Skipping when getting into gear and driving

[xxjoeyxxeb]

Hey guys, the car was sitting for about 2 months, then I started it and it skipped when I revved it in neutral, wanted to die once I touched the accel pedal. Then I fixed a leak in the antibackfire valve and it revs better. Went to drive it around the block about 5 mph and every time I put it in gear and tried to go it would skip and putter and want to die, but it would get into gear and go, but kinda puttery.

Plugs, distributor, rotor, wires all look good. Gas is 2 months old, sprayed the carbs with cleaner. Will try to switch out the fuel filter soon, and oil too. But does anyone think if I take the car out and step on it a bit, it might clean something out?? I know a while ago people would do a quick run to blow everthing out before a drag race...

March of 1974 260z.... flat top carbs with large orange air cleaner (air filters OK)

[Mr Camouflage]

How did it go before it was sitting?

Its either fuel or electical.

Does it sound like its misfiring? or does it just feel like its going to stall when you give it some gas?

Check you have oil in the carbie dashpots. If theres no oil then the carbies fuel/air mixture will be all wrong.

Give it a service, ie. Take the plugs out and clean them, and reset the gaps. Check the points gap (if its not an electric dizzy). Do the timing. balance the carbs.

As far as checking the electrical side of things.

If it sounds like its missing at idle, (Dont do this if you have a pace maker - I dont know if it will kill you, but i dont want to find out:dead: ) use some insulated pliers and pull off a plug lead (one at a time), so that the spark isnt grounding through the spark plug (just hold it in the air away from everything) if the engine slows and sound like its not running too good, put the plug lead back on and try the next one. If you pull a lead off and the engine doesnt change, then you've found the problem. either a faulty spark plug or lead, or distributer cap.

Thats how i found one of my datsuns had a faulty plug. It looked fine.

[mlc240z]

another easy way to check for spark in individual wires/plugs is to use the inductive pickup on your timing light. just clamp on each wire and pull the trigger.

light=spark

no light=no spark

that's how i diagnosed my engine miss and discovered 2 bad plugs.

[xxjoeyxxeb]

No pacemaker yet, still a healthy 20 yr old.

I will try these options when I get time this weekend. Thanks guys.