So some of you might know this car from my other thread introduction. I thought I would start another one that has to do with the car itself and not me. I am an old school mechanic and a vast array of vehicles that need my attention. This one was a gift from my mother. 1958 4 door Bel Air in very nice condition but was not currently running. Long story short- Bad rusty gas tank replaced and several carb rebuilds has landed in several carbs meeting the trash. I did however find that the motor (348) could run nice occasionally. There is hope. I found the most recent Holley carb to run the best but was actually crumbly. Yes it has mega cracks and would run ok sometimes but small pieces would crumble off here and there. WTF? So trash! Going to buy a new Holley today but may try to run my truck carb first as it has been a real good carb and starts and run great every time. It is on a 406 small block though and I hate to take a good running motor apart. What to do? It will need a carb eventually anyway so run the truck carb first for a baseline and then run the new one that of course will need adjustments and blah blah to get it right? I have been struggling with this sucker for so long it has me frandustiggled! I want to drive this beast! I am about to spring for some fuel injection! I have seen what I believe to be a vacuum leak in all the carbs I have tried as the idle mixture needles only make it run ok when they are turned in all the way. This should kill the motor altogether but nope. Runs great that way. Futha what? Baffled! Intake leak?
This Freaken Car!
- Thread starter jjzepplin
- Start date
Slow down and stick to the basics. Fuel, air, spark, compression. You must know someone that has a good carb you can barrow. Get your vacuum gauge out and use it. Diagnose it right means you will fix it right. Good luck. To many variables here.
425/409ER
Well Known Member
I know how you feel. I went through the same thing with the 409, put on like 8 different carbs, some ran great on other engines like you said and the others just ran pig rich. I finally put the 80570 Holley from the 350 that was in the car prior and damn, if the engine ran perfect. I thought it would be too small but after driving with it for a while it idles and drives great.
Yes this probably did come with a 4jet. I would run one but most people say they are paperweights. I wanted to see if something was wrong with the engine before I go that route. I did score a stock oil bath air cleaner for it but it will only fit the 4jet and not a Holley. So I found a new Holley Avenger in a box on CL right around the corner for $265. I put it on and voila! Some real minor adjustments And it purrs like a kitten and barks like a dog! I haven't driven it yet cuz it was raining real bad Sunday and I am not taking any chances with this gem. The carb came with an extra set of jets and some linkage connector thingys as well as all the small springs and warranty card. I know I wont get a warranty but I figured once I put gas in it, it would be hard to get a warranty claim anyway. So I will keep you all posted on getting this baby dialed in however I am not receiving any emails that you guys are posting on this post like other forums. Did I miss something?
I believe off line communication is done by using the "private message" feature on this site.
Ok so the Avenger is working pretty good and just needs some dialing in. I was able to go get a full tank of ethanol free gas and that was fun as the new pumps must pump quite a bit faster than the old ones. Anyway "Thelma" is home and now I can tinker at will. Oh and the fuel gauge is working now! Woohoo! OH and I charged up the AC last week with some universal "Maxi Fridge" (One can only) that I got on Ebay and I got 42 degrees at the vents one whole week later! Could it be functioning correctly with no leaks? I did tighten all the hose clamps for the unit. I guess the older retrofits just had clamps.
So I was working on the carb linkage and realized I could see a partial casting number for the block. I was surprised I could get in there with some brake cleaner and bam! It is the 58 version that has the cooling issues. GREAT! Anyone have any quick fixes that can give a little better cooling? I am going to get the gauge working right and go from there. Maybe a better multi blade fan or something cold help. Lots of room for an electric helper fan on the front of the condenser...
It is not overheating that I know of but I have only driven it twice. I will make sure the gauge works and keep an eye on it. I just looked and it has a 6 blade fan and a shroud and the fan is about half way into the shroud and looks to be correctly sized. There are some half in size gaps between the radiator and the shroud. I guess I will drive it with the working gauge and see. Thanks guys!
The cooling holes were just to help cool the spark plugs in the police application from all the idling. I believe. If it runs at a decent temp it’s not a worry for you.
It idled for quite a while today after fixing the gauge wire and seemed to be staying cool. It is an 872. How would I find the casting date? Side note I think I found the vacuum leak- in the adapter plate. It makes a weird whistle noise on acceleration. I sprayed some carb cleaner around the base and it made a noticeable difference on the choke side. New adapter so the manifold might be the culprit. I got it to run damn smooth though. I will attack this leak tomorrow.
