S & M Kustomz Forum

Alright,

Finally pulled the old power steering box and hardware and replaced it with a Manual box from an S10.

It's a feather compared to the old box.

Looks much better

Well, with the steering box done it really brought out the full frontal nazzy-ness of the old factory wheel.

One cannot have an ol' gran-ma wheel between driver and machine, regardless of the rest of the machines condition.
The steering wheel is one of the prime bonding points between the two.
I mean without it you're kinda (censored).

Hell, even without an engine or rear axle you can still set behind the wheel and go "varooom!". Just go and try that without a steering wheel.
You'll probably have to shower after just to wash away the eeriness of it.

So out with the ancient artifact: In with the new look:
I'm not sure the last vehicle I could think about doing this to without some airbag BS bringing the idea to a dead halt.
Anyway, it sure felt good to do it. The old one was just sickly.

- Silly Rabbit

ok today it was installing "a little less" goober fuel system.

The one I had ran rubber from the pump to the filter, the filter to the carburetor, and was playing hell with the idle adjustment since Edelbrock performers carburetors with their tiny floats don't handle 6 psi- 8 psi of fuel pressure like an old AFB with its longer (more buoyant) floats.

The fuel pump had a straight stubby fitting with a what seemed like a yard of rubber hose curving around. I wanted a hard line to curve up.
I think anytime you can keep Rubber line from tight stretchy bends I'm better off. Swoopy is Snoopy, Straight is Great, but Tight is Fright, and all that jazz.


Holley sells a fitting like i wanted, but that was time away. I wanted it done now.
So I cut up a beat to crap Mr. Gasket dual feed line to retask as fuel pump outlet fitting.

A little tubing cutter time and for hose grip a little flaring action made it come together:

Not wanting just a hose barb coming straight out the carb' I used an Edelbrock compatible feed line that I had acquired somehow, some time ago?


To get the (I believe its a Spectra's 29883) Edelbrock/Carter compatible fuel line to clear the intake/valve cover area I had to install a 1" Spacer.
Surprisingly O'Reilly's had some long carb' studs on the pegboard, and also extra carb' gaskets.(In stock.. it truly is the end of days)

Betwixt Auto Zone, O'Reilly's and my Coffee Can stash I had enough brass fittings, clamps and 3/8" hose to assemble everything.
The pressure Gauge and the dead head regulator were on the shelf at Auto Zone It ain't real pretty but shes a whole lot less goober than before.
I'll worry about proper braided or hard line once I know where I'm really going with the induction system.
For now this was to control the fuel pumps 8psi overloading of the needle and seat under control.
Now we're at a cozy 4 psi and no more fuel leaking out the main nozzles at idle.

And yes, I hard wired the choke open for now.

Today was readjusting carburetor and checking timing along with the adjustments. As the two go hand in hand.
There are of course many other things I want to try toying with, but had other non-car culture things to do. So delayed that for now.
But I will say the idle is no longer up and down. So a successful venture.

Also added a little personalized bling to my grillz. hep hep. . now she's wearing some smoove initialization.

Sad news for the Eldebrock Performer.

After dorkin' with the timing, mixture screws, ported vacuum, manifold vacuum, no vacuum.
compressed air blow of the idle circuit, and checkin this and that.

I had the thought maybe my vacuum is not enough to keep the metering rod step up springs in the down position at idle.
So I pulled the covers and sure enough I could see them doing the wack-a-mole.

Happen to have a spring kit on hand and so pulled the Orange springs (installed for use in another engine), and put back to the Yellow.
The yellow jiggled about , but didn't do the full on Pogo Stick dance.
Blue springs seemed to stay down, and the mixture screws actually began to affect stuff when turned.
So that's good.

However, I still couldn't get the throttle plates closed enough to stay off the transition circuit..
So while I could adjust idle mixture screws the amount of movement required to get a change was still a lot for so little change.

Ok, so it's only the idle I want to conquer right now.
Sure its idling and the springs are down. It's just not adjustable.
Sure a wide Band meter would be handy, but that's not here and now.
So what gives. I just don't think the idle circuit can flow enough.

I'm thinking the Eldebrock 1406 is fine on stock engine or performance engine that pulls 12"hg vacuum and up. However this set up is at the limit.
Small displacement, big cam overlap pulses, with low vacuum. Just right at the cut off where the kit runs out of spring options for adjustment, and my patience falters.
I would almost bet that if this had been a 1405 instead of a 1406 I could have pulled this off.
The manual choke versions have performance intent designed in with different booster venturi, idle circuit, and jetting.
So not just jetting, but internal passages and air bleeds, and the reason 1405's were labeled performance and 1406's Economy. Though little tid bit seems to be missing from today's advertisements.
Well Jetting and springs I can change. Idle emulsion circuits I can not.
Probably part of the reason used 1405's sell for more than used 1406's.

