I finally got my cheap Toy to run but it idles like S#!T. What can be done. I changed plugs, points, cap & rotor and tried to set the timing but I could get nowhere close. It idles like it it missing but every few minutes it will idle perfect. When I step on the gas it also sounds like the carb is trying to suck a golf ball through 50 feet of garden hose, and it wont accelerate it just wants to choke out...
What can I check???

<small>[ October 20, 2002, 11:05 AM: Message edited by: 73Toy ]</small>

Sounds like you got some of basics, but, I didn't see anything about replacing vacuum hoses. After 20 years the vacuum hoses might need replacing. replace them all, vacuum hose is pretty cheap. Do them one at a time so you don't forget what goes where. If that doesn't help your carb might need rebuilding.
From the symptoms (especially inconsistant idle timing) sounds like a vacuum leak to me. Could be a hose, or, the carb. If these don't fix it you might need a new distributor, could be the bushings are worn and I don't know if there is a way to replace them, I'm sure there is if you are dedicated enough... (do you have a dwell meter? if so are its reading constant? - usually if the distributor is worn both timing and dwell will bounce around)

I do have a dwell meter but have not checked it yet. With the vacume hoses there are some missing and I'm not sure if the ones that are on it are in the right place. It's a 20r motor if anyone has a manual and if it show's a vac. hose diagram please scan it and e-mail me... When I bought it it was not running at all and the guy I got it from said he tried everything to get it to run. I gues he didn't check the starter wire and the distributor wire. Thanks so far!

Is it posible that the distributor 180 degrees off? You should pull the distributor and check to make sure.

The distributor has that diaphram thing on the right side and the power wire on the left side. If I spun it 180 the power wire thing will rub on the pulley.

<small>[ October 20, 2002, 07:35 PM: Message edited by: 73Toy ]</small>

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by 73Toy:
<strong>With the vacume hoses there are some missing and I'm not sure if the ones that are on it are in the right place.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">I'd say that is the problem then... Not much chance of it running properly if there are vacuum hoses missing or misconnected.

Sorry I can't help you with a diagram. I've got the diagram for my '85, but it would be completely different.

Well I got it running pretty smooth today. There was a small screw towards the front on the left side of the carb(looking in from the front) that has vacume hoses running into whatever it's controlling. Any Ideas what this is or does.
Next - it was running great for about 10 min. and it just died. It still turns over but it won't start now. Could it be the coil? On the side of the distributor there is a wire coming out that goes to the coil should this be pos. or neg. on the coil? Or does this even go to the coil?
Again thanks everyone for the help I wouldn't have this thing this close to being on the road if not for all of you who helped me out...

Might be a stupid question, but does it have gas?

I've done that before -- forgot that it barely had an 1/8th of a tank when I started working on it and through running it here and there lost track of how much gas was left.