 stock 190hp and 240 ft-lbs.
new best E.T. (dont laugh) 15.986 @84.93mph
old best E.T 15.997@86.04
http://www.geocities.com/K_towngangsta

 

Skip the Haynes, man. They're worthless. I wouldn't wipe my a$$ with it if I was stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with a case of the $hit$ that neither pepto bismol nor immodium-ad could cure. Gotta get a Chilton's. I just swapped out my engine, tranny, radiator, and numerous other bits and pieces with my chilton's by my side. Never would've got through it with the Haynes. (I actually have them both, so I was able to compare the two as I went along.) What little I could find in the Haynes was not very detailed or helpful. chilton's...chilton's...chilton's...

 

I would buy both haynes and chilton so I could get two different views... I find that some of the Haynes photos are much more halpful than chiltons... like the colored spark plug pictures in the back (haynes), I don't think that some of chiltons illustrations help that much...
In regard to your problem, I would check for vacuum leaks and burnt spark plug wires... also check the spark plugs for unusual wear.
This is a little late, but I usually hold a soup can or something below the fuel filter, then the fun part is burning the gas afterward... better than pouring it on the ground...

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1984 Firebird - Daily driver, 305 LG4, T5 - Hurst short shifter, Edelbrock 600 CFM Performer Carb - Edelbrock Pro-Flow air filter, gutted cat, IROC 16x8 Wheels, Goodyear P215/60/R16, AIWA bargain basement (from Sears of course) CD player
Player accessories: fuzzy dice, eight-ball Shift ****
Check out my ride here

Quote from my sister: "It sounds like a boat"

 

I've changed mine several times and got none of the symptons you did. Did it help?

My car would just stop after an hour or so of driving. I'd let it sit for a while and then take it easy until I got home. once I was in the mountains and barely made it.

I'd clamp the rubber fuel line to prevent gas from excaping. Sorry I did not answer this before you went ahead and changed it.

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1986 Black/Gold LG4 Z28
Original Owner, 200,000+ near trouble free miles.
Mostly Stock.

1995 Dark Red Metallic Corvette Coupe Original Owner

 

if the fuel filter didn't do anything, look into an ignition module.