1980 California
Thread Starter
7th Gear
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
1980 California
I have a 1980 California spec car with a Rochester E4ME carb in the UK. I have had a real problem with it later after I had to put in E10 petrol. I got a rebuild kit for it and changed all the seals, replaced all the |E10 with E5 and it now appears to run OK apart from the idle.
I have a few questions, in the picture above it shows a very small bore vacuum pipe (circled), that is sucking, but i am not sure where it goes. There is also an earth strap (square) that I can see but does not obvioulsy connect to anything. There are also 2 resitors/capaciors (not sure) that don't appear to do anything and also one appears to be broken? Any ideas?
I am also after a dwell meter to test the Solenoid switch on the carb and also the distributor dwell angle, what is the best one (as cheap as possible) that I could get in the UK and use to check?
Any help would be gratefully received.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 53,648
Likes: 878
From: Southern Cal Ca
St. Jude Donor '22
Vac hose should feed interior where?
enters by big electric gromet center of firewall
Actually to the distributor cover where?
pre owner must have tossed it out
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125854685554
Any ideas on a meter, make/model?
there are too many,
usual engine dwell electrical testing equipment
https://www.amazon.com/dwell-meter/s?k=dwell+meter
enters by big electric gromet center of firewall
Actually to the distributor cover where?
pre owner must have tossed it out
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125854685554
Any ideas on a meter, make/model?
there are too many,
usual engine dwell electrical testing equipment
https://www.amazon.com/dwell-meter/s?k=dwell+meter
Thread Starter
7th Gear
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
I have looked on line at meters but they only seem to show the Corvette from 1981. They say the ALDL connector is under the ash tray but it isn't.
Did the California version have the "Computer Command Control" system with the ALDL interfaces to the Engine Control Module (ECM)
Did the California version have the "Computer Command Control" system with the ALDL interfaces to the Engine Control Module (ECM)
Last edited by stox258; Jun 18, 2023 at 05:08 AM.
GM Cert Corvette Tech
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,559
Likes: 585
From: Anaheim Hills California
I have looked on line at meters but they only seem to show the Corvette from 1981. They say the ALDL connector is under the ash tray but it isn't.
Did the California version have the "Computer Command Control" system with the ALDL interfaces to the Engine Control Module (ECM)
Did the California version have the "Computer Command Control" system with the ALDL interfaces to the Engine Control Module (ECM)
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 14,150
Likes: 936
From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I believe that ground strap was permanently attached to the plastic distributor cover as mentioned,is the cover with the car? The vacuum hose shouldn't be too difficult to find where it goes,that might be why the car won't idle.
Thread Starter
7th Gear
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
No the distributor is as shown in the picture. The earth strap is connected to the same bolt as the two resistors/capacitors. I'm not really sure what the vacuum tube is supposed to be connected to or what purpose it serves.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,500
Likes: 1,508
From: Little Rock AR
The copper ground strap was originally attached under the valve cover screw at one end and the black plastic distributor cover at the other end. It was held on by a wingnut. The cover is used to prevent electrical interference with the radio AM reception.
Maybe you don't really need it?
Maybe you don't really need it?