350 tpi

It started bogging down heavy (2000-3500 rpm), when in gear while idling it surges +/- 800 rpm at times and when it surges sometimes battery meter will jump up and down +/- 2 on scale.



When I bought it over a month ago it would not accelerate, would bog and smoke BLACK trails of smoke behind it if going over 2000 rpm, the same day I sprayed a jet of water down the exhaust pipes and it cleared nice chunks of carbon deposits from there and noticeably it ran better. Flushed Engine, radiator, tranny fluid, differential, did fuel system clean up and it ran like a champ. It got very responsive and just better than ever.

One day I drove along and my top rad hose started passing some coolant vapours out, I patched it up and for the duration of 3 days was too busy to look after it. Then one day after work I drove and just happened to notice that my eng temp has reached a little beyond that redline mark so I find nearest exit ramp and park. Opened rad cap and see nothing inside, I believe I drove not more than 3 minutes with it overheated and obviously no coolant. So I waited for someone to bring some coolant for me, I filled it up let it circulate and filled more at the end.....

Before that engine wouldn't bog at all, now I took it back home and it would hesitate after 2000 rpm and 1/2 throttle would make engine almost die, when I floored it it would go wot but would accelerate WAAAAAAAy slower than it did prior to the overheating of the engine occured.

A day later I replaced that rad hose and made sure everything is tight, no leaks. Took it for a spin and for about 3 days it ran like a champ again, no leaks no overheating, no problems at all. then one day weather got humid and really hot, so from that day on (it's been another 3 days already) the car started running like C.R.A.P. it's frustrating, it started surging +/-800 rpm when I'm in gear idling waiting for a green light, I almost took off into a truck in front of me with that idle surge, in park or neutral it goes away. Bogging is still there but now I can't go wot full throttle at all or it will sound very loud and will make noise like it's misfiring or getting flooded or... Sounds like it's popping and backfiring.

What would it be?

 

catalytic converter is probably clogged, are you loosing coolant?
May have a cracked head too

 

Partially fixed some problems, just looked and found some connectors loose in the engine bay, one to the vac line somewhere so I plugged that one in and surging smoothed out a lot but not fully. Bogging became less now but still there now instead of 2000 it goes on 3rd gear at about 2500-3000 rpm. And it is still hard to get the car to wot, it will get too loud and what an unhealthy sound it gives when bogs!


Otherwise I am not loosing coolant, no leaks...

Could be:
O2 Sensor
Timing if chain hadn't fragged or distributor gear hadn’t given up
Distributor module
Fuel Pump/Regulator/Filter (Say the fuel regulator diaphragm had been eaten through and can’t hold vacuum, so the pressure is going sky high and causes a rich condition?)
EGR Solenoid/connector harness
EGR is clogged with carbon and valve stuck open
Injectors read different resistance

What else?

My car smokes a load of white smoke for a real short moment on start up also rattling sound (somewhere underneath the engine but closer to the firewall) comes and goes at start up and after usually like a minute of warm up or driving it goes away untill it cools down and I start it up again.

Hope it's not heads.

 

Replace the thermostat, check the P.C.V. valve to make sure it isn't plugged and check your exhaust manifold bolts to make sure none of them have come loose.