@HawkRod : didn't bowl vent go to smog charcoal filter/vapor recovery system back in the day?
The first "Hawk-Rod" resurrection, Roadkill style
- Thread starter HawkRod
- Start date
I just figured it out. It actually goes to the black charcoal cylinder to reclaim gas fumes. Luckily, I still have mine in the car, so one hose and I should be all set with that!
Hopefully tomorrow afternoon I'll have some time to start it and see how it runs.
Oops. Just saw this after I answered @Nxcoupe
Yes, you are correct! Thanks for chiming in. Now a simple hose and that will be done.
Getting it tuned and running might be another story!
So I connected the Carter carb bowl vent to the charcoal canister. In the picture below you can see the connection from the charcoal canister to the carb vent.
I started the car and quickly tuned the idle mixture screws using a vacuum gauge to get the most vacuum. I then went for a very short drive around the block and the car idled well, ran well, started from a complete stop with no bog, handled a 1/2 to 3/4 throttle dump with no issues...
WHAT????
Look, I rebuilt this carb YEARS ago, then found out it was for a 400 and possibly too big for my little 340. I threw it on the car maybe 18 years ago and I had some trouble (don't remember specifics, just that it didn't run really well). So I took it off and it has sat on a shelf until now. Now I just threw it on my car and it's running well??? I'm just not typically this lucky. Plus, I suck at tuning carbs. I need to do more testing, but I am happy as hell with the way it seems to be running so far!
I also got an Air Fuel gauge today I had ordered. So I will install that and attempt to tune this carb to be (safely) lean while on the highway. With an expected 11,000 - 12,000 miles for this trip, if the A/F gauge helps improve my MPG, it will pay for itself several times over!
I started the car and quickly tuned the idle mixture screws using a vacuum gauge to get the most vacuum. I then went for a very short drive around the block and the car idled well, ran well, started from a complete stop with no bog, handled a 1/2 to 3/4 throttle dump with no issues...
WHAT????
Look, I rebuilt this carb YEARS ago, then found out it was for a 400 and possibly too big for my little 340. I threw it on the car maybe 18 years ago and I had some trouble (don't remember specifics, just that it didn't run really well). So I took it off and it has sat on a shelf until now. Now I just threw it on my car and it's running well??? I'm just not typically this lucky. Plus, I suck at tuning carbs. I need to do more testing, but I am happy as hell with the way it seems to be running so far!
I also got an Air Fuel gauge today I had ordered. So I will install that and attempt to tune this carb to be (safely) lean while on the highway. With an expected 11,000 - 12,000 miles for this trip, if the A/F gauge helps improve my MPG, it will pay for itself several times over!
So I think I mentioned a strange "thunk" sound that started from the front right of the car. I finally got my car back on the lift to check it out.
See something wrong with this picture?!?
The nut, washer and bushing are gone from the rear of the upper control arm! The front nut is also loose, but that hadn't come off yet.
Was it me or the alignment guy??? (I remember tightening these, becuase pressing the bushings on was a pain, and we had to clamp the bar/shaft to tighten the nuts.) Sigh. I guess it doesn't matter because it has to be fixed regardless...
Luckily, I found the bushing at RockAuto, so I have a new bushing coming. I also found the big washer/ retainer still laying in the frame. But I don't have another nut.
I have another 5/8" nut (shown on the right), but I'm not sure if there is anything special about the factory nut (shown on the left)
Anybody have any insight about the nut? Anything special about it?
See something wrong with this picture?!?
The nut, washer and bushing are gone from the rear of the upper control arm! The front nut is also loose, but that hadn't come off yet.
Was it me or the alignment guy??? (I remember tightening these, becuase pressing the bushings on was a pain, and we had to clamp the bar/shaft to tighten the nuts.) Sigh. I guess it doesn't matter because it has to be fixed regardless...
Luckily, I found the bushing at RockAuto, so I have a new bushing coming. I also found the big washer/ retainer still laying in the frame. But I don't have another nut.
I have another 5/8" nut (shown on the right), but I'm not sure if there is anything special about the factory nut (shown on the left)
Anybody have any insight about the nut? Anything special about it?
@HawkRod : THATS NOT GOOD!! Rather near home then on ROAD TRIP!!
64fury74charger
Well-Known Member
So I think I mentioned a strange "thunk" sound that started from the front right of the car. I finally got my car back on the lift to check it out.
See something wrong with this picture?!?
View attachment 1260756
The nut, washer and bushing are gone from the rear of the upper control arm! The front nut is also loose, but that hadn't come off yet.
