Thanks Tim!

Now that's a great idea, thanks!

I really am enjoying being at this point.

Reinstalling the drive shaft pretty much solved the biggest one (I'm such a dunce)... Nothing but minor leak at the thermostat housing, and one curious one between the front iron and the front housing that appears after I run it - nothing big; just a drop of oil. If that's all it is I'll manage it

I know, right??

I know I prolly shouldn't have done it, but I followed the service manual to address the high idle. It started with an idle at about 2200 RPM. Here's what I've checked / done so far:

1. I taped off the open vacuum tubes that go to the air cleaner but that had no affect on the idle.

2. I then I counted the number of turns on the air bleed screw to bring the idle down and ended up screwing it clockwise until it seated, 3-1/2 turns. Now it idles at 1500 RPM.

3. I checked all the vacuum lines, which are all new, and they're all connected.

4. I checked to make sure the choke plate operated correctly and it does.

5. I checked the throttle plates and the secondaries are closed, and at rest with the car off the primaries are closed. The primary throttle plates open when I rev the engine with the linkage, which seems to work correctly.... I think.

6. I also adjusted the mixture screw per the FSM to try to make it "hunt" but it never really did so I returned it to where it was, almost. It had been really rich, stunk real bad and backfired when I cut the engine off but now it doesn't anymore, so I must be close with the mixture.

I still need to get a timing light, but I'm sure that timing will not affect the idle that much, and I'm equally sure that having the air bleed screw turned all the way in is incorrect. I must have a solenoid that's stuck or otherwise broken. I'll have to research to see which one it could be and how to test it.

I'll keep researching and fiddling with it. And bite the bullet and buy a timing light - they're kinda expensive - but I need to do it anyway.

Some of the more curious things that are going on with it are the low beams don't work. I must have a broken fuse, or both the headlights are shot on the low beams (is that even possible?). The high beams work tho.

The rear defrost light is on in the dash. That can't be right either.

I need to adjust the parking brake. It works but doesn't quite disengage and the dash light stays on when the lever is released.

But, it's heading in the right direction - leaks are minimal and it doesn't smoke anymore or stink quite as bad. Just taking it one step at a time and plodding along. Can't wait to get the car plated and on the road.

 

There is an idle screw adjuster on rear of carby with lock nut on it have you tried to adjust it

 

I looked at the threads by Sterling and they also refer to this screw. I found my spare carb and looked for it. Is this the screw you're referring to in this pic? I'm pointing to it with my screw driver.

 

congrats on getting it running! it looks great too

 

After letting the car warm up, I adjusted that hidden idle speed screw and it did not change the idle at all even after backing it out about 3/8 of an inch, so I put it back where it was. It was hard enough to get a screwdriver on it, but there was no way I was gonna get an 8mm wrench on the lock nut.

So I fiddled with it and checked all the vacuum tubes again. I found that I may have had a small vacuum leak on the ventilation and check valve. It dropped the idle down to about 1000 to 1100 RPM. So at that point I started to fiddle with the mixture and air bleed screws per Sterlings instructions, but nothing really changed. So I started to see if the dashpot was releasing the throttle lever to the right position and I noticed that the throttle lever was not returning all the way to the idle stop. I could use a screwdriver as leverage on the lever and make it go to the idle stop and that's when the idle went down to something below 1000 and it stalled out. Several times. I know I'm on to something here.

So, I think I have two issues. One, is that the throttle lever doesn't return to the idle stop. Two, is that the throttle cable keeps coming out of it's "saddle" (for lack of a better term) every time I step on the gas or move the throttle plate by hand. I have the cable adjusted to it's original position on the arm where is connects and it still comes out. I even loosened up the bottom nut to almost the end of the threaded rod and then tightened down the top nut, but it still happened, so I'm wondering if I have the throttle cable connected to the "saddle" incorrectly?






I think if I can get that correctly installed I may be able to better set the idle speed. Maybe I need to remove the carb and fiddle with the throttle plate rod and mechanisms. Something is keeping the throttle linkages from returning to their idle stops.

 

It turned out I hadn't connected the cold start assist and choke cables correctly. I had the spring clip installed incorrectly which prevented the throttle from seating on the idle stops. I was able to get it to idle nicely at about 800 RPM or so using Sterlings instructions


IMG_3376 (1).MOV

Now just have to time it and take care of some odds and ends including some electrical gremlins... With the low beams on, the low beam headlights don't work, the passenger turn signal is constant on, the RF fender light is off, the LF turn signal works, but the LF fender light is constant on... Researching my wiring diagram book now.....

 

Sounds good,one more thing off the list. Grounds likely common denominator for wiring woes. Passenger turn signal constantly flashing or just "on",bright/dim? Check for power/ground for fender light with lights on. Bad bulb? It IS possible to have both low beams burned out,are headlamp bulbs new? Pull one out and with a test light check for voltage at low beam connector.If you have it there,check other side. Switched to hi beams,are they bright,does hi beam indicator on dash work?

