Mopar Muscle Association UK

Todays dumb carb tuning questions.

Conflicting advice left right and centre on Google garage, so once and for all :

Setting idle on an auto. Park, neutral or drive?
Same question when adjusting fuel mixture with a vacuum gauge please.

While I’m at it, how about the correct way to check trans fluid level? Hot / cold? Running / off? What sequence with gears etc?

Want to drive today.

Ta.

Idle speed set in neutral but check how it is in drive and adjust to suit, speed should just drop slightly as you engage drive, no thump or dragging the engine down. If that happens you want less idle speed rather than more. Vacuum I tend to set in neutral then fine tune in drive. Trans hot, engine running in neutral is the correct method for checking ATF level.

Cheers Blue. Just running up to temperature and see what I can learn today.

Hmmm… noticed that adjusting the idle screw down wasn’t making a difference, so moved the throttle bracket by hand and it dropped. Quick rev and it settled back to high again, needs moving to lower idle position by hand. 1st hurdle…

Throttle cable is too tight so return spring isn't pulling it fully closed I reckon, or something is binding.

Well, seems to have cured itself after I turned it off to scratch my head, so connected the vac gauge to the manifold and got a wobbly needle, in time with the engine pretty much. Can’t post the vid here, sadly. Think I’m right that means I have a vacuum leak?

Anyway, I did learn the hard way that you should turn the engine off before you take the vacuum plug off.

Disconnected the gauge and looks like in just that few minutes the connector has melted.

I’m now concerned that the vacuum plug I have in the back will go the same way?

Shouldn’t be getting hot enough to melt rubber..

Unless I tatered it trying to get it on there. It was a chuffing tight fit, to say the least.

Had a nice run out to the garden centre yesterday, feel like I’m getting there. At cruise, everything feels much stronger and feels to be breathing much better, if that makes sense. Feels much more comfortable and like it will have more pull when I finally get the confidence that it’s all safe to give it beans.

Didn’t give it any serious welly, as I clearly need to re adjust the kick down and possible throttle linkage. Shifts very short into second and then doesn’t shift to third until you back off the throttle a bit, strangely. Also has a mega stumble when pulling away, to the point I think it’s going to cut out.

I had swapped out the secondary jets for the correct size, as we discovered bigger jets in there when we were inspecting it at Pod last time, now wondering if that might be affecting anything, or if it’s just more tuning needed.

I had to laugh at myself when I genuinely caught myself after a moment or two of silence listening to the stumble saying to the girls… “it might be the jets.”

It's NOT the jets....

Finally found a drop filter base the right size and much happier now, that’s given me an extra 3/4” and who wouldn’t be pleased with that.

On to the rear end again now, todays job is to refit the lights. Got replacement studs and sorted the gaskets out, so once I know they are all straight, I can figure out how much more adjustment is needed on the bumper and light surround. Also finally got the correct fittings for the rear valance, so fingers crossed should all sit better by tonight.

Only head scratcher for now is, the throttle bracket was stuck solid this morning when I came to adjust the lockdown. No idea why.

i've had throttle linkage/brackets catch on drop base air filters before. also check the bracketry on the other side of the carb as i've also had that catch on the inlet manifold, carb gaskets and/or spacers before requiring a bit of filing where there's interference.
neil.

No, wasn’t anything to do with that, it was when I first got the bonnet up, took the filter and base off and the throttle wouldn’t move by hand, no base on at all. Went and pressed the pedal and it cleared it and now moves perfectly freely, no idea what caused it.

check there's no interference between the carb linkage/levers and the manifold itself or the carb gasket. both sides of the carb not just the throttle cable side, i've had 'jamming' on the other side before sticking the throttle wide open.
neil.

Doesn’t appear to be anything. Just seized for no apparent reason. No binding at all or hing of sticking as soon as it was free. Almost like when you had a car sat for ages and the brakes stick, but free up as soon as you go, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, turned my attentions to the rear end again and pulled the bumper and lights. I’ve finally managed to track down some of the chrome paint I wanted, so set about cleaning the lights and seeing how well the surrounds will come up. Centre lens has come up great and managed to sand out the blemish that’s been getting on my tits for ages. Happy with the slight patina on the lettering, so that’s done. Gasket was glued on like, well, glue! Finally got that cleaned up and have good replacements, so all that remains are the surrounds.

They are in a right state and badly pitted, but didn’t want to attack them with power tools, so settled at the kitchen table with some emery board and set about them.

How wrong I was. Thought the issue would be not sanding them to dust, but turns out they are hard as nails and the pitting takes shed loads of elbow grease and barely touches the finish. Not easy with the onset of arthritis, so may resort to power tools after all.

Still, much smoother than it was, so looks like it’s just a case of a few evenings hard sanding and should be ready to spray at the weekend. Small steps.

Some before and afters below. Nowhere near finished sanding yet.