Was it me or the alignment guy??? (I remember tightening these, becuase pressing the bushings on was a pain, and we had to clamp the bar/shaft to tighten the nuts.) Sigh. I guess it doesn't matter because it has to be fixed regardless...
Luckily, I found the bushing at RockAuto, so I have a new bushing coming. I also found the big washer/ retainer still laying in the frame. But I don't have another nut.
I have another 5/8" nut (shown on the right), but I'm not sure if there is anything special about the factory nut (shown on the left)
View attachment 1260760
Anybody have any insight about the nut? Anything special about it?
WOW …..Your car was very kind to you…. It kind of looks like the threads on the original nut may be either soft or starting to fold in if that makes any sense. I would suggest getting the complete eccentric bolt and nut kit and double check the other side and everything else as well. Pictures truly are worth a thousand words. 
Totally agree. While I'm not happy about having to repair it, it is much better when I can have it on my lift at home, rather than busted down on the side of the road miles from anywhere!
I need more testing time for sure I go to work out these bugs!
A 73 is different than the earlier units, so it does not have the eccentric bolts, but rather a shaft that gets adjusted. I believe when it got aligned, the alignment tech did not tighten down the nuts that hold the washers and bushings in. So one came off and the other was very loose. The driver side is fine. Buy yes, you better believe it - I will go over each nut and bolt in the front suspension to verify they are tight and in good shape!
64fury74charger
Well-Known Member
Check out the threads on the shaft and if any questions replacing the shaft would be in order. I am still considering upgrading my front suspension but it seems like limited pieces that will give more adjustability so I can dial in more caster. You got this handled and hopefully everything else is in good shape.
So thanks to @Builderguy I have a replacement nut for my upper control arm. I am still waiting on the bushing from RoadAuto - won't be here until Monday or Tuesday next week.
So on to other things:
One of the issues was that the A/C was no longer working. It had leaked out, but had always worked previously after being changed over to run with R134a. I charged some more R134A and found out that the condenser had a leak right next to where the fitting attaches - it was a tiny hole. So I tried brazing with some aluminum rod where the hole was - see pointer location below.
Now I am no A/C guy, so who knows if it will work? I charged another couple of cans of Freon and the A/C worked and it certainly is lasting longer than the first time! The key will be to check it the next few days and see how long it lasts. Maybe this might be good enough? I'll keep my fingers crossed since I have enough other stuff on my list to get ready before the trip...
Then I installed the Air/ Fuel Gauge. It didn't come with a bezel to mount it, but I found a well patina'd black bezel with some horrible fake woodgrain on it. Perfect! matches the rest of the car!
I started the car to verify the gauge. It was actually reading in the mod 16's, which is dangerously lean. I just threw the Thermoquad on the car, so it certainly is not adjusted well yet. But for now, I will leave it as is. The car runs well idling, and I won't run it until I can get the suspension fixed. Then I will do some testing and adjustments beyond starting it for a couple of minutes.
Finally, I need to start planning to fit all our stuff in the trunk. So I took some measurements and headed out to buy some plastic bins. Time to start puzzling all the stuff we will need into the trunk...
So on to other things:
One of the issues was that the A/C was no longer working. It had leaked out, but had always worked previously after being changed over to run with R134a. I charged some more R134A and found out that the condenser had a leak right next to where the fitting attaches - it was a tiny hole. So I tried brazing with some aluminum rod where the hole was - see pointer location below.
Now I am no A/C guy, so who knows if it will work? I charged another couple of cans of Freon and the A/C worked and it certainly is lasting longer than the first time! The key will be to check it the next few days and see how long it lasts. Maybe this might be good enough? I'll keep my fingers crossed since I have enough other stuff on my list to get ready before the trip...
Then I installed the Air/ Fuel Gauge. It didn't come with a bezel to mount it, but I found a well patina'd black bezel with some horrible fake woodgrain on it. Perfect! matches the rest of the car!
I started the car to verify the gauge. It was actually reading in the mod 16's, which is dangerously lean. I just threw the Thermoquad on the car, so it certainly is not adjusted well yet. But for now, I will leave it as is. The car runs well idling, and I won't run it until I can get the suspension fixed. Then I will do some testing and adjustments beyond starting it for a couple of minutes.
Finally, I need to start planning to fit all our stuff in the trunk. So I took some measurements and headed out to buy some plastic bins. Time to start puzzling all the stuff we will need into the trunk...
