I'm with Gearhead... I can't tell what goes where :-p

I do see what looks like a vacuum line running across the valve cover, and presumably down to the distributor. Can't tell where the other end goes because it disappears under that vacuum amplifier thing. It shouldn't be connected to the reservoir/amplifier, it should go straight to a nipple on the carburetor, usually near the base of the carb but sometimes a little bit up from the base. That nipple should only show vacuum when the throttle is cracked open a bit, none at idle.

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Also, let's throw that upside down coffee cup in the trash and put a real air cleaner on, please...

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

alright! now, we're getting somewhere! Gearhead, thanks for posting these pictures. here in Arizona i have to go to emissions and being i haven't don't that yet, i have no ideal if it will pass or not. so, i have to keep all emissions lines on. i'm sending more pictures. the line i am holding is the one hooked up to the distributor. thanks.

you are correct. the small vacuum line that runs across the valve cover goes down and connects to the distributor. in the pictures i just sent (again, thanks for your help Gearhead), i am holding the other end and you can see if it is or is not connected to the right place. all i did was take all the old lines off and replace them as they were. thanks.

not to worry... i have the original equipment with a new stock air filter ready to go on. i noticed no difference in performance between the two. the only thing is that it's over 100* here and i don't think i will hook up the hot manifold air to it. the choke works fine and is quick to open up without it. also, i will not turn the cover upside down, but should i cover the opening for the hot air? oh, i forgot to tell "440 Magnum" that i have no vacuum at idle, but it flys up as soon as i hit the throttle. thanks.

i have new hoses, thermostat, clamps, paint, and anti-freeze to renew my cooling system, but it runs real cool now and i don't want to mess with it until after summer. if it works, don't fix it....

And that's on the line that hooks to the distributor, correct? IF so GOOD! That means you're connected to a "ported" vacuum source. Set the base timing and the idle speed and mixture with that line DISconnected. To tune the idle mixture, move your vacuum guage over to a direct manifold vacuum source (like the one that feeds that vacuum amplifier, or the small nipple at the base of where the power brake vacuum line connects to the manifold if there is one). Fiddle with the mixture screw, and adjust it for the highest vacuum reading you can. Then set the speed back to ~800, and fiddle with the mixture again. You may have to do that several times, but you'll zero in on the optimium mixture at idle. Then hook up the line to the distributor and test drive.

If it still threatens to die when you drop it in gear, I'd think really hard about checking those valves again- sounds like they might be a tick too tight and aren't seating all the way. The big risk there is burning a valve.

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Here is a couple of closeups...I don't have time to label the ports for you today...

Just too much work and not enough time.



And now for number two:



Wish I had more time to help, but this week I'm just chasing my tail.

Karl

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64 GTO...10.80's@122 on street radials
Destroked 455, Qjet, stock ign, 2400 stall

64 Valiant
Old 225, 4spd, 2.92-8.75, 2bbl, headers
dual 2.25"

ok guys. i just came in from working on a tan (wish i were joking). followed "440 magnum's" instructions on the tune up... what i found was the idle screw is about to fall out (maybe 2-3 turns left), i had to turn on a/c to lower rpm's to 750 rpm's. vacuum gauge high is about "17". thats right where it was set before i started and the timing is still set at 2.5* btdc. so....... my next venture is the valve adjustment. i had all valves set at 10-20k, i then i checked the compression and three were low (also plugs were a little lighter than the other three), so those three are now set at 11-22k. before i i re-do the valve adjustment again, i want to check out the compression first and i will set ALL the valves to 12-22k, hopefully when it cools down to 105*. thanks, again!

Didn't you say that you had this same problem with two different carburetors?

The reason I ask is that it almost sounds like maybe the throttle plate isn't properly centered in the throttle boreso that the throttle isn't closing down all the way, and air is leaking past the blade far away from the idle inlet port where the fuel is coming in, resulting in a non-uniform mixture.

Let us know what happens after the valve adjustment. If that doesn't fix it, I'd be thinking real long and hard about checking the cam timing.

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440 Magnum: you have a good memory. yes, i had the same problem with both carbs. they both had no effect on the rpm's dropping and the idle screw on both had to be turned out about exact number of times. wouldn't that make it less likely that the problem is with the carb.? i think it's a slim chance that readjusting the valves will do anything either. but, i want to set them at 12-22k just to be on the safe side. when i bought the car the valves were all real loose. if the distributor is one tooth off would it act the same as a stretched chain? would need to buy a degree (wheel?) to time the cam? thanks.

is there any way that there could be a problem with the head gasket without it being blown? i'm sure it hasn't been torqued sense it let the factory. i haven't had the car long enough to have changed the oil yet, but i'm getting close. so, i will soon see what story if any the oil will tell me. the plugs all look good, compression is good, and the car runs too good for there to be a blown head gasket. when it cools off outside (fall) i will take the head off and clean the chambers and piston heads off and put on a new gasket.

If the distributor is one tooth off, that would only affect the ignition timing. Since you can set the ignition timing where you want it, it doesn't reallly matter if the distributor is a tooth off. That only gets critical when you don't have enough room to rotate the distributor far enough to bring it into time.

A degree wheel is certainly the best way to check cam timing, since its always possible that the timing chain sprokets aren't broached for the keyway quite right, the cam is ground a tad off, or other things that wouldn't show up when you just check the timing marks. But with something like this, I'd expect it to be off a full tooth or something that IS clearly visible. Since the car is "new to you," have you ever had the timing cover off? If not, its possible that it may still havea POS factory nylon cam gear on it

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440 Magnum: nope, never had the timing cover off. also, i have never degreed a cam either. i would be willing to guess that if it came from the factory with a nylon gear on it, then that is what it will still have. could it be that the gear is all i would need to replace? is it possible to time the cam while it is still in the car? maybe i would have a better look at the cam if i took the head off now instead of later. thanks.

Nope, access to the cam is through the timing cover only. You can look at the cam from underneath if you pull the oil pan, but removing the head will only reveal the tops of the lifters.
I though that was how it's done.

You can check for slack in the timing chain as follows.
If you find it difficult to turn the crankshaft, you may want to remove the spark plugs before this test.

Remove the distributor cap so that you can see when the rotor turns and how much. now turn the crank shaft a few degrees in one direction until the rotor begins to move. Stop. With chalk or something similiar, put a mark on the 0 position of the crankshaft pully, next to the timing tap. This way you will be easily able to see how many degrees of movement are required in the next step. Slowly turn the crankshaft in the other direction until the slack of the timing chain is picked up and the distributor rotor starts to move. Now look at the mark to see how many degrees of play are present in your timing components and distributor.

With a good distributor and a mildly driven timing set, I see about 3 degrees of slop. More than 5 degrees warrents a closer look for damage and excessive wear. (in my opinion)

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1980 Aspen 225 super six