So I ran the tank super low, I figured it would hold out for another 12 blocks or so for me to get to a Chevron, but I was wrong, it sputtered and died with no warning. i was able to get it started for like a few seconds and coast it into a Conoco that was a block away and put in a couple gallons.

after i started it up, it would not rev past 2k without sputtering badly, backfiring and just bogging in a huge way. so i limped it home like that, and 1 minute away from my house that new "rev limit" dropped to 1k rpm, and with the clutch fully engaged the car jerks terribly.

i'm thinking that maybe i sucked some crap out of the gas tank and into the fuel filter. the car has 150k miles on it, and we don't know if the previous owner ever replaced the fuel filter.

does anyone have any other bright ideas of what could be wrong? it's not throwing any codes, that's why I suspect the fuel filter.

 

Replace the fuel filter. Drain the tank if you're paranoid, but remember that the fuel pump baffle still holds in some of the old gas. The strainer on the fuel pump should catch most of the crap, though.

 

I agree, replace filter.

 

fuel filter, distributor rotor, and spark plugs replaced and it's running like a charm. apparently the bearings in the distributor are shot and it doesn't spin very smoothly, and the old rotor got twisted around about 30 degrees on itself so the timing was very off. it really needs a new distributor, but for now this works. the b17a will go in within a month anyways.