 

Thank you GSLSEforme! The passenger turn signal is constant on bright. I had checked all the bulbs with a spare battery before installing the lights, but not to say one hasn't blown up - they are quite old at this point. I'll chase down grounds also. The headlamps are not new. I have a couple spares hanging around I might be able to check out also. High beam indicator on the dash does NOT work... Maybe another bulb or ground issue. Also, for all the trouble that KansasCityRepu went through on my behalf to get a new blower motor controller wire harness section for me, the blower motor still does not work so more work to do there. I am happy however that it's idling correctly and I didn't tear apart the carb!

 

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Can I just say I love this little car?? It is so much fun to drive, and I haven't even gotten it out of the neighborhood yet! I've been working on the little things that will prevent this from passing inspection, and it's about there. I got the lights all sorted out., high and low beams, parking lights, turn signals, brake lights, etc. I have the carb (sorta) dialed in. I had to fix the driver door inside pull. Unfortunately mine broke, and it was one of the black ones. I was very disappointed. I have a pair of chrome ones and switched one for my broken one, but I'm not really happy about it. I also got the trim painted and installed. Actually, installed then painted. I have the front grille cleaned up - looks new - and have to install that. I have a weird buzzer that comes and goes which may affect the inspection. The handbrake works, but the light on the dash does not so I hope when I go get it inspected they don't notice. If I get that random buzzer fixed I can get it inspected, then the only other thing that doesn't work right is the MOP/OMP. I have the lever installed, but it's not working. It should move up and down, right? Maybe a bit more time under the hood. I've been pre-mixing with some Pennzoil marine two stroke oil, but I'd like the pump to work. Today I started it up and it smoked fiercely until it was warmed up. I'm thinking oil control ring is sticking until it's hot. We'll see. Had to take some pictures of this thing in the sunlight. I still have to buff out the doors to shine them up after wet sanding the orange peel out of them. I also need to align the headlight doors.

Here's some pics from this afternoon:








My grille all cleaned up ready to install:




I have an original and in great shape front license plate holder. It was in great shape. I also have a curious vacuum port on the carb on the secondaries that I'm not sure where to connect. I think it went to the air pump system (it must have - there's nowhere on the air cleaner housing for it to go, but I stuck the vacuum hose up in a larger port anyway. I hope you can see it in the pics. On some of my later carbs it looks like this T's into one of the solenoids, but on this carb? Not so sure because it came this way (not shoved up in the air cleaner, but with the port)....




If anyone has any clue where this should be routed I'd like to know. There is a lot of variation between this carb and the two other FB (83?) carbs I have. On the later carbs, this line T's into the vacuum line that runs between the yellow solenoid and the dashpot above the throttle cable.... But on this carb, that line is a straight shot between the solenoid and dashpot. It's more of a curiosity for me at this point than anything.

 

I think the line you're asking about goes into an opaque plastic line and on around to the back of the carb. This is a 79 setup.

 

The OMP lever should move when the throttle is opened, via the linkage. Even if it doesn't, there should be oil in the lines to the carb. There's a spec for how much oil it should put out at idle in the manual as I recall.

 

woodmv Your car is looking SWEET

 

Car is looking great Mike!

 

Thanks Frankenrex! I saw that in the FSM. Maybe I need to prime those lines first, but I'm thinking that won't solve the problem... Maybe I didn't install the MOP/OMP correctly, but that's rather intuitive and only bolts up one way. I'll look more into it but until then I'll have to continue to pre-mix.

Thanks WJM!! I really like how it's turned out. Still have some quirks here and there to solve but it'll keep me busy this winter.

Thanks Sean!! I appreciate all your help along the way - definitely could NOT have done it without your help or that of all the folks on this forum that helped with parts (LOTS of folks here), advice, services (like powder coating - THANKS KansasCityREPU!!), or a physical helping hand! I had an idea to put a sticker with each person's username that has helped me along the way on the car kinda like NASCAR sponsor stickers! That would be different and kinda cool...

EXCELLENT, thanks Banzai! Looking at your pictures and going through my manuals I can see that on the correct 79 setup, the anti-afterburn solenoid has a vacuum sensing line that goes to the anti-afterburn valve, and the vacuum hose that connects to the secondary side of carb base connects to the choke diaphragm on the carb. My carb came to me with the anti-afterburn solenoid connected to the choke diaphragm since it has a header and the air pump, thermal reactor, etc. was removed along with the anti-afterburn valve. I'll have to find a picture of where the vacuum hose from the secondary side of the carb base was connected to when I started, and fiddle with it to see if capping off the anti-afterburn solenoid or teeing it into the choke diaphragm and carb base works better. More research into my pictures and the carb manual is required.

One of the curious conditions I have is that the brakes feel soft. I don't have any leaks, and I've bled the hell out of them, but I notice in your pictures that the metal tube that runs from the brake booster has an actual hose - like a fuel hose - connecting it to the intake manifold. I used a silicone vacuum hose for that job, but I'm wondering if it is too flexible and thin walled and soft to properly do it's job and maybe that's somehow contributing to the soft brake pedal. I'll get a section of actual fuel hose and see if that makes any difference. Otherwise, I'll try re-bleeding everything.