Ok, so just my $.02 here. I tune a lot of cars, albeit fuel injected 97% of the time. With that being said, if your engine has a rumpity rump cam in it, that sounds great at idle, then your 16 to 1 is pretty good. At any rate, lean at idle is no way dangerous. There is absolutely no load on the engine and not a bunch of timing advance either. So relax. The reason your a/f ratio is 16 to 1 is the same reason your cam sounds like pure sex at idle. It's the overlap, which allows unburnt fuel and air slip out past the exhaust valve, which your OXYGEN sensor only senses the unburnt O2, not the hydrocarbons, so it reads lean.
For cruise and light loads, 15 to 1 isn't bad, going leaner won't hurt anything provided you don't go too far advanced on timing, but it won't improve gas mileage either. 14.9 to 15.2 is about as lean as you can get to improve fuel economy. You want as much advance as you can get as well, without detonation.
Good luck. Maybe when you cruise by my way, my dyno will be set back up and we can make a fuel pulls.
For cruise and light loads, 15 to 1 isn't bad, going leaner won't hurt anything provided you don't go too far advanced on timing, but it won't improve gas mileage either. 14.9 to 15.2 is about as lean as you can get to improve fuel economy. You want as much advance as you can get as well, without detonation.
Good luck. Maybe when you cruise by my way, my dyno will be set back up and we can make a fuel pulls.
My 71 was different, that's what I was recollecting. $.50 word right there.
@HawkRod, good deal with ac!! Pre-plan packing always useful and great idea, question is, where are you putting YOUR stuff?
Glove compartment!
So some good news yesterday regarding the A/C: Looks like the brazing job is at least holding decently - the charge lasted for 24 hours and the A/C turned on and worked! I went out and bought some R134a with leak sealer, so I will charge up the A/C system with that and see if that will work well enough for the trip. It would be great if I could check that off the list.
Also, the upper control arm bushing arrived a day earlier than expected! I loosened the torsion bar, greased the bushing, and then worked it back onto the shaft. With a custom shaped of wood that pushed on the ridge (my thumb is on it in the picture below), I used double washers and a nut to "press" it back into the upper control arm. It worked! I then replaced the washers and nut with the proper ones and tightened the assembly down (with Loctite).
Since this does nothing to set the alignment, nothing should have changed from an alignment perspective. I'll test drive it in a few days to verify.
Also, the upper control arm bushing arrived a day earlier than expected! I loosened the torsion bar, greased the bushing, and then worked it back onto the shaft. With a custom shaped of wood that pushed on the ridge (my thumb is on it in the picture below), I used double washers and a nut to "press" it back into the upper control arm. It worked! I then replaced the washers and nut with the proper ones and tightened the assembly down (with Loctite).
Since this does nothing to set the alignment, nothing should have changed from an alignment perspective. I'll test drive it in a few days to verify.
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Sounds like you're about ready for the launch pad! Good luck with fitting those storage bins in the trunk
and if you need anything in the midwest, you know where I live!
and if you need anything in the midwest, you know where I live!
We are hoping that we can buy you (and your lovely wife) a beer and/or some dinner when we pass by ~mid June!
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Right after WE roll the engine, trans, and K-frame under the "X"! Hey, you volunteered!
Ha! Going through the trans right now. Have to buy the Trans Go TF-2 and install and then
buy the convertor. Engine is done. Putting a steel 48re front planet in it and a 48re direct
drum in it with 5clutches and Kolene steels. John @ CRT is helping with parts
Ha! Going through the trans right now. Have to buy the Trans Go TF-2 and install and then
buy the convertor. Engine is done. Putting a steel 48re front planet in it and a 48re direct
drum in it with 5clutches and Kolene steels. John @ CRT is helping with parts
Damn straight! If you need some help around mid June Barry and I will gladly stop for a couple of says. Kind of like a mobile Mopar Garage Squad (except we 'ain't good looking and our skills are marginal...)!
I also got transmission parts from John @ CRT. Seems like good people, and a small family business.
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Yeah, you and Barry are no Heather Storm, but I couldn't get any work done if she was in my garage!
A couple days to place an engine/trans assembly? Eight bolts hold that thing in so it should be a couple
of hours! This is a vacation for you boys, not work. John's got a nice HEMI powered F100 Ferd with a
nice trans-brake!
A couple days to place an engine/trans assembly? Eight bolts hold that thing in so it should be a couple
of hours! This is a vacation for you boys, not work. John's got a nice HEMI powered F100 Ferd with a
nice trans-brake!
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