[79mustang]

hey guys. so my 1986 mustang lx 2.3L needs some work. the idle is low when you start the car then it dies out if i take my foot off the gas. im thinking its a problem with carb? should i buy a new carb or rebuild the one i have? or does it need to be adjusted? i rather start with adjusting first, does anyone know adjust them? its a 1 or 2 barrel im not sure which one. any info in detail would help alot!
thank you

[b_chandler]

How does it run when it's warm?

You may just need to tweak the idle adjustment screw a little to get it to idle up. You'll find it on the arm that the throttle cable attaches to. There's a screw that stops the throttle when it closes. Tightening that screw increases idle speed, loosening it drops idle speed.

This adjustment will increase idle across the board, so if it idles good when it's warmed up now, it'll idle higher after you make your adjustment.

Pick up a manual for the car that covers carb adjustment. I liked using a vacuum gauge when I did carbs. I got them dialed in alot better that way than by ear alone.

[79mustang]

are vacuum gauges hard to install?

[b_chandler]

I'm not talking about an interior mounted gauge. I had one with a coat hanger wrapped around it and then shaped into a hook. I'd hang it from the hood so I could see the gauge while tuning.