Projects Big daddy's 1960 El Camino

That was my average last year. No clue what it'll get with this intake and ignition.

 

Hush lol

 

Got 12 originally on the first 200 miles, changed the discharge nozzle on the squirter and the bigger jets, and got 10 on the next 300 miles

 

It could be one of the two gas stations you buy gas at has an excessive amount of water in their tanks, or may have a more then a 10% ethanol content. The stations that concern me are the ones with multiple "fuel range (E10, E15, E85)" choices on one pump, who knows what the last guy bought? That 1st gallon is going to be mixed with whatever he bought. If one of your stations has more of a problem, stop going there.

Also, if the station is getting a fuel delivery, don't buy gas there. The station pumps are set up to pull the fuel from about 10" above the bottom of the tank. All the crud falls to the bottom and stays there until they get a delivery. The tanker delivery dumps 8,000 gallons of gas into the tank, and mixes all the crud up off the bottom. It takes about 30 minutes after the fuel dump into the tanks before the cud settles back out and returns to the bottom of the tank. That 30 minutes often expires before the tanker leaves, but if its just leaving, I would give it another 15 minutes just in case, before I would fill my tank. As a general rule, stations with a higher volume of gas sales tends to have cleaner tanks (the crud gets mixed up more often).

The ethanol fuel is OK when its used within a couple months (3 is pushing the limit) without adding something to help. Often the winter "blends" have a slightly lower ethanol content. In the spring and in the fall, when nearly all the local gas prices drop 5 cents a gallon, for a week or so then jump back up, the stations were emptying the tanks for the change over. Winter gas seems to draw less moisture out of the air, and tends to cause less problems with storage.

One last thought, If the crud in the float bowl has been an ongoing problem, before you park the car for a few months, pull the float bowl(s) off and dump the gas that is in them, and give the carb a carb cleaner bath. its better for them to sit empty then to sit full of water and gas mix.

 

I've read here that some have 89 octane that's pure gas, some 91, but I was always told that there is a 93 octane tank, and an 87, and when you push the 89 button, it pulls half from each tank, is that bullshit?

 

I used to help my Uncle back in the early 80’s plumb new gas stations, and here at least each octane has to have it’s own tank. By state law, pure gas has to have its own tank, pump, and hose, too. Both can be in the same housing, but totally separate plumbing. It may be different in other areas.

 

When these pumps first came out, Pushing a button (or lifting the lever) for an octane choice would determine which of 3 tanks the pumps would pull from. Then the pump would suck the fuel from the proper tank, the problem was (and still is) that whatever is in the hose, or the line before you made the choice gets added to your gas choice. If the last guy chose the E85 cheapest octane he could, and you stop and buy the high octane pure gas choice, that 1st gallon you get is going to be some mixed up crap.

All gas pumps at stations are supposed to be checked once a year to be sure the gas that comes out of the pump is what its suppose to be, and that you really get a gallon of fuel when the pump says it has given you a gallon, and the the price of the fuel for that gallon you chose is indeed the price for the gallon. Given that, I can't imagine the government allowing a gas station to "mix" two different octanes, the station would have to have the capacity of having 3 separate tanks, each tank holding the correct octane rating. That said, like most things in this world, you rely on the integrity of the tanker driver, and the integrity of the station owner, to put the correct gas in the correct tank, and not mix anything.
Each pump choice should have a state issued dated sticker on it from the last time it was tested. The government used to take this stuff pretty serious, but these days, who knows for sure?

Its been a few years since I've followed the gas pump deal, but back then, when the pumps had multiple choice gas, the 1st gallon after a new choice was not tested, but the 2nd gallon was.

 

The nice thing about Holley's is that removing one of the bottom bowel screws drains it, try to catch the draining gas in a small cup
Before putting the drag car away for the winter months, I drain each end of both 4224 Holley carbs then give each bowel about a 10 second squirt of WD-40 in the bottom screw hole with the straw supplied before replacing the screw, also a little squirt under the needle and seat screw, also cycle the accelerator pump a couple of times to replace the fuel in the pump with WD-40.
Works for me, the bowels get fogged with WD-40 and needle and seats don't dry out.

