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Just bought a 1972 Skylark that needs tuning?

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350 455 buick carb
10K views 52 replies 16 participants last post by  Timmy-Boy 
#1 ·
So i just bought this beautiful lark. I payed $3,000 for It. I'm about to turn 17 and this is basically my first car. The car is almost all original excluding the wheels and the interior has been redone. It has 79,000 original miles on it. Under the hood is a 350 with a 2bbl carb I believe to be a Rochester? Or whatever comes stock on them. The car runs good but It needs a good tune up. First thing is the car will bog when given to much gas to quick. I'm pretty sure its because of a lack of air. I also checked the spark plugs and they were pretty black which I'm pretty sure is a sign its running to rich? It seems to idle perfectly normal and when sitting if you give it gas it doesn't really bog. I need to figure out how to solve this problem so I can start driving her. Would It just be easier to buy a new holley 2bbl carb for about a $150? I plan on doing an oil change, new plugs, belts, hoses, etc... Please leave me your thoughts on how to solve this problem and any other things i should consider doing to her before hitting the road.
 
#4 ·
I agree with Vinniekq2, how long has it been sitting? If your not confident in rebuilding the carb, buying a rebuild or a new one may be the way to go...do everything you said and don't forget about replacing the air filter. If the car is running rich, your getting more fuel than air, a plugged air filter can give you this effect...check that out first.

Congratulations young man and best of luck.

Ray
 
#7 ·
Thanks guys. I attacthed a pic of the car. The picture isnt very good. Its not faded at all.
Im not confident enough yet to rebuild the carb myself. I feel it would just be better to get a new carb anyways. But with the distributor i should replace the cap and plug wires? Can you explain more as to what i should do with the timing? The car has basically been sitting for 2 years. The guy would start it up every once in a while and take it around the block.
 

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#8 ·
Thanks guys. I attacthed a pic of the car. The picture isnt very good. Its not faded at all.
Im not confident enough yet to rebuild the carb myself. I feel it would just be better to get a new carb anyways. But with the distributor i should replace the cap and plug wires? Can you explain more as to what i should do with the timing?
Beautiful...where are you from, it looks like there isn't any rust...from the picture anyway.

As far as timing goes, if you advance the timing several degrees from factory recommendations ( say factory tells you it should be set at 20 degrees advance? not sure what the factory timing specs are, set it at 22 degrees) you get a bit more power. This is something you could play with down the road, for now it might be a good idea to set it up to run well and enjoy.

Nice car
Ray
 
#9 ·
under the hood the factory has posted the tune up specs.Basically do that. when you have a few extra dollars,consider changing the points to a none points ignition.Either put a kit in the factory distributor or adapt a GM HEI distributor(high energy ignition) to rebuild that 2 barrel,its actually quite easy,just like building a model,the rebuild gasket set comes with pictures and instructions.Those carbs are known to have the base plate loosen
 
#10 ·
Im from Phoenix AZ. Im not sure where the car originated from but its been in Arizona for a while. The Isn't any rust I could find when examining the car. Shes in great shape and other than the small acceleration problem she runs like a champ. I don't think i wanna buy a new distributor for this motor. I haven't decided for sure yet but I might just build a 455 motor and TH400 trans to swap into It a little later on. So If I'm gonna do that I don't see the point In putting a bunch of money into this motor. Just wanna get It running and reliable.
 
#13 ·
My first car was also a 72 skylark, nice. It had a beautiful center shifter console, crome plate with the inverted U shaped handle, sweet. The trans only lasted me a couple months :( Last time I drove that car home was in reverse

I would agree, just rebuild the carb thats on it, not complicated, take your time. Good car to learn on, good luck.
 
#16 ·
Young man, don't be afraid to jump in and rebuild the carb. All of us on this board had to learn how to do this stuff. As you learn different procedures, your confidence will build and you'll tackle tougher stuff.

The first thing you'll want to do ----FOR SURE----is to buy an original factory service manual. Most aftermarket manuals are junk, so buy only the original factory publication. It will show you step by step how to rebuild the carburetor and adjust it for best performance.
1972 Buick Repair Shop Manual Original GS/Skylark/Riviera/LeSabre
 
#20 ·
When I rebuild a carb, I dissasemble it on the bench. I put down a big clean shop towel, and as I remove parts I lay them to the side , when I get to small parts, I lay them on the shop towel as they wont roll away, and it keeps them plainly in site...helping not to lose them.

