How about your fuel pressure? Fuel filter? A car sitting that long is likely to have a tank full of rust.

 

That's classic restricted fuel delivery.

I'd suggest the fuel filter first.



You can see in this photo where it says "FILTER". You'll never guess what's in there...

Remove the fuel line (in my photo, the blue nut that's to the right of the 2 MCS wires) from the carb inlet nut. The fuel line is a 5/8". I strongly suggest soaking its threads and the back side of the nut (it rusts to the line as well as the threads rusting) with penetrating oil for a few days before attempting to molest it. Use REAL penetrating oil; PB Blaster or Kroil are probably about the best. When you go to remove it, use a 5/8" line wrench (aka tubing wrench, crow's-foot wrench... grips all 6 sides of the nut and all 6 angles). NOT a regular open-end, NOT a crescent wrench, NOT vise-grips, NOT channellocks, NOT NOT NOT NOT. A line wrench ONLY. Support the fuel inlet nut with a 1" open-end. Pay careful attention to the direction the filter goes in there: if you put it in backwards, it will flow NO FUEL WHATSOEVER. When you put it back together, DO NOT put a tool on that inlet nut until you have snugged it up by hand!!! Otherwise you will risk stripping the threads in the chinesium that the carb is cast from, and thereby scrapping the carb. Bad outcome. Once it is snugged up FULLY by hand, tighten it gently with a 1" box, then screw in the line nut BY HAND until snug; and while supporting the inlet nut with the 1" open-end, tighten the line nut gently with an open-end. Grease or anti-seize the threads and the line / inside of the nut, to keep them from rusting back. A SINGLE wrap of Teflon tape works for this also. DO NOT make the common mistake of Teflon-taping the threads as if to seal them; they are NOT the sealing element. This is not pipe thread.

If the filter you pull out is all full of funk and swollen up, the new one will be the same within 100 miles. At that point the only solution is to drop the tank and flush it; it is full of trash. Flush the fuel line out with lacquer thinner at the same time. While you're at it, replace the "sock" fuel strainer that's in there. It is AC/Delco pn TS1000.

 

If it's been sitting for 18 years. Just replace the fuel tank. It's garbage. Then do everything Sofa said. You definitely have a fuel delivery problem.

GD

 

I replaced the fuel filter a few months back, going to check it again soon. Can the code 44 lean 02 sensor make any of these symptoms happen? I took it through d.e.q when it was running well enough to move under its own power a couple days ago and the hydrocarbs was over 5000. Doesn't that mean its getting to much gas? it doesn't smoke other than a little blue upon start up. Drove it to work today and now it wont go past 25mph without cutting out and wanting to die. I also have a code 24 which is vehicle speed sensor. If the fuel filter is fine could any of these issues be the problem?

 

Lean O2 means it's starving for fuel or misfiring. Excessive hydrocarbons in the exhaust is probably due to misfiring. Misfiring drives the O2 lean and causes the system to attempt to add more fuel. So you can't really rely on any of these codes to tell you anything useful. Sounds like you have both fuel delivery and possibly misfire problems as well (maybe related, maybe not). Start by checking the filter. If it's plugged.... like I said replace the tank. Then follow Sofa's advice.

GD

 

Thank you for the info guys, Could my carburetor not being tuned correctly be an issue also? I just went and upped the idle screw a bit to see if that helps the idle issue. It seems to have a little more go then before but i haven't took it on the streets yet since adjusting it. Just went through my work parking lot and she had her pull back but i didnt get past 20mph to see if she cuts out. Tach does not work so im not sure what rpm shes at. But when shes in park and idling she doesn't seem to want to die at all. It was just under load.

 

The idle screw being improperly adjusted isn't going to cause a power loss at 25 mph. The carb should not be pulling any significant fueling through the idle circuit except at idle. You need to check the filter and probably replace the fuel tank. Adjusting the carb to run correctly at idle on poor fuel pressure is not a solution.

GD

 

Leave the idle screws alone. They didn't suddenly adjust themselves and now need somebody's d***-skinners on them If you play with them, it's just one more thing you'll have to UNdo when you fix the fuel delivery issue.

Focus. Work on what's broke, not just putter around aimlessly.