oh boy. we've come a along way since my last post. read: what looked like a gas guzzling whore setup on my carbs was......well..........
a gas guzzling whore setup on my carbs.
another lesson learned here folks, i did NOT spend enough time doing 'highway' speeds during my testing and tuning. also, i learned a ton recently about my cars need for so much time spent in the 'idle circuit' before the primary circuit kicks in......
in a nutshell, i drove almost 400 miles this last weekend,(high altitude as well.....) and averaged a modest......................wait for it...........................
10 mpg.
i have averaged way better than that in a worse state of tune, so i immediately started to re-think things. i learned a lot about the idle circuit, and that my car was running lean there, and i was trying to compensate with the primary circuit. it seems that with two carbs running straight linkage on a blown car, there just isn't much need for me to even get to the primary circuit unless i step on it. so, it seems most of this lean condition is due to a lean idle circuit. i opened up the idle fuel jets(end of tubes.) .006 each, and it has helped tremendously, although not quite right. uncle cliffy has kindly supported my edelbrock addiction by suggesting some more tips, which i will apply when the weather clears. this should get me perfect. right now i am just working on part throttle, cruising, and getting them right, then i will re-adjust full throttle. i have stepped all the way back up to .073 X .047 primary rods, .113 primary jets. i have great readings, 13.5a/f, right where she likes it. any leaner, she slows up a bit, starts to hesitate. any richer, it starts to lug a bit. so, idles at 13.5 a/f, at 650rpms, just solid as a rock. part throttle is better, but creeps into the high 14's, wanting to hesitate, just on the edge, so, a little tweaking there, and we will be good. then i will see where we are at for full throttle. me thinks i will need to jet up, i am at .118, but we will see. oh, and i really need to boost reference for the heavy acceleration. she leans out bad, high 15's, without those rods coming up due to the high vacuum above the blower. (16hg's plus..) so, some creative tapping, plugging and plumbing might happen sometime when i have more time. right now? it will be fine, i am only there on my 'way to the moon' anyhow, so i am not too worried. a little less pedal, she gets up to speed just fine.....
'tiger run' in bend oregon was awesome. met a bunch of board people, got to hang with some of the wangers crew, as i was parked next to the 'ponte carlo', which was having ignition problems, when i see an 'old man' looking for a multi meter. as i am cleaning up a year and a half's worth of dirt on the car, plus 200 miles of rain and mud, i say, "i've got a meter, need anything else? "this will do, thank you, i'm working on the ponte carlo, so you know where to find me". done deal, looks like a trustworthy guy.
they get some stuff sorted, he then thanks me, and says, looking at the car, "you look like 'blown 68' would be a good nickname". being as slow as i am, i look and smile at him, "um, i am?" he then lets me off the hook... "i'm old man taylor!" ahhh! now it all makes sense. we continued to talk for a good half hour plus, what a great freakin' guy. he told me some wonderful stories, it was a pure pleasure to meet him, help him, and just have a great time enjoying cars together....... thanks jim, good times........
oh, and i took first place in my class this year.
(always feels good after a long journey like this one has been the last year and a half...)
i also met a bunch of canada boys, some folks from washington, california, and a bunch from oregon, a great group of folks, and a super group of cars assembled this year for sure. big injun dave was a treat to jaw up as well, their driver, (brain fart on name, cool dude as well..), i really like those guys a lot.
i had a blast driving that many miles, although my back paid the price of 1968 seat technology, yikes. i got to hammer this baby full throttle a bunch on some back farm roads, that made my weekend right there. i opened up my electric cutouts, and nailed it all the way to 110mph, still pulling like a freight train when i let off.
awesome.
here are a few pics, the car next to his new buddy, the ponte carlo,
jim 'old man' taylor and i,
the mountains and the drive, my view,
my 'motor trend car of the year' pic up on a mountain bluff,
and some 'deer door' on a beautiful 1970 judge from canada. he drove a thousand miles to the resort, then HE gets hit by a dear. go figure..........
more later folks, enjoy.....
davey