Had the 88 DX for a few days, update and a few questions.

[Bart_The]

So, I have been enjoying my 88 DX Sedan since Friday night. Did some work on it since then, replaced the spark plugs and wires [two plugs were bad and one was loose], cleaned the engine, adjusted the headlights, new air filter, and tightened some hoses and cables. Starts and runs much better now, would shake real bad on startup and idle at around 3K until I started driving.

The main questions I have are: when I start the car in the morning, it tends to idle low and possibly cut off. I can turn the key again and pump the gas once or twice and it'll run fine. Sometimes will idle real low [300] when I go to reverse, but after a few minutes all is good. Is this just part of having a carb? Also tends to shake a little when I get around 60 and when I apply pressure to the brakes. Everything else seems to be great - 77,000 miles, AC is cold, headlights pop immediately, weather coated undercarriage...overall very happy with the car. I've learned a lot from just spending hours reading on here, but wanted a bit of specific info about these.

[Bart_The]

I guess it's just a carb being a carb.

[2oodoor]

That's only a half truth. Yes carbs are more mechanical in the way they atomize fuel, prime the chamber to initialy get an ignitable condition, and a carb has several systems of accomplishing this under varying circumstances.
When cold you always generally give it a squirt of gas with the pedal.. where as in a efi car pumping tbe gas does nothing at all with the ign turned off.
I can go through each system comparing, which wouldnt be a bad idea, let me get back to ya.
What is the worst issue now and lets discuss that first :)
I would start by advancing the distributor timing just a little, but make sure youre getting vacuum at the vac advance at the distributorn first. The whole symptom could be thermovalve vac switching not getting vac advance at idle.

[Bart_The]

Thanks for the reply - after driving it for a week I have learned a few things. The cold start needs a few minutes to warm up, or it will try to die when I shift to R. The brakes seem to be in good shape, so I'm thinking an alignment will handle the shakiness. I will look into the timing and vaccum, that's two things I haven't touched.

[Legend_master]

Edit: Wrong thread lol

[ghettogeddy]

When you go for an alignment don't be shocked if they say you need ball joints wheel Barings and other suspension related parts most of these have never had that work done from previous owners.

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[Bart_The]

Wouldn't shock me. I know the major parts that were replaced in the past three years, and the ones I just replaced this weekend. Will take it to a reputable shop soon and have that looked at.

[niles]

Mine shook on the highway for the longest time, after two alignments and wheel balances, someone finally noticed that one of my steelies was bent. Made me wonder how you can balance a wheel without noticing a bent rim lol.