Tune-up or New Carb?

[Shrimperchuck]

My 78 Sportsman Class C MH runs-But! Its got issues with stalls and just ruff running in general. It'
ll die at a red light sometimes. I've tryed setting the idle and I just aint gettin er right. My MH came with a carb rebuild kit under the bench, I just don't got the down time for that project right now, if I get the rebuilt carb, I can do the rebuild later down the road fer a spare for my ride or for some one else in need.

I aint wealthy so My question is Should I go with the $100-$150 Tune-up and Hope they get it ironed out/Or, For $100.00 I can get me a rebuilt carb and install myself.
My main concern is to go with the tune-up and get told I need a new carb or get the one rebuilt.
I'm thinkin towards getting the new rebuilt carb an doing it myself, any one out there want to help me with my delemma?
Should I or Shouldn't I?

[Shrimperchuck]

P. S. I got all kindsa new ignition parts I'
ve had to install already, from the Key switch all through to a new coil. Now its just either the fine tune-up or the new rebuilt carb.

[Dodgevanman]

If the carburetor and fuel pump are original, then I say yes replace them both regardless. The fuel filter should be replaced as well.

Are the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor new?

[Shrimperchuck]

Yep, the wires er new, the plugs, the pick-up an plate assembly, rotor ect, coil, modulater, ballast resister,electronic control unit, egnition switch & egnition harness are all New.
like I said,I got er runnin, but she needs fine tuned or sompin! I gott-a get back to the Gulf Coast, and thats 1500 hundred miles.
I want my ride to just fire up an Go! None of this tinkering with the timing when the modulater gets hot, no more stalls at the red lights ect.
I'm gonna go ahead and get the rebuilt carborater then, I'll get the filter as well, fuel pump seems fine(?), I just hope I don't have to wind up shellin out the hundred bucks fer a tune-up as well, that would stall my trip back by another month.
Thanks fer the in-put Nate!

[stev]

When you say "new" ignition parts, does this include the cap-n-rotor? If so, I just hope that you got a cap-n-rotor set with copper/brass contacts vs. the aluminum ones. The aluminum contacts are VERY BAD and wear out quickly.

Before shelling out the $100's, I would first examine the condtion of the cap-n-rotor contacts. It can't hurt any since it's f-r-e-e to do.

[alloro]

Sounds more like a stretch timing chain than a carb or tune-up issue

[Shrimperchuck]

This ride is a 78, but its omly got 59,398 miles on it. Would my timing chain be stretched?

[DANVAN]

I say no to the timing chain, yes to rebuilding the carb, and check the intake manifolf for blockage. Start the eng when cold, and feel around the intake, it should get warm all over evenly, if areas stay cold, then its clogged. It needs to be removed and cleaned out.

[Shrimperchuck]

Thanks for the in-put.
I'm waitin on the rebuilt card to arrive now, replaced fuel filter and pump yesterday. When I get the card replaced I'll check intake manifold as suggested.
I feel that the old carb is just needin a rebuild, I couldn't set the idle to where the dern thing would run smooth.
We'll see.
But thanks for all the info here, it sure helps!

[Shrimperchuck]

Still waitin for the carb, but after installing the new fuel pump and filter I fired the Beast up and got noticable improvement! Thanks guys, I know that once I get that carb in there I'll have what I was tryin to get done, without having to go to a tune up shop.
I got issues with gettin others to do what I should have done in the first place. Got an out-fit locally that did my smogging, cost 800 bucks and when I went to pick it up they say it wont start! That thewy hooked there gear up to check the problem an tell me I need a new modulater. I went through for of em by the time I figured the timing was off a tad. These guys er in the business of fixin rides and they didn't know, I'm real leary of puttin my ride in some one else's hands.
Thanks for the help here guys!

[Dodgevanman]

The problem with shops today is that don't know how to work on the older stuff that have much simpler systems although it may take a bit of thinking and diagnostics to fix something.

Can't plug a computer into a 1978 vehicle and find out what's wrong.

[Shrimperchuck]

Part of them 'not knowing older rides' has caused most of my new ignition parts.
I had a bad Ballast resister. Asked around about the symptoms I was experiencing, wound up with a new ignition harness and key swicth!
Oh Yeah, plus all the on-hands experience of tearing down the steering collum to replace those un-necessary parts.
When I got to the Ballast Resister, there are two types, a single sided one, and the double one that I needed. At the auto zone when I slapped that puppy on the counter, the guy behind me said "I know what that is, and all the BS you went through to find it!"
I felt at least the crap I went through was 'How its done' I reckon.
That modulater issue was quite the mind boggler for me as well!
The only issue that I've tossed to the 'for a rainy day' list is after all the stuff with the steering collum, my horn is real touchy now. It wants to sound off when I stick the key in an turn it. Not all the time, mind you, just enough times that the sucker is not wired up any more. Cleaned the brass contact etc, still goes off when you really don't need it!
All in all though, I really like this ride, its my land yatch that I have gone over everything and got all in tune.
I worked for thirty yrs as a commercial fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico shrimping. 45 days at a time spent off-shore makin a living. A big part of that life-style was keeping the boat tuned up with what ever was at hand, and keeping an eye on everything.
Well I have a good handle on this ride, done about as much as I can to insure nothing major is gonna go wrong 'out-a the gate' and I am fairly sure that after the re-built carb, I'll be able to make the trip back to the Gulf Coast with-out a hitch.
Nate, I'll give ya an up-date hear, after I git er done! Be Cool! :cool:

[alloro]

The only issue that I've tossed to the 'for a rainy day' list is after all the stuff with the steering column, my horn is real touchy now. It wants to sound off when I stick the key in an turn it.

Sounds like someone screwed up when they reassembled the steering column. Why don't you take it back to them to fix instead of you putting all that time into it?

[Shrimperchuck]

I can't take it back!
I did it! Been back inside the sucker three times, All seems in order, just REAL touchy when I turn the key.

[Dodgevanman]

Ah yes...78 was the first year Dodge put the ignition switch/key tumbler on the column on vans. Prior to that it was on the dash (and much easier to work on!)