Throwing out a line for help! (Metro ATL area)

Hello there! It's been admittedly ages since I have been around 3Geez. Life plans and work have distracted me a lot from my car, and that's been a growing concern over the past few months.

Still, this has culminated in me finally biting the bullet after a stall-out and taking it to the local shop that my parents have used since as far back as I can remember, only to be turned away out of concern about working on my vehicle. And, that includes also being turned towards a Honda/Acura specialist across the street who was also intimidated :huh:. Fun stuff. I did get a phone number to someone who works on cars in their off-time from their inspector job, and was told that would be one of my only options, but it did remind me of this site as well.

In my 4 years of owning my Accord, the most brave I have been with it was to change the oil, and the valve cover gasket a couple times(Found out it was the valve cover itself that was minutely bent somehow that has seemingly been causing that leak), because I've needed my car day in and out to get to work and had no other option outside of buying another car to be able to work on what I have now. I have tried to dig into the shop manual and have simple tools, but it's still been a bit overwhelming, and I don't feel like I'm quite prepared. Reading things on the internet only gets me so much, and that's zero real-life application to give one perspective.

I know it's gotten a bit deep into this to explain the problems with my car, and I apologize. Currently, in the past 8 months, I have had at least 5 issues with my Accord not holding idle and dying when off throttle, and every time, it's mysteriously gone in the next day or less. Other times, it's just been attempts to try throttle and trying to gush in more gas during startup that's ended up in it not dropping idle off throttle, and other times it's been as random as limping my car home for it to die again in the driveway and then suddenly idle passably after immediately restarting it. I have mentally chocked this up to either a grounding or vacuum issue with the carburetor, and leaning on the latter.

That, mixed with the myriad of small oil leaks(Standard culprits, Valve Cover, Distributor O-Ring, Oil Filter Base, Rear Main, Oil Pan(?) ), has just left me frustrated and a bit desperate for help.

The part-time mechanic I was referred to is all the way out in Conyers when I'm in Lawrenceville, and while I'm out of a job right now, I'm still a bit wish-wash on going all the way out there and still needing transport home since this is bound to not be a one-day deal, or anywhere near that.

I am a bit emotionally attached to my Accord, love the style, interior, drive feel, and reliability for the price and issues(Aside from this fuel issue, it's only needed a fuel pump in the last four years aside from timing/water pump when I bought it), and have this probably naive and foggy aspiration of properly restoring it and converting to EFI. That mixed with the potential hole of dropping myself into something newer within my very meager finances that may cost me the initial cost and then some if it fails as well has me in this predicament.

If you read anything aside from the excess above, this is it

My current questions are, though:
-Is there any closer mechanic/shop that anyone knows is qualified/willing to work on my 88 LX?
-Would there be anyone in the area who is knowledgeable and willing to help teach me some hands-on basics for working on my car? (Replace carb/some oil seals. And, paid within my means, of course)
-Is the Redline Weber 32/36 Kit a good option for me? It seems by far the most appealing and cost-effective, and could come with being able to delete some vacuum
-Is it worth it to keep my Accord? I do not think the resale value I would get in its' current state is worth much, but I would hate to see it scrapped with its' generally solid body and nearly reliable drivetrain.

I still am unsure if this was the correct forum branch to post this in, but any help would be gratefully appreciated. Thank you.

Yeah it's so many generations of technicians gone by that know jack about carbs and shop labor rates would quickly "total" a 88 honda. Your only choice is diy or finding someone who does side work or trading.
Im confused what exactly your symptoms are , beside being inconsistant, is there a common denominator in this diagnostic puzzle? The fuel system... But we have to rule out ignition issues before proceeding.
Absolutley a weber conversion is by far the best route....if you ar not subject to i-285 smog certs.

When it works fine, then doesn't, then works fine again, it is almost always an electronic issue. But with all the problems you are reporting, it could be a number of issues. like 2oodoor said, it is very hard to diagnose without seeing, hearing, touching or smelling. It's like horse whispering. If you were in the NW, I would love to help you. But from the sound of it, it sounds like you need to drive something else for now and rebuild the accord in your free time. If you want injection, why not just get an 89 with injection?

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Originally Posted by 2oodoor

Yeah it's so many generations of technicians gone by that know jack about carbs and shop labor rates would quickly "total" a 88 honda. Your only choice is diy or finding someone who does side work or trading.
Im confused what exactly your symptoms are , beside being inconsistant, is there a common denominator in this diagnostic puzzle? The fuel system... But we have to rule out ignition issues before proceeding.
Absolutley a weber conversion is by far the best route....if you ar not subject to i-285 smog certs.

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I live outside the perimiter, and Gwinnett County is still on the "If it's 25+ years old, no emissions, just have to pay for tag renewal every year" train, which is helpful.
The only symptom I have been able to really notice that usually means it will stall out is that sometimes when it doesn't start on the first key-turn, I'll give it a little throttle as I start it again, and then it will go through a state where it will continue to RPM bob or idle hunting...where it hovers up to 1250, then just gasps for breath every couple seconds and dips to like 850 and then bounces back up. I've never been able to have a pair of eyes on the carb to see if the electric choke is acting erratic, though, so I don't know exactly why it is doing that.

But, when it does that, and even when I let it almost totally even out, when I get out onto the road and shift a few gears(Automatic :C ), when I let off the throttle and/or brake for a turn or the such, it just gasps and stalls out. It used to idle hunt at at random on startups for a while(Maybe 20% of the time), but before, it would never just up and stall until about halfway through last year when it did this for the first time.

I read a topic on here about cleaning up and directly frame-attaching the ground points on the carb CPU box under the driver's seat yesterday, and that's something I can very much do, so I will be trying that as well.

I would really like to find someone in this area that could give some direct advice and hands-on help as well, but would be willing to do a little driving as well, depending. Would adore to clean up my oil leaks and be more confident about driving her rather than just tentatively going the 4 miles both ways to work that I was for the past 4 years. In between jobs now, so I have a little time, but with hopeful school plans, I know I'm going to be in multiple places at once for sure.

Still, thank you both for the current tips and response.

It sounds like you are already on the right track to fixing it on your own. You made sure the fuel was good. Next I would make sure your air flow is good; make sure carb is clear and functioning properly, no rusty springsor valves. No vacuum leaks and all lines are clear, filters good. Then move onto spark; the hardest and most electrical. Could be a sensor, a fuse, a relay, a solenoid, plugs, wires, or a computer like you suggested. Just check all the easy things first.

Man, I wish I could actually help. Im carb retarded. I just wanted to say as a local atl guy id help anyway (in the relms kf my knowledge) that i could

Well, if I get the Weber swapped in, there are a few other main gaskets and stuff that need to be done as well. Need some experienced help with the darned oil filter base gasket :ugh:

It's amazingly easier to tackle the OFBG when the carb and it's garb are off :)

^^^ this.