Possible death of my 77 305 motor?
 

Alright, this is something that I have been experiencing for quite a while now and I feel like you guys can really provide some insight on this for me. So, when I purchased my 1977 Monte Carlo back in March it has given me no problems at all what so ever, I have driven from Rochester to NYC numerous times and it ran like a dream. However, these past couple of months I am kind of getting concerned.

I have started noticing that it isn't quite the turn key car anymore. When I start it I have to step on the gas and then the idle is really high and after waiting a while when I step on the pedal the idle returns back to normal, is this supposed to happen? Sometimes I also notice a small pinging noise when I try to start the car and once it's warmed or after driving it for a while it would go away. A final thing that really has me puzzled is that my car literally sounds different after driving it through the highway it literally doesn't have as deep of a rumble.

I have performed my own full tune up including a high performance distributor cap, rotor, belden racing high performance wires, and champion platinum spark plugs. It has improved, but still does what I just listed and it definitely hasn't done these things when I first had the car back in March. Is it possible that it's coming to a time where an engine swap is in order for that old 305, are these symptoms of a dying motor or something or is there a part that I can change that will magically make all of the above symptoms go away. lol You guys are truly amazing on these forums and I would really, really appreciate the help/insight.

I also forgot to state that I used Royal Purple 10/40 my last oil change. I really do love this car as rusty and horrid it is on gas. It has taken me to college, work, parties and everywhere in NYC. Girls love it and it's just my baby, please help me folks. :(

It's getting colder, meaning your choke will be applied on start up, more than likly causeing your higher idle and harder start, pump the gas 3-4 times more than you usually do, befor you start it and that should help on the hard start if you don't pump it now start that is priming the gas into the intake, when i had mine and it sat 2 weeks at a time i would pump it about 10 tims and it would fire right up, i say since your is driven regularly doin 3-5 times

may be a warped exhaust manifold or conection somehwere with in the exhaust system , these are exagerated when temps start to drop

i got nothing for this

i don't think it's dying on you,

and no affence but use enter!!!! it's damn near impossible to read your thread, break it up alittle

Is it possible the noise is a stuck lifter. once the engine warms up it free's up and quiets down. just a thought.

Sorry about forgetting to use enter, I'm just so depressed something is wrong with my baby. lol So you thing brand new aftermarket headers, are in order?

She's not dying just normal cold start/choke operation.Carbs get a little cranky when it's cold out.
My Monte hates the cold.

Next time your making that trip you should stop in the cuse.I can show you a few things to do to your Monte

Headers help the motor breath but will include more exhuast work, I say do it when you have $ to do a full exhaust, I wouldn't worrie too much about it right now