 

Well it runs now. Little stutter up around 5000, came back to the shop and set the timing to 40, all in around 2700 the best I can tell looking at the light and running the throttle all at the same time. Took it back down to the straight stretch and it did better, little hiccup right when I shifted out of 1st gear. Seems to run out of power at 5500. Pretty happy for what it is.

 

Your riding ! that's what matters.

 

Gotta get the new house finished so I can build a 454 for this heap! I wanna go fast

 

Then build a 427!!! LOL!!!

 

Lloyd your high speed miss could be lack of fuel , maybe put a good dose of seafoam in to clean out the pump, might also want to check the fuel filter

 

I changed the filter, blew back through it and it was clean, didn't mess with the pump though. But I'll run some through it, can't hurt anything. Wanted to put more miles on the car but I had to mow grass before the rain gets here tmrw. The old car is so much fun to drive!

 

Then I'd be like you and scotty! I bought the 454 from scotty, does that count?

 

Whoa... Slow down Hoss! I don't know if you're ready for that kind of responsibility yet... LMFAO!!!

 

Oh no, I'll stay in my lane

 

Hey man, I've been out in the car today and when it gets up around 5000-5500 it lays down, but, when I let up on it, it picks back up. So I guess it's running out of gas. You sent me that quick fuel plate for the secondaries and when I put it in, it wouldn't run worth a damn, but that was with the tunnel ram setup. With that said, do you think I should put the plate back in it with something like a 72 jet? Or is the issue with my fuel pump and the crap that could be in it? Like I said, it's fine up to around 5000, then it starts to sputter until I let up on the loud pedal lol

 

Could you tee in a fuel pressure gauge? Might take some guess work out of it.

 

I guess I could, but this is similar to my old 68 firebird I used to have, ended up putting a Holley electric pump on it to keep from sucking the bowls dry. This little engine shouldn't require that much fuel. I'm thinking it's fuel delivery related, right along with the carb bowl issue.

 

Think I'll check the float levels real quick

 

Floats are perfect. Nothing in the pump body, new filter, took all the lines off and blew them out, nothing in them. Should I give it 2 more degrees of timing and try it?

 

Now you could put parts in, reroute fuel line, etc. or…. .
I don’t know about the quality of today’s mechanical pumps, but thinking GM used them on larger CuIn engines with more HP w/o a problem just makes me wonder a bit is all.

 

Welcome to the sh**ty pump world we live in. Electric pump but wanna look original (like that matters).

 

Yeah I just got off the phone with Steve Prudhomme and he said that the fact that it stops when I lift my foot a little bit tells him that it's fuel starvation. He recommended dropping it back to 36 total and trying it, then ordering a Holley or Carter mechanical pump lol. Funny thing is, at 36 total, initial is at 21 something isn't right. I'm all fucked up now. I'm done for the day. Rain is here and I've gotta go into the firehouse at 8, so it'll be another day

 

This is a parts store pump. $19 or something like that. What gets me is this tiny engine shouldn't require that much damn gas

 

My meager thought as well

 

I have been using a $19.00 O'rielly Precision brand for over a year now. Race gas all the time and 8.03 1/8 . I would look at a ALL STAR brand. But I doubt it's the pump. Keep in mind you get much timing over 40 degrees all you are generally doing is masking the problem and hammering the rod bearings. And I am surprised my pump has broken in half yet, LOL.

 

Yeah I really have a hard time believing this little engine is sucking the bowls dry. Now I'm confused on the timing. Only 15 degrees of advance something ain't right. It wasn't like that a week ago, I set it at 15 and had 35 total. Today I dropped it to 36, and that made it 21 initial. Extreme fuckery going on somewhere. I've got a new point distributor that Moriarity sent me, thinking I just need to drop it in and get some new plug wires

 

How big is the steel line from the tank? Is it kinked or dented?