Oh well, this one has worked properly on all the other engines it's been on. So I will save it for builds like those, and not go off drilling 1/8" holes in the throttle plates.
(If it works but don't do the job, don't "fix" it. Just use something else. )

- Silly Rabbit

So in comes Holley:

I dragged out an old 4776 double pumper. No rebuild for this trial run. Just pulled it off a dusty shelf at let fly. (question how the molted snake skin got there next to it)
Awe heck it'll be alright. I was going to install it at some point anyway, but the Eldebrock was there at the time and didn't need a kit.

So off I go.
Wrench this, cut new tubing for that, move the filter, relocate lines, yada, yada. (maybe not)

Prime bowls with a syringe thru vents for easy start (pretty slick)

Turn key. Spin spin
-Dam-
Turn key . Spin Spin
-Dam-
Realize I hand't hooked up the brake booster port on the back of the carb'. (Not so slick)
Turn key
Varoom! ...1200 rpm idle
get out walk around, ease it down to 900 RPM. (because it sounds cool)

Do it by the bible, automatic trans in gear, begin idle adjustment.
Lets see 1-1/2 turns out. Wait. Better make sure and turn them in fully then back out 1-1/2.
Begin turning drivers side idle mix screw in and listening to the rpm drop, shudder..and..
Engine dies, but happy that idle screws really affect things when turned in. (hell yeah, were onto something here)
Pump gas pedal, turn key, the world moves.. Thank gawd for wheel chocks..
I really should hook up that neutral safety switch, set the park brake, and hard wedge a 2x4 between the brake pedal and seat.
Ok, heart rate back down, continue with adjustments.
What the, what the... , is that gas dumping all over the manifold? (sigh-level one, frown-level two)
Seems the rear accelerator pump diaphragm has transformed into a rear accelerator fuel screen.

But wait..wait wait... I have the remains of an old Holley rebuild kit in depths of the garage.
It a scary search and recovery mission into a dark hellish world of clutter. However, I man up and go for broke.
Dig, dig,.. cuss, cuss

Victory!

Now in the blinding laser like sun, over a hot engine, with sweat drippin' on my glasses clouding my vision I pull the carb' off. Dump fuel all over to do what needs to be done (sigh-level two, frown-level three)
Pump goes easy off, easy on. no scraping required of the old gasket. Life isn't so bad.
Install Holley..again. (these weigh more than I remember)
Check idle tune again, while annoying neighborhood with the whump, crackle, whump of echoing glass packs. (smile inwardly)
Oooo baby Idle RPM is good, Idle mix is right there. Timing is good. Dam, do I rock the Casaba or what?(wait...are the chocks still in place? )

Alright it's happy camper time.

WTH is that...
Is the front pump leaking now. ( grit teeth, and swear at the sky while shaking fist in the air-level 1)
Ok breath in, breath out.
The Holley is working (at idle), just needs a quick pump replacement and I know O'Reillys keeps those on hand.
Awe dam, they close in 15 min.
Put away tools, clean hands, go to install air cleaner.

Well hell, I need an air cleaner stud. (at this point just shrugs shoulders and deals with it)
I know I have the remains of a 3 foot all-thread just for this kind of situations. I bought it back in '93 so I doubt it' has spoiled. Now where did I put that.
Dig, dig... cuss, cuss.
No i'm not cutting up the one on the Eldebrock.. no, no , no.
Dig, dig,... cuss, cuss

Victory!.

Measure, mark, cut off, file rough edges, anti seize, and install stud.

Install air cleaner, close hood.
Put away tools again, clean hands again.
Done.

Now its time to re-hydrate and eat.

And yes, I wired the choke open.

- Silly Rabbit

Well don't that beat all.
The local O'Reilly sold out of Holley accelerator pump diaphragms over the weekend.
Word is this weekends Mid America Dragway opening led to a rush on all the little nick-nacks.

Guess I wasn't the only one with a dried out accelerator pump.

So off to scrounge some more/

The other day I put the new pump diaphragm in and all is leak free with that.

So yesterday I took some time and went out to the 1st Annual Mid America Dragway Swap Meet. Which was a lot of entertainment for 5 bucks.
Had a good time and scored a few items of interest.

Today I took the Icky out and had a bit of "getting on it - lag". (Lean stumble probably)
Adjusted the pump arms once more to make sure pump diaphragms were as full as can be and still made good contact with the actuator arms.
Went out again. The lag is still there but less so. Indicating to me that it was a lean stumble.

Next course of action:
The front squirter (Accelerator Pump Nozzle) is a 28 rear is a 32. I'm gonna let her cool down and try a 31 up front. (because that's the only squriter I have in the tool box)

Anyway, I'm still on it.

- Silly Rabbit

Installing the .031 seemed to do the trick.
May order a .035 for the rear, or go to and orange pump cam.

For now it feels more confidence inspiring. I'll call it satisfactory for then interim.
Time to migrate to other project needs like a new fan clutch.

- Silly Rabbit