engine and drivetrain engine vibration/shaking

[Happy Face]

ok, I'm no mechanic....but now that I've had this car for a few years I'm coming to the realization that my motor vibrates (shakes) too much.

I know its an old car but it should run smoother than this.

It shakes so much that when its at idle, the sheet metal on the car rattles.

This may be a fact of life in an old car but something tells me there should be a way to smooth this motor out so it idles smooth and constant.

Where do I start?

[BillWilliams]

You may want to start with a basic tune up.

New plugs gapped properly

Timed correctly

Adjust valves

Renew the ignition points condensor, distributor cap, rotor

Plug wires

Renew fuel filters

If you do all this properly and it still runs poorly, the smart guys will need to jump in.

[ryanOC]

how's your carburetor doing? might want to make sure the fuel mixture is good

[FP2002]

The other suggestions are good but I would also check the motor mounts. A broken or deteriorated one can cause vibration.

[PSloan]

Where are you in houston? Maybe i can come check it out - ive had to calm them down a few times. email me off the board

[Guest Anonymous]

can amplify vibration response at Idle. Get in there and with a flashlight look at everything push everything around actually lots of thing can be loose so look closely. Have fun

[Happy Face]

well, it hasn't had a real tune-up since I drove it home from Vegas three years ago so this is good advice....

as a follow up.....a few months back I bought the Crane XR700, a Red coil, and some heavy-duty spark plug wires, all from Ireland Eng.

This would as good of a time as any to do the EI install....

question though....which plugs do I get for this new setup and (which gap also), and...do I need to add a ballast resistor? While I'm at it, should I replace anything else to ensure a trouble-free setup (electric/timing related)?

thanks

[BillWilliams]

They have an excellant tech support line, use them if you need them.

About the ballast resister, the Crane needs a certain amount of resistance from the coil/ballast resister, I forgot what that is, the tech line can tell you. You must ensure you have that resistance with or without a ballast resister. Follow the directions to a "t" and you will not have any problems.

I run the stock plug at the stock gap, although many report you can widen the gap, I guess some experimenting and plug reading will tell you.

[Happy Face]

at bav auto there are two kinds of plugs available for the 'O2. One without resistance and one with.

Which one?

thanks

[FL02]

Try to lean out the carb some. I've found when it is too rich the engine shakes a lot. Engine mounts have been known to brake too, so I'd check those first.

[BigDog]

Or in the winter when you're worried about burning all the fuel, you could go a little hotter with BPR5ES. And Yes, I always use a 'resistor' plug due to my perpetual battle with radio noise from the ignition. A battle which I have won BTW.

---------

BigDog

'76 2002

[TimNC]

One more tid-bit to throw in as a possibility, because I recently went through the same problem (but not as bad as your problem sounds) . . . if your motor brackets & mounts are solid and all timing/ignition/fuel maintenance issues are correct and recent, it could have something to do with a worn distributor shaft and/or worn timing chain/timing chain components. Any of these things being worn/loose could cause a more noticable "jumping" at idle as compared to higher RPMs. And at higher RPMs you might also notice an occasional "skip" or miss fire. And a worn distributor shaft or loose timing chain/components combined with other ignition or fuel problems will only compound the issue and having you pulling your hair out when trying to smooth out the idle.

[ths916m3]

It wasnt that bad before. It just started when I got my car up and running again after a 4 or 5 month break.