Flat spot at idle

[aero3113]

Hey guys,

I almost got rid of my flat spot when I push quickly on the gas at idle. I did 2 things. I noticed my fuel pump was leaking slightly so I replaced the gasket.Do you think the pump was sucking in air? Also I pulled the distributor and blew in the vacuum advance to see if the diaphragm was good which it was.Do you think by blowing in it it loosened anything up? I would say the flat spot is 95% gone. What do you think did it?

[41/53dodges]

if i had to guess, one of the flare fittings on the line was probably loose, and when you put it back together, you fixed it without knowing about it.

[Niel Hoback]

I was just thinking, (insert joke of your choice here), when I had a problem like that, It was corrected by replacing the Champion plugs with Chryco plugs. The Champions were new.

[aero3113]

I have Champion plugs in. Should I change them out. What do you guys recommend?

[Niel Hoback]

If it were my car, I would take them out and throw them as far as I could.

[JIPJOBXX]

I kind of think you had a vacumm leak also and maybe when you pulled your vacumm advance you retighten the fittings and removed the sorce of the leak. Wish I could figure out my problem but I'm still trying.

[JIPJOBXX]

Niel why don't you like champion plugs? I have A/C'S and I have had no problem with them.

[Niel Hoback]

I have had problems with Champion plugs three times now, One set even had a plug with the insulator in crooked. Each set performed badly from new. These sets were in three different motors. I suspect that Champions are not US made.

[JIPJOBXX]

I noticed when playing around with my car problem today that when I disconnected the vacuum advance that the engine ran great. But then I put it all back together again with new plug wires and boots and started it back up and it ran like a champ! I set up my vacuum gage and it was right up past 20 psi and holding fairly steady. And then I ran it up slowly and it ran great. But when I took it out for a spin the same old problem happen again and that is that it just mist, and mist and mist some more. It idealed ok when I parked it but what can be the problem????

[aero3113]

What plugs are best for a stock 218?

[41/53dodges]

i dunno, but in my experience, new champions are not good plugs, i cant count how many of those caused something to not work. i generally use NGK.

[Johnny 5]

Find that flat spot, slather it with bondo, give it a nice, round shape, base coat, clear coat, good as new!

[Johnny 5]

You may be onto something with the distributor. Years ago I put a vacuum advance kit in my pickup with the lightest springs on someone else's advice. I didn't know any better. When I'd hit the gas, occasionally it would just kinda stop runnig for a second and then it would go again. Went through the carb, checked the timing, plugs, wires, fuel filter, vacuum leaks, and finally when I asked the guy 'Are you sure it's not the spring kit? I've tried everything else.' He said no way ------ so I replaced it with the stock springs. Problem solved. You may have sticky weights, a broken spring, leaky ar bad diaphragm, timing could be off, etc. This may not be your problem but it sounds like a good place to start.