1966 Corvette project, will I finish before I die?

[oldvettedad]

I'm iin with the Hot Rods and modifieds. They say they have an "Awaards committee" with awards in "over 30 categories". I have no idea what the categories are. But if they have a category for Maroon 1966 Corvettes owned by a little bald Italian, then I'm a shoo-in Actually, I don't care about the awards. I'm looking forward to he drive to and from the show

[oldvettedad]

No trophys at the car show. But a lot of fun driving the 25 miles to get there. And, just like a real car, it sat through a thunderstorm (I refused to run away like so many other "babied" show cars did). Then on the drive home I had more rain. Guess what it won't melt! Hekll, I would wash it this week anyway. Unfortunately, no pictures. This old man forgot his camera.

[Maverick]

Lois and I were at the show but we didn't find you. Left a note on your steernig wheel. Lois sat in your chair for about 30 min but guess you were off somewhere. Anyway, the car is beautiful!!

We we in Burlington, VT yesterday when I saw your post about the show. So, we went by Rhinebeck on our way from Burlington to Endicott today.

[oldvettedad]

I am really sorry I missed you. You can't believe what went through my mind when I saw the note. I thought it HAS to be Jim. Otherwise how would anyone be so brazen as to leave a note on the steering wheel? unless they knew me. And how likely could it be that there would be another couple with your names. By te way don't forget "bake sale 9 AM", that was on the other side of the note. I'm really sorry I missed you, we haven't seen each other for a long time. I guess we should exchange cell phone numbers, lust like real people do If I ever get to Raleigh I have to see your Maverick.

[Maverick]

We had a dinner date in Endicott last evening or we would have waited longer. Lois wanted to have you paged.

[oldvettedad]

Paged? That would have been something!

[oldvettedad]

Well, it turns out someone did take a picture of my Corvette at the Rhinebeck car show last month. I scanned it and here it is


Can't say that the color in photos looks like the color in person. Maybe it was cloudy when this was taken. I've since been to a few cruises. The best part is getting there and back. have about 325 miles on it now. I'm thinking of picking up some Sunoco Ultra race fuel when I race the Chevy II at Lebanon Valley on June 11 and 12. I'll mix some of that with hi test and see what happens. It still boggles the mind that I can run the race car on pump hi test, but not the Corvette.

[oldvettedad]

Well, true to the title of this project, I will never be finished. This is really just maintenance, but maintenance I would rather not do and a surprise i did not need. A couple of weks ago i was going to drive over to the Corvette shop because some flaws in the paint were surfacing and Paul needed to see them. Before i left for the 30 minute drive I figured i better do what has become normal maintenance every couple of hundred miles. Number 5 intake valve loosens up after about 200 miles. The lifter doesn't feel soft or spongy but sure enough it gets loose. Anyway, I took off the valve cover, got number 5 intake on the cam base circle and tightened it down. I was getting ready to start it up when i noticed a gas stain on the intake manifold. I wondered about that, then started the car. Sure enough I found a gas leak from the carb. The carb is a 4150 family of Holley, the specific model is a 3367. This particular carb has a balance tube connecting the primary bowl with the secondary bowl. O rings on both ends of the tube keep it from leaking. Except mine was leaking at the secondary bowl. No way i was driving the car 30 miles leaking gas. I checked my Holley parts and rebuilding leftovers and luckily had a couple of o rings. I took the carb off because there is no room to work at he back of the carb. I took it apart and this is what i found.



It looked like 2 indentations on the o ring.
I can't figure out how that happened. especially since this carb was definitel NOT leaking. This was the carb I had rebuilt "professionally". I wasn't pleased with the cleanliness of the rebuild or the fact that the float level wasn't set. But it worked ok for months. So i put on a new o ring , put the carb back on the car and it ran fine. Drove it over to the Corvette shop without incident. What we discussed at the Corvette shop I'll cover another time, but any paint flaws will be fixed this winter and I will start phase 2 this winter.

I started the car up to go home and it stalled. It had never stalled before. To make a long story short, it did not want to idle. Being a stick car I got it home ok, just keeping the revs up when i needed to stop. When i got home I got under the hood. No loose or missing vacuum lines, no air leaks (I sprayed it with starting fluid to seee if the idle picked up). But it woyldn't idle unless i kept it at about 1200 RPM, and it was running rough. I adjusted the idle mixture and it ran a little smoother and I was able to keep it idling at about 850 RPM about 100 RPM more than spec. This brought back all the memories of battling carb problems with this car. It never idled smoothly , and that was with 3 different carbs. Anyway, it seemed ok. Ithen went away for a week and racing and forgot about it.

Fast forward to last week. I'm unloading the race car to put it back in the garage. the procedure is as follows, move the Corvette out of the garage, unload the race car maneuver it in to the garage, put the Corvette back in the garage. But ,the Corvette didn't want to start, and then didn't want to idle. I got it moved, and then back into the garage. But now I HAD to do something. I decided to install a different carb. I wou;d use the one I rebuilt myself.




