My first slant 6, and I'm having issues.
71 swinger, 198 motor.

Car starts up easy enough, but blows black smoke, and chugs almost right away.
I can hold my foot on the gas pedal for a minute to get a steady rpm, then I can let off while it idles high, then a tap with my foot and the idle drops and levels off.
Colder days are worse of course.

My choke well gasket is leaking, and I was wondering if this could be the reason it is getting worse?

I was out with it today, and it was running fine until I got to church and I had to keep flogging the gas pedal to keep it from stalling out.

I left church and it was still acting like that every time I had an idle condition which was a real pain with the three on the tree pedals to keep a good idle at lights while working the pedals and gears...ugh.

I took it out again later this afternoon, and upon warm up, I helped the idle by pushing the choke operating lever towards the carb and away from the choke, this helped warm up, but the car did not like to idle when I let go of the operating rod.

I decided to wire the choke rod in the happiest place with the best idle.

This worked great until I started driving, and the car did not like this at all and wanted to die right away.

I removed the helper wire and the car started again, and it idled okay the whole trip home, BUT, ever since I did that, I kept hearing a pinging metal slapping noise at lower rpm's.

I think it was the weighted hot air flap thingy banging back and forth.

I checked to see if that sprung back manually after my trip, and it did spring back when I rotated it.

I'm wondering if the leaky choke gasket is the cause of this or if I just need to adjust or replace the choke.

I never heard the hot air weight slap like this before so I'm thinking I may have damaged the choke now.

Oh well, live and learn I guess.

I will also mention that the previous owner had a few mcgiver type makeshift linkages made for the carb linkages.

Let the beatings begin.

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Just because you are not "paranoid" doesn't mean they aren't coming for you.

The choke stove gasket deal shouldn't be causing this problem. Do you hear an exhaust leak from that spot? I just went and bought a hi temp gasket making set and made my own for the choke. That fixed my exhaust leak but that shouldn't have anything to do with your idle problems. I'll let one of the better guys here diagnose that part for you.

Yes, there is a progressive exhaust leak from there.
I have a gasket coming in the mail.

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Just because you are not "paranoid" doesn't mean they aren't coming for you.

Use your one and only precious new gasket (they're no longer made) to seal a blockoff plate to the manifold, and atop the blockoff plate install a #1231 Electric choke kit.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I have five NOS gaskets ordered.

Thanks for the heads up on the elect choke kit.

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Just because you are not "paranoid" doesn't mean they aren't coming for you.

Well I got my new /old NOS choke gaskets, all 8 of them.

I forgot, I ordered 8 not 5, old age I guess.

I installed the choke gasket and my exhaust leak is now non existant, and the choke for whatever reason is working flawlessly now with a killer nice idle.

There was alot of rust inside the choke and I blew it out with compressed air.

I also found out what was making the raspy pinging noise.

When I was was at my mother in laws the other day, her boyfriend pulled my dipstick tube out to look at the oil while I was playing with the choke.

Well, he put the dipstick in backwards and I found that the dipstick was slapping against something in the oil pan, most likely the crankshaft.

I was in there with a stethescope probing around and thought for sure it was not good.
I pulled the dipstick out an inch and the noise went away, and I was like "No freaking way!"

Yep, that was it so I turned it around and everything back to normal.

I swear it's like a totally different car now.

It idles smooth, starts nice, runs quiet, and no annoying exhaust sputter and headache from the fumes.

I'm still gonna tackle this gas gauge issue though till I get this car tip top.

Thanks for all the help guys.

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Just because you are not "paranoid" doesn't mean they aren't coming for you.

Remember this tidbit of info from my last post:

(Well, he put the dipstick in backwards and I found that the dipstick was slapping against something in the oil pan, most likely the crankshaft.)

Well, I looked at the dipstick again today and noticed it was actually missing about one inch of dipstick at the tip.

The only place it could be is the oil pan.....oh crap!!

Just my darn luck.

The only thing I could think of is to drain the oil right? so I drained the oil, and found no fragments of any kind, so I put a skinny, telescoping magnet into the pan to see if the missing portion of dipstick may be settled to the bottom of the pan...nothing.

I probed around for a while, so then I pulled the filter and probed, and looked, still nothing.

I have no idea where that piece could have gone unless it is wedged in the screen on the oil pick up tube.

I'm at a loss.

The car is running fine with no noise, but I'm thinking I know this sucker is gonna dislodge itself from wherever it is and do something really bad.

Any ideas?

Man, this sucks bad.

I guess I better wait a few days next time before I start praising my repairs.

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Just because you are not "paranoid" doesn't mean they aren't coming for you.

The end of the dipstick is on the bottom of the oil pan. It won't hurt anything to leave it there -- just get a replacement dipstick, gently bend the top of the dipstick tube inboard towards the engine so the new stick is angled down away from the crank, and call it good. Don't forget to fill the oil back up.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

My buddy has a dipstick for me.

Yeah, I went around the inside of the pan with a skinny flexible magnet but could not get it.

I took it for a spin today and a guy with a 1970 383, 4 speed plum crazy purple 'cuda chased me down and really tried hard to get me to sell it to him, but I'm keeping this baby.

I told him he could sell that 'cuda and buy 15 of these darts.

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Just because you are not "paranoid" doesn't mean they aren't coming for you.