'86 1500cc idle & surging/stalling probs

Standard Transmission

Just bought this, reconnected all vacuum lines, everything is intact and correct.

Start it up, sometimes idles high, 2000 rpms. Remains high. Rev it, it still stays high.
Sometimes Idles high, drops to 1000, dies.
Will not idle at 1000 rpms. Drops and dies.

Start it up, idles high, retard timing, dropping idle down a little. Take it out on the road, runs good, turn a corner, it starts to surge. Won't idle, have to pump gas to keep it running, Full throttle bogs it down and no power.

Turn it off, restart, idles high, runs good otherwise. head down road, runs ok, maybe bogs like before. turn corner, idle drops, bogs, no power, Make it back home, dies in parking spot.

Start it up, runs, but have to gas it to keep revs up. Or it dies.

I've been through this procedure 10 times.

I've replaced both filters, checked for visual air leaks, running out of options.

Can anyone throw me a bone here?

UPDATE 1:
So I put a new PCV in and replaced it's hose as well. The old hose liked to flatten out as vacuum was apllied to it.
The old PCV was kinda shoddy, as well.

Started it up, sprayed the usual starting fluid around carb area, no noticable leaks.

Started it up, adjusted the timing to bring idle down a little. Backed off the idle adj. screw. Idled around 1200-1500 rpm. Small surging.

Took it for a cruz... Went great until final 1/4 mile... Did it's old surge, idle drop and bog on acceleration.
Died at stop sign, started it up, and it drove ok to my place. Died upon reaching parking spot.

Started it up, it idled, dropped, and died.... Slowly.
Started it up, it idles at around 1200-1500 rpms. Small surging.

Anybody out there?

UPDATE 2
Ok, so I was thinking I needed to tighten the fast idle screw.
Start engine, go to tighten screw with long screwdriver... Everytime I touch the screw, or any part of the carb, while touching a known ground, the RPMs shoot up.
I hook a wire from intake manifold to screw on carb. Idle goes up. So I back off idle screw to reasonable RPM (around 1000 - 1100). Readjust timing to what sounds good, and go for a 1 mile cruz. Goes 3/4 miles great. Comes to good idle at stops and plenty of acceleration. Starts to bog upon acceleration at 3/4 of a mile. So bad that it won't go any further. Car dies. I start back up, and it dies again. I start back up and it runs good all the way home, pull into parking spot, idles fine (small surge, not bad, 1100 RPM)
I let it run for awhile as I sit there and think wtf could be wrong....
Take it for another drive... Runs great for 3 miles, turn around to head back home, after 2 miles it does it's thing. I stop at sign, it dies, I restart, it runs great all the way home. Pulls in and idles fine. I turn it off.

So what is wrong with this thing?! What makes a car run good for a time, then starts choking it, like its starving for fuel, then runs good again upon a restart?
Coil?
Fuel pump? (It's not electric)
Automatic choke fault?
Crap in the jets?
Timing issue?
Bad cap/rotor?
Bad gas?
What!!??

UPDATE 3
Detangled and rerouted spark plug wires so they don't touch, made sure all electrical connections were secure.
Started it up and drove 14 miles, Idled fine at every stop sign, Around 1000 RPMs. Plenty of power, no chugging, no stalling.

Made it back home and it came to a decent idle.

We'll see what happens tomorrow...

UPDATE 4
So it's the next morning. I have to keep gunning the car to keep it up above dying RPMs until it warms up a little (about 4 minutes) and it'll kinda keep a steady idle at around 1100.
Drive about 1/2 a mile and bog problem starts again. I pull over, restart, it bogs, I restart again, it runs ok.
So I head back, and before my house, it bogs again.
Here's what it does: give it gas, it slows, rpms drop and it makes a "bogging" sound... like a lawnmower engine running inside of a sealed 50 gallon drum.
I pump the accelerator, and it kind of "jumps" spurts and tries to keep going, but it eventually just bogs down and runs really badly.
If I slowly depress the accelerator, it just slowly bogs down... Only rapid pumping seems to get it to keep running. Like an old French whore.

I park it in my spot, restart it a bunch of times, and finally I start it and it brings itself to a relatively steady 1100 rpms. And it stays there. I give it gas, and it comes back down to idle and stays there.

Hello? ........ hello? ECHO!!......echo.

