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Post by wh23g3g on Feb 6, 2011 18:02:43 GMT -5
I've had my 73 put back together for quite awhile now. It does run and sounds pretty good to me. I haven't taken out on the road yet just back and forth in my driveway. The main reason I need to take it out on the road is to make sure nothing else will fail as I went through everything on the car and much of the work was my first time doing it. It's a 400 with a Thermoquad, its not the correct 6321 but some later rebuilt unit I bought several years ago. It may be a good carb but I just don't know how to adjust it. My buddy has helped adjust some to wear it will run but he's not familiar with the Thermoquad. It starts up fairly easy and it's pretty lumpy eventhough I bought a stock aftermarket cam. It doesn't seem like it wants to stay idling or if you let of the gas it may not stall immediately but will eventually shut down. So I haven't tried to take it out on the road. I think it's probably some bad adjustments by us. The timing is good. I was wondering should I try another Thermoquad or is there another that doesn't require any modification? I'm debating having it towed to a veteran mechanic shop who is familiar with this carb. I'd like to drive it a shop but I have to get it running smooth enough to drive. Or if anyone is in the North Ga Atlanta area and is good with these carb and wouldn't mine checking it out?
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DynoDave
CO-ADMINISTRATOR
Motown Mopar-Wizard
Posts: 11,169
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Post by DynoDave on Feb 6, 2011 20:42:20 GMT -5
You're not likely to find too many mechanics who have ANY TQ experience, or at least not an in the last 15 years. If I were you, I'd work with your friend and this book.... www.imperialclub.com/Repair/Lit/Master/290/index.htm...and see what you can do with it first. It's a good guide, even if your TQ is not a '72 model. Doing the adjustments in the proper order is a big key, I have been told. FYI...if your carb is a later model (what # is it?), it may be jetted a little leaner than you'd like. Also, if the cam is not stock, and has a choppy idle/vacuum signal at idle, that can also aggravate things. As mentioned on page 5 of this manual, speaking in terms of the step-up piston, "Vacuum Balances Spring Force"...without a strong and steady signal at idle, I have read that this piston can start to lift the rods off their seats...this is opening the primary enrichment circuit at idle, causing a really rich mix at idle, and making the idle even worse. Read up on it and see what you think. FYI...one of the recognized experts on these carbs goes by the username "DemonSizzler" on Moparts. He rebuilds them, and is very knowledgeable on TQs. And, if I recall correctly, he lives in Georgia. If you find yourself continuing to struggle with it, you might look him up over there. |
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Post by wh23g3g on Feb 7, 2011 17:48:36 GMT -5
Well I'm still battling the carb situation but now it's 2nd in priority. I've emailed Demon Sizzler and I think he's not 10 miles from me. But I want to be able to at least drive it over there. Since this engine has been put in a little less than a year ago I've been battling the valve covers. First I swapped the Fel-Pro rubber gaskets and then tried some different Mr. Gasket Ultra Seals with copper silicone and they leaked, then I tried MP cast aluminum valve covers that wouldn't fit with the stock exhaust manifolds, then I tried some cheap Summit chrome valve covers that I didn't want to even put on. Now I've replaced my original warped valve covers with some much better originals with MP red silicone gaskets and again got more of a leak on the passenger side than before. With everything on in the engine bay and the HP exhaust manifold it's very hard to get a got shot at that passenger side valve cover. I need a gasket that doesn't move when you lay it on the studs. The silicone ones still had the locating tabs on it which actually made it harder and it was too flexible. I need like some rubber with steel core. I did decode the number off that carb I don't remember the # but it was from a 76 Dodge Truck with a 440. It was a reman I bought years ago.
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DynoDave
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Motown Mopar-Wizard
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Post by DynoDave on Feb 7, 2011 21:43:14 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2011 22:10:36 GMT -5
I use the cheap cork gaskets and some 3M weatherstrip adhesive (gorilla snot) to glue the gasket to the valve cover. The adhesive is not used for sealing, just to hold the gasket in place. Works for me...I have never have had any repeat VC leak issues. Though onetime...I did pinch a wire to the security system underneath the VC of a 4.0 Jeep Cherokee.  Thing would not start when I was done.....  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2011 22:29:02 GMT -5
As far as the carb goes, it probably is jetted leaner than what is best for your car.
Set the idle speed, adjust the mixture screws for best vacuum ...and drive that puppy over to Stone Mountain, so Demonsizzler can set it up good.
Is your friend using a vac gauge?
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Post by wh23g3g on Feb 8, 2011 18:58:33 GMT -5
No he is not using a vacuum gauge. He's says he can do it without. But I don't even know anyone who's actually had experience on a Thermoquad except a few veteran mechanic shops that don't really want to fool with my car because it's too old. I'm sure we can get the carb adjusted enough to drive but I really can't go anywhere with the vc leaking like this. It for sure cause a fire or something bad. It's worse than before I even changed them. I called SCE and asked if I could use there Accuseal steel reinforced silicone gaskets but they said those are for blown nitrous motors and cars with a lot of vacuum. They also said they're hard to compress so it wouldn't work. I'm wondering if anyone has tried those or the Moroso Perm Align steel reinforced gaksets on OEM valve covers. Eventhough the Moroso Perm Align gaskets say they have to be used with Moroso valve covers, they look like they should fit. SCE told me to try their cork reinforced gaskets because they won't move.
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Post by 71greengo on Feb 8, 2011 21:23:18 GMT -5
I hate to say this...and I mean no offence......Valve cover gaskets should not be this tuff......I think you must be doing something wrong........whether you use the most expensive gasket...or el cheapo cork gaskets...they all seal
Are you applying any sealant prior to installing gaskets??
I have seen some people apply a silicone sealant which gets as slippery as snot when trying to tighten down.....
Cork should/will seal even without additional sealant....however if you do....turn valve cover upside down, clean it well, make sure not warped....you can apply any type sealant you choose....apply gasket...go have lunch while it sets up on valve cover
apply sealant to top of head, flip cover on top of head and tighten......Now the most important part...
Do not over tighten and tighten everything equally a little at a time....do not over tighten or it will leak...
do the valve covers require the piece of metal (cant remember name) that spread the pressure from the fastener over a wider area?...
and I guess I would check to make sure the valve cover has no cracks...........and the head has no flaw in the area where the gasket seal against/.....
My buddy put no less then 5 gaskets on his 350 oil pan until I made him stop over tightening everything...\
bottom line you don't need to waste money on the expensive gaskets!....good luck
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Post by wh23g3g on Feb 9, 2011 22:44:54 GMT -5
It was very easy when the motor was out on the stand and I think if I would've had the valve covers I have now I wouldn't have any problems. I didn't realize how bad the original valve covers I had were until it started leaking. And the driver's side never leaked and still doesn't. The passenger side is the problem and now even harder to get to with everything now connected and bolted down under the hood. I neglected to put any type of sealant at all this time around because I didn't know it was ok since the gasket was already totally silicone and I figure it would make it more harder to handle because it wouldn't stick. I definitely didn't overtighten. I'm going to try and remove the one side and apply some contact cement to hold the gasket in place while I put the cover on or either glue it to the valve cover and put the whole assembly on. I did take advice from an earlier post and use a nut driver instead of a ratchet to tigthen to avoid overtightening. However, it does seem to make a difference in the quality of gasket. When I used the cheaper Felpro gasket that came with the gasket kit and the cover started leaking when I removed it the gasket was already brittle and came off in pieces. It was only run about 30 mins total too.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2011 22:32:55 GMT -5
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