I would also say to rebuil the carb yourself. The Kits come with step by step instructions.
Bogging sounds more like fuel starvation to me, also sounds like it does OK when you feather down on the gas, so I would start at the carb.
Fuel delivery could be an issue, so you might want to check fuel pressure as well.
A gauge like this and a few fitting to do the job are relatively inexpensive
Harbor freight sells them ( I hate harbor freight) but this one is good. It will also help you adjust the carb and do other diagnostics on your engine. Quite possibly the best 15 bucks youll ever spend on a tool.

item number 93547 at HF
 

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#52 ·
Bogging sounds more like fuel starvation to me, also sounds like it does OK when you feather down on the gas, so I would start at the carb.
Fuel delivery could be an issue, so you might want to check fuel pressure as well.

item number 93547 at HF
Could be a bad pump, pinched or collapsed suction line, or plugged strainer in the gas tank.
You can check pump health and strainer restriction with the gauge I mentioned before.
 
#22 ·
dang, the car looks to be in great shape. what a nice one to start with. looks like just a few repais and your on the road in a classic.good find.you'll do well, looks like you caught the bug. hahaha, warnin,,,it dont go away. hahaha...these guys will help you out. just be patient and stay with em.
 
#28 ·
Gorgeous car. Very, very cool. It seems all the conversation related to bog has been surrounding the carburetor. That may very well be correct. But if the P.O. had it rebuilt, and the problem persists, I think I'd take a look at the ignition timing. Before you invest in a kit, investigate the accelerator pump linkage for clearance as noted above, then pick up a timing light and see if the timing curve is correct. I know you're new to all this, but when the time comes we can all help with the timing investigation. Again, you have scored big, both with the car, and with finding the best car community on the net.

PayM
 
#35 ·
nice car..
I'd get a carb rebuild kit.. and rebuild your carb.. it's a simple 2 barrel..
you CAN do it. and it's the only way to learn..
if you have a digital cmera.. and or a cell phone that takes pic's.. take pics as you take it apart.. and note on paper where stuff came from/goes..
you CAN do this...
get a manual for your car.. it's a g.m. "A" body.. so manuals won't be all that costly..
even a motors amnual covering your year will be a big help with tune up's and general upkeep..
if you can follow directions ,there is nothing on these cars you can't do yourself.. and you'll learn alot..
not only that.. but you have the internet that has forums like this one..
and buick only forums that can be a big help on finding parts..
as most have been down the road you'll go.. and not everyone builds a fire breathing car..
good luck with it..
and ry to do as much as you can, as you'll learn a ton.. and you'll be happy you did it..
 
#38 ·
I think not, that is a kit that contains parts for an HEI. You need the entire unit. An delco HEI dist from a 75 buick 350 will work. Find a junk yard version and rebuild it or buy new/reman.

1975 BUICK LESABRE Distributor

Needs a coil, any HEI dist coil circa 75 will do.

For me I would leave the points distributor unit in it for now, maybe pull it out and clean it up some new points, condenser, cap, rotor for 50 bucks done. Check rock auto for those or your local parts store. If you do HEI conversion then you need to change the power supply wiring to it etc etc. Not too difficult but,,,IMO

Stick with one thing at a time, carb first. Yes call the desk before you order anything on-line.
 
#40 ·
Timmy, you're putting too much trust in human nature. Most people who say they have rebuilt a carburetor mean that they took it apart and replaced the gaskets. Most gearheads are carburetor-ignorant. You will be an exception to the rule. I can see you soaking all the parts in a can of carb cleaner, blowing out all the passages with compressed air and doing all the things that your new factory service manual tells you to do. There's a good lad......
 
#41 ·
It may be a good idea to check for vacuum leaks. Purchase a can of carb cleaner and spray around the base of the carb while the engine is running...make sure all vacuum lines are hooked up and not cracked. I have had a rochester 2bl carb with a warped base plate. See if that increases the idle speed or smooths out the idle...It's worth a try before you rebuild the carb.
 
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