Update 5
Next day (Saturday)- Removed cap & rotor, scraped and cleaned it as best as possible. Checked all wiring, and hoses.
Started it up, same as yesterday.... Had to keep giving it gas to keep the R's up until it finally settled into a steady 1000-1100 rpm idle (took about 3 minutes)
Drove it for about 15 minutes, ranging from wide open to cornering through neigborhoods in 1st gear... It always came to a good idle at all stops. Never surged or cut out.
Drove it home and it pulled in with a smooth 1000 idle.

I don't trust it though. It seems to be running fine right now, but I'll need to drive it for another few weeks before I can declare it fixed once and for all. I mean, who's to say it won't pull it's same procedure next time I drive it? It's not like I actually fixed anything.

Anybody?

UPDATE 6 (Last Update)
Started it up, took awhile to keep at running idle (2 minutes or so), took it for a cruz... Ran ok UNTIL I jammed my foot on the gas.. Then it started it's bogging and chugging.. Pulled over and had to restart it about 4 times until it ran right again.. Drove home. On the way I full throttled it again, guess what? It started to bog. It ran like crap the rest of the way home.

I took the air cleaner off, checked the choke. Car was hot, operating temp, but choke was 3/4 closed (not running) I messed with the choke and it seemed really loose... No missing parts that I could see, but really loose.... And I thought "Shouldn't this thing be wide open since the car is hot? And why does it not want to idle when cold?"
So I tied the choke open.
Guess what? The car runs awesome! Better than ever before! I tried everything I could to get it to stall, bog or chug.... And nope, it wouldn't do it.
At all stops it came to a perfect idle. No sign of dying.

The problem has been diagnosed: Faulty Choke causing car to die due to lack of air getting to carb. When I restarted it, it popped the choke open a little. When I floored it, it sucked it down, closed.

I'm not sure what the deal is with the "Grounding" issue with the carb... But my temp fix seems to have helped it. And all the vacuum hoses I reconnected and plumbed into the right fittings probably didn't hurt either.
My 100.00 car is now running great.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions! :P

Yeah right.
Started it today and took awhile to warm up and idle because choke is wide open. Drove it and it did fine... Until I headed home.
It began bogging again... Worse than before.
Pulled it into parking spot and it basically wouldn't run. I'd start it and have to floor it to keep it running. I checked the choke- Still wired open.
I tried a bunch of times to get it run, but nope. Wouldn't run worth a damn,.
I checked the fuel coming out of the pump, it worked fine.

I tore the carb off. I noticed a vacuum line off, and I noticed a big hose on the bottom driver's side of the carb is kinked at a 45 degree angle.

Took the carb apart and looked at the jets... The one towards the back side of the carb was plugged.

I cleaned out the entire carb, put it back together.

I'm going right now to put it back on.

Wish me luck, whoever you are.

Put it back on, replaced a few hoses that were kinked or worn... Started it up and drove it around with no problems. Adjusted the idle... It now idles just under 1000 rpms.

We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

(Oh, I also took my tie-wire off the choke.)

Well, next day and it's running fine. No more stalling or anything.
Apparently, it was clogged jets. (plus a few other minor things).

Going to go get it smogged tomorrow....

I bought a used carb for 20 bucks at the pull-a-part.
It runs fine now.
My old carb was hacked.

I just read this thread and I'm glad you got the problem solved.

If I hadn't been without internet service for the past few weeks, I'd have been happy to help (or try to).

BrettWilson...just saw this thread myself. Even if no one gave you a hand with your problem, you at least gave me a smile...for facing your problem without frustration. Think it is time to junk the carb on my 83 civic 1500.

Casey

LMAO!! I'm sorry, but after reading this post I couldn't help but smile and laugh out loud! Been there and done that. Glad you were able to resolve the issue though. Very helpful seeing's as I may purchase a 1986 for myself.

Thanks for the laugh!! It was great!

BrettWilson...just saw this thread myself. Even if no one gave you a hand with your problem, you at least gave me a smile...for facing your problem without frustration. Think it is time to junk the carb on my 83 civic 1500.

Casey

Fabulous work !
My wagon had a similar issue until I checked the vacuum advance, leaks too much, so I cut it open and smeared RTV on the diphragm and now it works a charm ! yay.

:)

After you're done fixing your car, please begin checking the dates on threads you post to.