For those of you who have been following my Holley to Edelbrock conversion you will recall that I went through a number of frustrating episodes. The car would not idle, would back-fire through the intake on acceleration, etc. So I decided on the weekend I would take it to the experts at GM by flat-bed. I fought that notion as I am a cheapskate but the Canadian summer is so darn short and I need to drive. I had visions of timing chain stretch, etc.

I contemplated my navel over coffee this morning before I called the towing company. And went through a mental logic sequence. What did I not do after changing out the Holley that was running so rich? The spark plugs (NGK B4s) of course but they have only 100 miles on them so that cannot be a problem. They cannot foul in such a short time.

But why not get some AC Delco R45Ss and give them a try. The pic shows the NGKs: fouled beyond operating limits in that short period by the Holley (see pic).

Put the new plugs in and yes we have idle. Not great but it is there. Set the timing to ~8BTDC and tried the 36 degree thing with a Sears light but the engine is content at 8 initial. That is fine but I have a whistling sound.

I followed the Edelbrock instructions on carb install: do not over-tighten the studs. But with a 3/8" spacer do not under-tighten as well! I snugged up a bit on alternate corners and the hiss went away.

So I am back in action without much expense. Thought I would share this experience.

And on my lack of knowledge, the crow tastes great this evening.

 

you must feel good
i do for ya'

 

I got a set of plugs that look like that. However, mine come from short sessions of run time in the garage.

Glad to know you got your problem figured out.

 

Just a little to much information there old man...

BTW good to hear you got it figured out.

 

I just did one hour of city/highway driving to try things out. I am happy to report that the Edelbrock performed flawlessly. It's very nice to be back on the road again. Somehow the bloody knuckles and five pounds of sweat now seem worth the effort.

 

Thats good news, glad you sorted out your problem

 

I got really worried when I read that! I won't say it is impossible to find a knowledgeable mechanic at a GM dealer, but it is a huge mistake to ASSUME you will find someone who can work on a 67 corvette at any Chevy dealer. Glad you got things working!

 

Great To Hear!

 

Thanks fellows! As a bonus the Edelbrock does not boil over on shutdown. The spacer may help in that regard. That always worried me with the Holley.

On the GM dealership I very much agree it can be a pig in a poke at times. But I worked there for 14 months and I know the skill sets. There are three people there I trust very much. One does transmissions, one is meticulous as heck with interior/door and electrical jobs, and the third is an engine specialist. The latter has a restored early (1967?) Camaro with a slightly built motor. I do not go there very often but when I do they give me employee labour rates. And I get jobber prices on parts. Good contacts to have.

 

I went throuh hell by experimenting with plugs. I learened a $300 lesson. Stick with the same plugs that the engine left the factory with or you may learn a $300 lesson and a few weeks of hell as I did.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=860808

 

Glad you're back on the road Paul. I knew you would like the Edelbrock. The nice thing is that it will stay that way and not need a lot of attention.

 

Thanks vettefixr. It was a frustrating experience. But like most trials and tribulations in life much was learned. And that's a nice bonus when things come out the far end. I learned how to re-position a distributor off by one tooth and with the gear dimple 180 degrees out and how to use a Sears advance timing light. And to do a vacuum leak check with WD-40. And to wire an electric choke properly. Looks like three days of rain ahead so the Corvette is resting comfortably. And I will sleep tonight. These problems can drive a person crazy. My thanks to Forum members who took the time to comment!

 

You forgot "the importance of first aid kits". I usually donate at least a quart of blood per mod. I'm starting to think I should have named my 74 Dracula.

 

Good job Paul!!! Its worth it.

Mike

 

Quote: I contemplated my navel over coffee this morning before I called the towing company. And went through a mental logic sequence. Quote

Thanks for the tip Paul. I've never tried to contemplate with my naval before about carbs much less over my coffee. But I agree those Edelbrock/Carter carbs are a simple solution to the fuel pot headache - for many of us. I was headed that carburetor direction until lars saved the day for me.
Glad to hear your on the road again using ur own technology. cardo0

 

You have certainly been busy the last few months with the ride. Glad you got it sorted out but remember that the wrench once turned is twice as likely to turn again.

 

When I bought my 67 Camaro with a fairly hot 406 in it, I was told it was "just tuned", w/fresh plugs, etc. The car had a HUGH Holley on it and was running RICH. It was used mostly for drag racing by the previous owner and would kill you quickly if you stood behind the car for more than a couple seconds. Within less than 50 miles it started missing, not idling right, running rough. Spent a few days going thru everything trying to find the source of the issue, all the while saying, "it can't be the plugs, they are new, can't foul that quickly, etc, etc, etc".

Well to cut to the chase, I finally pulled them out and they looked much like the ones in your pics. I couldn't believe they could foul so bad in such a short period of time. Another lesson learned. Never say never even when you "think" you are sure. Soon thereafter I replaced the big Holley with a 670 Street Avenger and with a little tweaking, the plugs last much longer now. And, the gas mileage went from 5-6 all the way upto approx 10 too.

Anyways, glad you got your issues resolved. Sweet looking car BTW.

 

Just a few final comments. The plugs that were fouled had only about 15 minutes of running time. I could not believe they fouled so quickly. Rolm, those were NGK B4s but really I cannot blame the brand. Nevertheless the new/new plugs are AC R45S's; the originals way back were AC 43/44/45 depending on the type of driving. The 43 is the coldest. Note they were non-resistor plugs (i.e. no R). Very difficult to find now. The "S" is for a modestly extended tip but I have not experienced any piston-hit problems.

We have seen the bigger is better (or not) carb discussion here before. I truly believe you can have too much carb on a car. Although I think back to the 1950s when GM put two four barrels on a 283?? In any case, the Edelbrock #1406 is only 585cfm but it seems to work well.

Getting back to my "modded" thread, the new look is not stock but also not radical. I can do without that braided line but perhaps I will have someone make up a simple SS version for me in the future. I think the Russell fittings are proprietary so I may have a problem in that respect. Originality is fine and I am a strong proponent; the Holley pieces are tucked away in the basement. But when you are 100 miles from home and the car breaks down from aged parts, modern technology begins to take on a more favourable look. I like to drive my car and that means reliability. Of course I am waiting for the first cruise night when some character looks under the hood and mutters "non-original." I know that day is coming!

Thanks to everyone for listening. The pic shows the final product.

 

Impressions after about 200 miles. The system is leak-free, idle is stable and acceleration is very smooth. The exhaust is clean, i.e. smoke-free, and my spark plugs have not fouled in city or highway driving. This is a nice and trouble-free carb so far. It's such a pleasure to go out for a ride and not worry about a blown power valve or fouled spark plugs. It was a good investment. I am happy with the outcome. The Holley is date-coded to 1967 and I may keep it. But my instincts say why bother. I went through the originality versus function argument before and at times I reach the conclusion that function for a driver is more important. So the Holley may be a candidate for EBay.

 

Nicely done Paul, the ss fuel line looks good and not out of place at all.

Now about those Ram's horns......, those are a biatch to keep looking good.