Gary's '66

Wow, haven't heard THAT name in awhile. One last suggestion. Other than the fuel line, it's not a bad idea to run another, smaller throttle spring, inside the large one to avoid a stuck throttle due to a broken spring.

BTW, the motor must have been warm when you took that last set of pics and choke is most definitely opening.

Kerouac

Smart. Will do. Thanks.

856666

Kerouac - the owners reviewing your questions are some of the best - IMO

I have a general question about the 2nd and 3rd pictures taken from the passenger side.

- It appears there is a pcv valve under the choke coil/above the rocker cover.

On my 65' - L79 the hose from the oil fill goes to the metered 90* fitting above the throttle linkage, and there is no PCV valve.

Kerouac's is routed from the 90* fitting around the back of the Holley to the PCV then engine oil fill.

Is the PCV valve an add on? - is it doing anything in this arrangement?

Is the 90* a metered 90* fitting - any issue with this arrangement not venting the crank case correctly?

Phil

SI67

Hai Karate was supposed to attract women, not men.

Kerouac

Phil: I'm unqualified to answer your questions, but I'll be interested in the responses of others. Thanks.

Kerouac

Ouch.

midstyle

I don't see the clean air hose that plugs to the nipple on the underside of the air cleaner and goes to a tube between the RH exhaust manifold and the cyl head. This shows well in 65tripleblack's photo, and is just rearward of the hot air (return) tube that goes to the choke stove. Otherwise, there is no filtered cold feed to the exhaust manifold internal tube, is then heated, and goes from there to the choke. Over time, this could impact operation of the choke piston, etc.

JohnZ

Can't see in the photos with the upper ignition shield in place, but you apparently have an MSD distributor without a vacuum advance unit, which seriously compromises the ability to tune the engine properly, particularly at idle and city traffic speeds, and will cause it to run hotter than normal at those speeds. You need a distributor that has/accepts a vacuum advance unit, connected to a full manifold vacuum source. What you have now is a Bubba "hot-rod" distributor added by mistake by a previous owner.

Your PCV system has a double restriction - the black hose that runs around the back of the carburetor, then forward on the right side to the oil fill tube, has a silvery PCV valve spliced into it; 65's didn't use a PCV valve - that metering restriction is already built into the 90* brass fitting at the driver's side of the carburetor, so the (added) PCV valve isn't seeing manifold vacuum. See the photos below of a '65 like yours for proper installation/routing of the PCV hose and the vacuum advance line from the carburetor to the distributor.

Kerouac

I appreciate the detailed answer, John. Thanks very much. The things you are describing are beyond my capabilities as of now, but I do have some trusted people around I will consult with. Despite the configuration, the car runs fantastically, and I am somewhat hesitant to make some large-scale changes (i.e., putting in a different distributor). Other than aesthetics and making the car "correct," are the issues you raise a problem? The car currently has no problems at idle, at city traffic speeds, or on the highway. No overheating. No stalling, etc. Thanks again.

Kerouac

Thanks, midstyle. Still learning and this is good stuff to be aware of.

63redvette

Ditto My 63 conv with a SB400 Holley double Pumper carb always makes the garage smell of fuel, just barely...I guess it's just the Big Dog Vette letting my wife's Honda Hybrid Civic know who's boss! uh oh...

Kerouac

"I love the smell of fuel in the morning. It smells like... victory."

Usafstingray

The fuel line from the filter is supposed to be rubber on the L76. Your PCV setup is screwy and unnecessary. Pull the brass L shaped fitting coming from the crankcase vent on the drivers side there in your picture. Check that it has a small orifice inside the threaded part that's .090 in diameter. That's effectively the PCV. reinstall it and swivel it around to face forward and run the hose directly to the oil filler tube. This will eliminate the extra hose wrapped around your carb and the unnecessary in line PCV valve. I had a post earlier today on this setup and got some help from John Z. This won't fix your odor problem but will earn you a few points for originality.

Easy Rhino

This was my thinking as well. Today's new cars are sanitary from a open fuel smell and emissions standpoint to a degree not known in 50 year old cars. Hard to quantify, but a certain amount of gas and fume smell is normal for these cars.

My wife can always tell when I've taken the '65 out, as a result of the fumes it leaves in the garage.

Kerouac

Thanks for the help. I'm going to talk to a trusted mechanic about all this and decide what to do.

Kerouac

The kind of smell I'm talking about clings to my clothes after I drive. I'm really starting to think it's a fuel smell, which I why I have another thread going that started with me asking if my gas cap should be vented or not. Getting some good help over there, too. Thanks.

JohnZ

Is the rear weatherstrip/seal still in place at the rear of your hood? If not, engine compartment fumes will enter the car through the cowl vent grilles between the bottom of the windshield and the rear of the hood and come in through the kickpad fresh air vents.

Gary's '66

Not to mention the extra heat.

Usafstingray

Ah....The smell that clings....it's all relative. Mine stinks too and clings and sometimes follows me into the house...along with the grin on my face when I get back from driving it.

Kerouac

Yes, John, I checked the weatherstrip/seal and it is in place and in good condition. Thanks for the heads up.