87 Caprice idle probs

My neighbor has an 87 Caprice with a four-barrel 305 with over 150,000 miles. About a month ago, it started choo-chooing at idle. Just surging. The check engine light goes on and off with the cycling. Once the engine gets good and heat-soaked, it runs fine. The coil has been replaced and some repairs made to loose or broken vacuum lines. A local garage supposedly put it on their diagnostic machine and found nothing. This was before I got involved, so I can't verify that. The receipt from the garage says something about a 'berrium' treatment.
Any ideas are appreciated...
Dick

 

If the carb's never been overhauled, might not hurt to pick up a kit and do it. A good cleaning and replacement of the parts in the kit might do wonders.

The check engine light goes off & on, but the garage couldn't get a code?

Might also try reading for codes; it's DIY on the OBD-I stuff:

http://www.troublecodes.net/GM/

 

Yeah, well, this was before I got involved. The garage is one of those corrugated shed types that people put up...you know the kind. May be reputable, maybe not. Anyway, the guy claims he couldn't get any codes.

Plus, what the heck is a berrium treatment? I'd say it's something a doctor would do and the man was trying to be funny while taking my friend's money, but that's giving him way too much credit...

 

hi
overhaul the car.
also check the solenoid stich thay links to the carb on the throdle side