tune up

[vetteengnr]

I'm fired up. The orange dream, or dreamsickle if you prefer is going to get her first tune from me today! I have also ordered an edelbrock performer 600 cfm to be installed next week. Once I get my baby running smooth, let the interior work begin.

Anyone have any tune up advice?

 

[69MyWay]

Tune Up

The question is, was/is the car running bad right now? Or, are you just doing preventative repairs?

I would pay close attention to the entire vacuum system including the actual vacuum lines and solenoids. Check the vacuum advance on the distributor--often over looked and the root source of poor running conditions.

Unless you are after original look only, I prefer 8mm plug wires for a better spark.

Unless you know for sure, take a compression test and record the results. I would also take a manifold vacuum test before and after the "tune up".

Finally, get a timing light that will allow you to see total advance and make sure you are hitting somewhere around 38 degrees.

That ought to do it.

 

[vetteengnr]

Finished, the job was a success.
I ended up getting the carb today and throwing it on.
Man, that was a pretty tough job for a first timer!
Had to fabricate a few parts here and cut a few notches there
but luckily had a friend to help me along.

The car was running pretty darn ugly. It had been seriously neglected by the previous owner in the ways of preventative maintenence. What was done on the car looks to be pretty wrong.

Thanks for the tips Chris, I had to work on the car at a friends house, but will be fixing up the idle and check out the advance soon.

Has anyone installed a painless wiring kit? I'm looking for the best possible all inclusive kit.

 

[69MyWay]

By any chance did you have to grind a little bit on the outside of the intake manifold so the linkage would not rub?

I have installed a painless generic 18 circuit G.M. harness on a street rod. Very easy to follow as every wire is labeled and it plugs straight into the GM steering column.

The only thing I did not like about the harness is that it does not have a bulkhead connector from the firewall forward. In other words, the harness feeds right out of the fuse panel and you will set grommet in the firewall just behind the fuse panel and that is it. The factory harness can be disconnected at the engine side.

Now, I am talking about a generic as seen in Summit and other sources for around $300. I am seriously considering intalling one of these in my 69. The really nice part is it uses the newer style push in fuses.

I don't know if they make one specific for the Shark. It they do, it must by 10 times easier to install then doing one from scratch like I did. Doing it from scratch was not so bad.

 

[vetteengnr]

I ended up having to drill new holes in the post that holds the springs so they did not rub the carb. All in all I think I had to drill 4 holes. 2 in the bracket that holds the springs, and two in the carb. I had to grind a little on the outside of the carb so that the spring bracket sat flush.

I really need one of those wire harnesses. The car has so many spliced wires it is ridiculous.

 

[DDLS3]

If you have'nt done so already, new platnium spark plugs, or AC Rapid Fires, a new high voltage cap and rotor along with an HEI Super coil will really wake up an engine. My prefference is Accel. MSD or Moroso are good choices as well. New 8.5 mm plug wires are well worth the time too, changing them is a bear, so be patient.