I've been researching insurance and the classic car insurance sites like Grundy and Hagerty will give me basic 100/300/100 insurance with a declared value of around $10,000 and a limit of 7,500 miles per year for about $250 per year. Not bad. I'll have to pull the trigger on the insurance so I can get the title in my name and then get it plated. Unfortunately a trip to the DMV around here is a frustrating test in patience and not for the faint of heart, but a necessary evil. I have a personalized plate picked out I want to get.

 

Yes, that is a molded (formed to shape) hose and is fairly stiff, not flexible as I imagine a silicone hose would be. Worth a try.

 

I do know that the OMP only moves a very small amount of oil, so may take a few miles to get oil up to the carb. At idle, it's literally a drop per minute or something. Make sure the lines and the nipples on the carb aren't blocked. After that, it would pretty much have to be the OMP itself, or the shaft that runs off of the front of the e-shaft that spins the OMP. They're pretty simple.
Nah, the connection to the intake is vacuum. If the hose there was inadequate, your brakes would be "hard", due to the lack of vacuum assistance.
Soft brakes would be air in the lines, a funky master cylinder, or the flexible lines being too soft (happens when they're old [that's what she said]).

 

Well, I got a fuel hose and replaced the silicone line, but I didn't notice an appreciable difference in the way it brakes. But, at least it's more correct now anyway.

I installed the front grille this afternoon so that's done, and installed the windshield wiper arms with the new to me plastic covers. I also got some new clear tubing to connect my windshield washer reservoir to the nozzle. Filled it up with a bit of fluid and tried it - no dice The pump doesn't work. Add that to the list of annoying items to fix this winter. Along with that, when I have the key in the ignition and in any position except to take it out, there is a buzzer that won't stop buzzing. I tried holding both door shut switches and the seat belts, but no dice. It's intermittent, but mostly it's on all the time. When the handbrake is applied, my brake light sometimes works, but mostly it doesn't. My ignition cylinder is loose, so I might have a loose connection or something, but I'll get back into the steering column and have another look around. If I knew what was causing it to buzz all the time I could narrow my search...

I found in an earlier post where I USED to have the anti-afterburn valve. It looks like whoever rebuilt the carb previously incorrectly connected the anti-afterburn solenoid to the choke diaphragm, and the anti-afterburn valve to the secondaries vacuum connection. I'm using a different 12A intake manifold with the anti-afterburn valve removed and therefore have created this problem for myself. Here's an old picture of what it looked like when I got it.



I tee'd in the anti-afterburn solenoid, the vacuum connection on the secondaries side, and the choke diaphragm, but did not notice any difference in the way it runs. At least I have a solution that, although may not improve the way the car runs, it doesn't appear to hurt it either. At least it looks better.



A am also looking for a very good SA air cleaner assembly. I have one that is sorta rusty with a presentable cover, but if I can find an assembly that is rust free I'll take it. I'll be posting up in the for sale / wanted section also.

 

Great project so far!



You can probably ditch the subzero start reservoir. I believe there was a TSB to remove it when customers complained of smoke screen starts on cold days. It basically just dumps antifreeze into the carb.



You should also eliminate that loop in the brake booster line and take a more direct route. You want it to follow a downward trajectory so that fuel vapor doesn't collect in it. Also, the soft line that connects the hard line to the booster should have a one way check valve in it which means the type of hose you use between the hardline and manifold isn't all that important. If you didn't replace it with the factory part, pull the old hose out of the bin and grab it...or install your own check valve. Anyway, if your brakes feel soft, it isn't from the booster. On the contrary, if the booster is disconnected or not working properly, the brakes will be very firm and harder to press.

 

 

 

Thanks to Tim, I now have a super minty air cleaner lid and box, WITH a new eyelet for the rubber hose. Wow. Makes the underside of the hood look even better. I couldn't be happier!

 

 

Nice score!

 

Yes, that was a generous gift from Mr. Tim!

Well yesterday after spending 2 and 1/2 hours in the DMV for 10 minutes of business, I was able to walk out of there with temporary tags and now, with the exception of a state inspection, I'm all legal! Unfortunately, today my excitement got the better of me. I've been fighting a short that drains the battery and I charged it overnight in anticipation of driving it all around today. Filled it with 5 gallons of fresh gas and some premix and took off!! The steering is a bit wooley and wandery, but it's QUICK! Not as fast as my son's '16 Mustang GT, but this is fun in it's own right... Until .... I pulled up to a stop sign and it stalled. With a weak battery. And no jumper cables. UGH! Had to call the wife to come rescue me - luckily I was only a few miles from home.




I'm gonna take the alternator and get it checked out. I suspect it's bad and doesn't charge. Maybe I'll try an FC alternator upgrade and a double belt pulley. The trickle charger showed a fault code indicating the alternator was bad.

Anyway - hope to make this a semi-daily driver and enjoy it more!