Engine chugging

I finally got my GT out of winter storage and already I have a problem. The car starts fine but when being driven it chugs and stutters from time to time and then drives fine for a few miles and then starts to chug and stutter again. And then every so often it backfires. My first guess is possibly a plugged fuel filter; which is a couple years old and should be changed, but would a plugged fule filter be the reason for the backfiring? The fuel pump is a year old and can be heard taping away in a normal manner.

Any suggestions?

I would change the fuel filter, but then, make a list of the following: wires check, plugs check and clean, points dwell check, timing check ( I like to set mine on the advanced side), carb pistons check for "free movement". Also if the car's been sitting you may have a slimey old batch of rusty, stale gas in the tank and lines. Check all wiring connections including inside the distributer as well as the capacitor itself. They can go bad just by exisiting. Does the car have smog control? A bad gulp valve will raise a lot of hell with backfiring. I would do the whole "tune-up", but I'm guessing fuel here.

Hi,

it could also be stale or bad fuel (water). If the car was left over the winter with very a very low level of fuel, you may have picked up some water condensation in the tank. It looks like you are in Canada - (from you email address) so a cold winter can cause trouble for a low fuel tank.

If your filter is ok - maybe try some fuel conditioner - ?


Good luck and let us know what you find out!

G

It could be nothing more than moisture in the distributor & cap. Warm the engine up, pop the cap off, and let her sit a few hours. If it's moisture that will get it out of the cap and the distriburor base too.

Thanks all for the comments. It did sit for the winter in Atlantic Canada, and this was the first year that I didn't completely fill the tank before parking it. As suggested I'll give it a complete tune up and make sure the distributor cap is also dry.

A friend suggested to me last night that it could be the coil. Would a coil that is going bad cause these same problems?

I agree with Gern, I Think Water as well. had that happen with my mud truck last fall when we took her out to the local mud bog. Try some water remover stuff in the tank as well..

Dezi