Like all of us, I like keeping my Z as clean as possible. After washing the car it runs really rough, have to run it pretty steadily to get the moisture out, other wise it will stall out on stop signs or lights. My question is, how or what can I do to prevent this from happening? This car is equipped with electronic carborated 305 V8, original engine. Thanks in advance.

 

Sounds like something in the ignition system isn't sealing well against water.

Try a new distributor cap & rotor, and spark plugs. If you haven't changed em lately, needs one anyway. Look very closely at the plug wires as you handle them, make sure none of the boots are split or crumbling or whatever; replace them as well, if they need it. Use a bit of dielectric grease around the inside of the plug wire boots at both ends to help seal them to the cap and the plugs.

 

I agree with Sofa. Usually it's something worn in the ignition system that got wet. Once you have it running a little better, take a spray bottle of water at night, start the car, and then slowly spray it starting at the distributor and working towards the plugs and watch for the spark to jump from somewhere to the the engine block. I did this a lot with all of my older cars and usually found a lot of sparks jumping from old, worn out spark plug wires. Looks cool at night. Like your own little lightning storm. lol. You can also try lifting up your distributor cap and take a can of air and dry it out under there. Same thing with the coil if you have the ignition coil on top of the distributor.

 

Did you wash the HOT engine with cold water? Sprayed it right at the spark plugs?
I did this decades ago and learned the hard way that I shattered the spark plug ceramics.
If you pull a plug wire off, then the base of the plug is still in the head, and the rest is still in the boot.

 

I just hose off the hood really quick cause I know to much water will cause more of a problem. I've seen people just hose off their engine, not saying its wrong I just doesn't seem to me like it would be a good thing, in general.

 

Thanks for the replies, my 84 does have the coil over the distributor. I changed that and the spark plugs probably 4 years ago, the wires 3 years ago. I am gonna check all the stuff suggested, thanks again.