'72 318 stalls out when coming to a stop....

[Pupi_13]

Car has been sitting a long while. Carb is carbon and sticky to operated manually. Def a fuel issue as I need to give it gas when coming to a stop or car stalls out. Realizing carb needs cleaned and rebuilt is it worth doing so or buying a new one? Carb is Carter 0-2425.

Also, under dash is a toggle switch that when toggled while in gear, engine seems to loose power? Anyone help with what the toggle might be doing on a 318?

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Depends on the varnish inside the carb , if it cannot be removed effectively you might as well replace the Carb ,or for tuning you would be better off using the Holley 500 cfm 2bbl with an adapter plate , then all normal power valves , jets , accelerator pump parts will work

 

[Pupi_13]

After it warms up and I get on it, drives fine, only issues when slowing to a stop, and mostly downshifting to 2nd. Is it possible for the carb to rid some of the gunk inside by driving it or could that cause worse issues?

The toggle switch boggles me as this is family heirloom and grandfather who was original owner is the only one who truly would know what the Toggle under dash was for...

 

[Chryco Psycho]

If it runs OK most of the time you can probably rebuild it with a cheap kit ,set the float level etc it might be fine . But for better performance I would use a Holley 500 2 bbl .
I would have to trace the wires for the toggle switch it seems it has to be turning on something with heavy draw if electric load drops the power , something like aircraft landing lights at 250 watts !!
Timing can also make a big difference , try advancing the timing about 6-8*

 

[1972CudaV21]

Just follow the wire. The toggle switch would be an easy thing to figure out.

 

[NoCar340]

In terms of the stalling at stops, first and foremost make sure you have no vacuum leaks. Are all of the vacuum hoses in good condition and the correct size? Is there an open vacuum port on the intake or carburetor? Does the brake booster hiss, indicating an internal leak? Is there any fore/aft movement of the throttle shaft in its bore? Are the carburetor and intake bolts tight? Don't laugh at the latter; I've seen it.

Get a can of flammable carburetor or brake cleaner. With the little straw installed, direct the spray at any/all joints on the intake, including the carb base, from short distances (a couple of inches away) so you know exactly what it's hitting. If the RPM rises, there's your leak.

After confirming there are no leaks, try Lucas 10020 pour-in carb/fuel injection cleaner with about half a tank of fresh fuel. Based on both personal experience and a lot of customer feedback from selling virtually everything over the last 34 years, nothing else compares.

If there are no vacuum leaks and the Lucas doesn't improve it, it's time to rebuild the carb. Unless you're running verifiable ethanol-free fuel, make sure you get a rebuild kit that is alcohol-resistant. You may have to shop online to find such a kit.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

First thing I check when tuning an engine si the intake bolts they are often loose .

 

[Ralph]

Back in the day we used to put toggle switches under the dash to short out the ignition so it could not be hot wired and stolen. Look at it and try to understand if it looks like a factory wire or if someone rigged it. Also I have a 73cuda with a under dash toggle that operates a map light on the passenger side.

 

[1972CudaV21]

Back in the day we used to put toggle switches under the dash to short out the ignition so it could not be hot wired and stolen. Look at it and try to understand if it looks like a factory wire or if someone rigged it. Also I have a 73cuda with a under dash toggle that operates a map light on the passenger side.

Yes, it could be a Kill Switch. I’m sure there’s nothing too mysterious about it

 

[Poolshark314]

Maybe a can of seafoam would help?

 

[cv70chall]

I recently have had the same issues. Decided to adjust the float levels on my Holley 670 (did both sides) and adjusted the air-fuel mixture screws as well- it was running too rich. I have the car idling at about 980rpm.
Starts fine, warms up, runs good, but downshifting into 2nd/1st coming up to a light, it gets sluggish and has stalled once.
Not sure what this is. I'll check for what has been mentioned above but ???

 

[cv70chall]

Can't find any vac leaks and intake is secure. ???