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One of those days....

784 views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Tegguy 
#1 ·
One of those days when I curse my car and contemplate selling it.....

So the wife arranges for me to take my car to a shop to talk about why it's stumbling with the secondaries. It's about 30 miles each way. So I hop on the freeway and get up to speed and the temp goes up. I expected this back the speed to 60-65 and it runs ok. Talk with the guy but don't do anything today. Start driving back home and once again temp goes up but this time I have to drive 50-55 to get it to stabilize (way under the speed limit) as I'm getting close to home the oil pressure starts dropping (pulled the motor a few months ago to weld the pickup). Get it home put it in the garage and leave it.

This is all after yesterday when I couldn't get my ebrake and kick panel to play nice together.

Weeks like this I hate cars........
 
#2 ·
I have always done the work on my own vehicles since i was able to use a screwdriver.
The issue is BUGS.
Been Under Garage Sitting.

You need to get it out more and work all the bugs out .

A cooling fan will cavitate at a certain speed if there is not enough of it outside of the shroud.. and sometimes will force air to stall or go forward through the radiator.

If all of your fan in inside of the shroud you may see the issue you are seeing.

Heat will drop oil pressure.
Keep plugging away on it and you will get it.

Really would help a lot of people to understand the basic and advanced workings of a carb and ignition system.. this will cure just about 98% of the trips to a mechanic.

There are books for that.. well worth the 20-30 bucks they would cost to have them delivered to your door.

There are a lot of shops today that can't fix a carb or an old ignition system.. they will just throw rebuilt parts at it and you may get lucky or it could be worse than what you have now.


Just saying while it is parked you may want to search for a" How To" book.
Unless you just despise turning wrenches.
I have friends like that. And that is ok too.
 
#3 ·
I knew about the cooling Issue I need a new radiator and fan shroud combo so that want a suprise. The oil pressure was disappointing (dropped to 3-8 psi at idle) also not being able to get the ebrake and kick panel sorted out. I didn't pay the mechanic to do anything we just talked but of course his first response is the carb is too small it's a 650 edelbroc which might be on the low end but the cfm is not causing my stumble. I've been tinkering with the car for so long the wife was trying to get me a father's day gift and help sort some of the stuff out.
 
#4 ·
I can help you get the stumble out of the 650? Edelbrock?
I assume it is the AVS

Loosen the screw that holds the primary metering rod covers.
The covers will need to be placed over the hole so that part of the hole is exposed put the screw back in and tighten it down.

You now if you follow me ,, be able to see the power piston and the cover keeps it in place.

No9w start the car.
The pistons should be down at idle.
Blip the throttle a quick 1/4 throttle blip the power piston should jump up to richen the mixture.

If it does not then blip it a bit more.. jump up yet.

The idea is to get it to jump up with a quick short blip but stay down when in gear.

If you put it in gear and the piston comes up or flutters up and down the spring under the piston is too stiff.

Now to really increase throttle response the piston needs to jump up with a short quick blip.

If it does not then add a stiffer spring under the power piston.
WHAT!!!! you say you do not have a stiffer spring.. That is fine.
Something I have done to those carbs since I was 18 was to install an ink pen spring in the middle of the factory spring.

You need 2 of the same spring.. some ink pen springs are too short and others just right.. What is an ink pen spring.

The clicker ink pen that you sign your name with is what i am talking about.

Try it and see how it works out for you.
Of course Timing needs to be on.
I like 18 initial at least on most of my stuff. Just saying.

That spring trick has worked for dozens of vehicles.

The tiniest blip should have the power piston jumping up and idle in gear it should stay down solid.
 
#6 ·
I know where your coming from and it sucks but that's what these cars do most of the time unfortunately. You will curse yourself instead of the car if you ever sell it. Just step back for a while if you have too, and then get back at it. Go for one goal at a time and worry about the other stuff after one is completed. That way you won't become so overwhelmed.
 
#7 ·
This guy was saying it needs a 750 or larger and wanted to do a custom built holley that was matched to the engine. He say they were around 1,200 bucks. I could believe the more cfm for more performance from what I've read online but I know the CFM isn't causing my stumbling issue (the reason we went to talk to him)

It's the edelbrock 1406 so it's actually a 600 CFM
 
#9 ·
This guy was saying it needs a 750 or larger and wanted to do a custom built holley that was matched to the engine. He say they were around 1,200 bucks.
You haven't mentioned in this post what size engine you have. If it's a small-block, you do NOT need a bigger carb, unless the engine is highly modified. For a big-block....maybe. 600 to 650 cfm is plenty for a mostly stock small-block, if it's properly tuned. What Leo said in post #5.

I can't help but shake my head when the first thing a mechanic says is "you need a bigger carb for that engine".

$1200?.....for a carb?.....:surprise:
 
#10 ·
The 1406 is a dandy carb.. just needs a tweak here and there.
I have about 8 of them.. and I had 53 early carter AFB carbs.. down to about 1/2 of that now.

Very simple carbs and really easy to eliminate issues with them

If your engine is stout and 350" or larger and will RPM past 6000 you may see a power gain with a larger carb.
My 1406 carbs on my 6500 rpm to 7500 rpm 350 does ok .. it pulls harder past 5000 rpm with the larger 750 or a Qjet or a modified 750 holley. I say modified because in stock form with only jet or acc pump changes the 3310 or 4779 I have would not pull any harder than the 1406.
After many hours with a die grinder the Holleys would match the other big carbs on the big end.


But you do not have the bugs worked out yet.
 
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