Hi, I thought I'd ask the collective brain trust on bb.
My 142s (1972) just won't rev past 4,000. I'm doing about 65-70mph by then and it is so out of breath and sounds lik eit is revving for it's life.
When I got it last summer, had had a new Volvo short block installed about 50,000 nmiles previous by the owner before the guy I bought it from. I beleive the short block was dirrect from Volvo as it has a metal tag riveted to it saying so. I have no idea what cam is in it and it has the HS6 carbs, (not the HIF6 that should be on a '72).
I'm planning on doing the engine in the future but I have to live with it the way it is for now, unless there are any suggestions on things I should look at.
Thanks,
Chris

The couple of times that I've suffered a gradually dying fuel pump, the main symptom was that the engine couldn't rev up -- the pump couldn't keep up with the fuel demand.
Idling seemed perfectly normal, as did low-range (<3,000 rpm) performance ... it was only when I crossed into higher rpms, or heavy loads at ~3,000, that I noticed the engine couldn't handle it.

First thing I would do is check the ignition timing. If you don't have
a timing light, loosen the distributor and turn it a bit, whichever way
makes it run faster. If it gets idling too fast, adjust the idle slower
and then go back to the timing. Where it idles the fastest (still being
set back to a reasonable idling speed with the idle adjust on the carbs)
will be pretty close. If it pings/pinks you can always back it off a bit,
likewise if it kicks back against the starter.

If that doesn't help, pull the valve cover and check the valve lift.
Should be over 3/8" on all valves.

If your manifold has secondary butterflies in it, make sure the carbs have
the arms to open them and that they are working. Otherwise carefully remove
the butterflies but leave the shafts in (unless you got a good way to plug
the holes).
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

1) Old coil or insufficient spark for some other reason.

2) Wrong needles in the SUs.

3) Dead rats in the tailpipe.

One time when my 145E had sat for a few weeks (college car) I tried to start it. It would start right up and die within seconds. Did this over and over. I finally got gfed up with it and floored it as soon as it fired. Heard a *BANG* and it revved up and began to run normally. I looked behind the car and found a huge pile of gasoline soaked rust and fiberglass - the erstwhile contents of one of the mufflers.

Another time my VW's coil pack started shorting out a couple of cyinders at 80 mph on the freeway in a heavy rain. I had the cruise on, and the VR6 is smooth enough I didn't really notice the pedal sink down further to make up the difference. But the catalytic convertor sure noticed the unburnt gas being dumped into the exhaust - it melted down and dumped its core back into the middle muffler, leaving only a tiny little hole. Until I got that fixed the car would pull pretty well up to about 3000 rpm, then start fading to the point it wouldn't go past 4000 with it floored in first.
--
I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.

I'll try to type this while I'm rollin' on the floor! The funny part is........
"Dead rats in the tail pipe" may not be that far off!
Now that the weather is finally getting nicer in NY, I'll do a tune up, maybe go with a perlux, and new coil. Also re-tune the carbs, maybe replace the needles and see. as far as the dead rats or family of mice or whatever, the'll have to wait.
Thanks,
Chris