Question: I have an 82 shark that is lacking in power. I have recently checked the compression on the cylinders and they are fine. Is there a vacuum hose that I’m missing? Any ideas would be very helpful. Thank in advance.

 

the 82 has always lacked in power... sorry bad joke....How bad is the lack of power? we need more info.

 

When I step on the accelerator it takes a moment to respond. I can barely get up my drive way and the car has a hard time even getting up a car ramp.

 

fuel injector connections, spark plug connections..... did it run well before something changed?

 

SPARK PLUG WIRES AND COIL WIRES

start there..

 

The car runs and sounds great. It starts on the first turn of the key everytime. I have changed the spark plugs, they are clean.

 

Release the hand break

Seriously, I don't understand. You say it runs great, but it sounds like it doesn't even drive 3 feet. So what gives? What happens when you blip the throttle? How does it sound - smooth, full sound or hesitant, erratic?

 

Check the Timing.....

Ken

 

Valve & Ignition timing;
Coil & plug Wires;
dist cap etc.

G'luck

 

You can check for arcing at the plug wires by opening the hood in a pitch-black location and looking for arcs while running. Check the inside of the distributor cap for tracks from arcing. What is the idle speed? Idling over ~800 RPM would indicate a vacuum leak, unless the idle was adjusted downward to compensate for a leak. In that case the problem would be un-metered air and a lean condition, which ought to show on the plugs. Timing is commonly screwed up -- mechanics don't always read the fine print, timing should be checked with the engine at 3000 RPM and the distributor vac line disconnected and capped.

You didn't say whether this car is a euro or US car. The two have very different fuel systems. If you have injectors with electrical connections at each cylinder, it's a US car. If not, it's a euro.