This is the one I am going to replace. Sure looks ok.




This is the one I will replace it with. This one I rebuilt myself.




Here is the third carb I have. Its a 4150, but a newer model that was on the 1967 327/350 HP motor. Notice it does not have externally adjustable floats or sight screws. This one is my last resort. I thinl i rebuilt it sometime in the 70's.

So I took my "new " carb apart, adjusted the floats put new o rings on the balance tube and I was ready.


It seems to be saying "please finish me".



Ah, looks ready!


While the "bad carb" is relegated to a pan!

Except my problems weren't over. I started the car, went to adjust the idle and it started running rough and losing cylinders. I quickly saw gas pouring into the venturies from the secondary bowl. I shut it off and adjusted the float level. Even though I was sure i had done this while it was dry! Now of course it was hard starting since it was flooded, and when it started fuel started flowing out of the secondary bowl again. OK, this isn't going to work. I pulled the needle valve assembly out and it looked good, wasn't stuck in any way. Then a memory came back to me. When i rebuilt the carb I did NOT change the needle and seat assembly. The new ones in the rebuilding kit were a little different, and i didn't like them, so I didn't use them. I pulled the needle assemblies from the carb in the "relegation pan". They were the same as the ones in this carb. So now my dilemma, I have to change thie needle and seat. Which do i use? The ones from the carb i just removed, or the "icky" ones from the rebuilding kit? I decided on the rebuilding kit, but just changed the secondary bowl, since the primary seemed to be working fine. So I did that. Then I pulled all the spark plugs ( i forgot what a pain in the neck this was with all the shielding on) dried and cleaned them and turned the motor over to remove any unspent fuel from the cylinders. Put the plugs back in, held my breath and started the car. I had the idle turned way up but it was running with no leaks. After it warmed up, i adjusted the idle mixture and set the ile at 800 RPM. Seemed to be ok. Tomorrow i'll put all the shielding back on, then before iuse it I'll change the oil for safety sake. I really did not want to be doing this. I just want to drive it, but thats life.

Anyway, once I solidify my plans for next year I'll update this or start a new thread. Basically, I am glad I put the car back together exactly the way I had it in the 70's. If I hadn't done that. I know i would always second guess myself. Its great except I'm 30 years older and I've cjhanged. The Hooker side pipes are EXTREMELY loud. The original radio sort of gets a few FM stations and the single speaker sucks. The motor is cool but wants to run at 4 grand and above and needs racing gas to not be sluggish. And man is it hot in thet car! I don't remember it like that, but hen again all cars weren't air conditioned then either. Anyway, some updates will probably be in order. Stay tuned.

[Maverick]

Good read!!

That o-ring is weird. Can't imagine how it got from sealed to that all by itself???

You might check with Classic Auto Air and see if they have a kit.

[oldvettedad]

That o-ring is weird. Can't imagine how it got from sealed to that all by itself???

My thought exactly. The more I looked at it it seemed as if something heavy was placed on it, or something was pressed against it. Yet it did not leak for months (or it started out so lightly that it was imperciptible). My thought is that it was damaged before it was installed and eventually worsened. Who knows, maybe the ethanol in today's fuel had something to do with it leaking. But i haven't had any problems in my 62 Chevy and it uses today's fuel. Some things may always remain unknown.
Another interesting thing is why the Needle and seat assembly failed. The only thing I can think of here is, again, an o ring. There is an o ring that seals it and keeps fuel from going "around" the assembly. A failure there is the only explanation I can come up with for that situation. I don't think there is a way to know that from looking at it, unless it was broken or really damaged. It looked neither. The only other point of failure is the seat itself. If the needle valve doesn't seat properly fuel will still flow. But typically if this is the problem it is caused by debris lodging there. Didn't see any and hit it with compressed air.

Anyway seems ok now.

[Maverick]

Is the needle valve all metal? Heard that the rubber (or whatever) versions aren't good with today's fuels.

[oldvettedad]

The whole assembly is brass. Cylindrically shaped. About a third of the way down is an o ring which seals in the bore. The old needle valves are tapered to a point. The new ones are flat topped. If i get a chance 'll add a picture tomorrow.

[oldvettedad]

This are the 2 neeedle/seat assemblies. On the left is the original one, the other is from the rebuild kit. Basically the same, the needle itself is thinner on the original. They both are tapered at the top with the new one seeming to have a little less tapered. Other than that the only noticeable thing is that the o ring on the original seems flush with the outer wall while the newer one seems a little wider. That could be wear and it could be why the bowl overflowed. Any way thats my story and I'm sticking to it!

Here is another picture, doesn't really show anything different.



Its running ok now. Or, kind of like I remember it. It never idled smootjly.

[Maverick]

Interesting -- never saw those before.

[GMJohnny]

Hey Oldvettedad .....

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/pts/2742795374.html


This seems like a decent deal if they are nice......

GM