Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hi guys!
Just a thread update that I worked on my truck this weekend for the first time in a long time. Washed her, cleaned up some minor overspray on the chrome bumpers from another project, Armoralled the tires and then got the bright idea to knife off the rock hard rear
Window rubber and install new. FAIL! I couldn't manage it, the rubber kept falling off so I'll have a local shop do the install.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Just an update to keep all the info in one thread, well kinda.

While surfing Craigslist for a carburetor I came across a good deal on a new-in-the-box Fatman Fabrications IFS kit for the 55-59 Chevy trucks. Long story short, I bought it for $1800 and it appears to go for about $2500 plus tax full retail. I'm happy, it's got a power rack but does not have the polished A arms their kits now come included with.

Next, I got a very generous PM from a member here offering me a new, never installed 30" Flaming River stainless steel tilt column for a great price and I'm buying that too. Yeah, it's a slippery slope. I need a power steering pump, brackets for my SBC that has no holes in the heads, some hoses and probably a bunch of other stuff I haven't figured out yet. In the mean time, I STILL need that carburetor but due to funds being used elsewhere it's looking more like I'll be rebuilding the leaky Holley!

That's it for now.

[AZ59apacheguy]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I need a power steering pump, brackets for my SBC that has no holes in the heads.

CPP sells a powersteering pump bracket just for that kind of situation. It incorporates the front drivers side motor mount and powersteering pump bracket all in one! I have a 283 with powerpack heads without holes, that's the only solution I could find.

[Denee007]

Hi Dan! I looked up Alan Groves products of which I used on my 350 for the AC and alt, then came up with a thread on our forum. See if it helps! I'm majorly jealous on your IFS buy!
dne'

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=388841

[Rude Dude]

Dan this is what I used for power steering pump bracket just remember Chevy pump has to be modified to work with Ford R&P flaming river , speedway have the kit. I bought mine from RB's they are out of business now.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Mustan...-GPM,5852.html
http://www.billshotrodcompany.com/673/715.html

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Just an update to keep all the info in one thread, well kinda.

While surfing Craigslist for a carburetor I came across a good deal on a new-in-the-box Fatman Fabrications IFS kit for the 55-59 Chevy trucks. Long story short, I bought it for $1800 and it appears to go for about $2500 plus tax full retail. I'm happy, it's got a power rack but does not have the polished A arms their kits now come included with.

Next, I got a very generous PM from a member here offering me a new, never installed 30" Flaming River stainless steel tilt column for a great price and I'm buying that too. Yeah, it's a slippery slope. I need a power steering pump, brackets for my SBC that has no holes in the heads, some hoses and probably a bunch of other stuff I haven't figured out yet. In the mean time, I STILL need that carburetor but due to funds being used elsewhere it's looking more like I'll be rebuilding the leaky Holley!

That's it for now.

[tmoble]

Dan, I can fix your Holley, doesn't matter what's wrong with it. PM me and I'll send you my address and stuff.

I'd recommend a 260° for 283. a modern 268 is a lot of cam for a 283, better in a 350. I have a Crane 260 in my 327, about right. I had a Comp 268 in it for years, but it idled ratty and was a dog off the line. You're like 45 cu in smaller with that 283. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to have a 268 in it now.

A 260 and a Q-jet would really help that 283. to get good street performance out of a small engine you need a carb with small primaries, like a q-jet. What manifold is on there?

[mgchevyparts]

Originally Posted by MrTucker

sorry, but $4800 seems steep to me...

Funny. Fast forward 3 years that truck here in Calif as he bought it will sell today, quickly for $12000 as is, or as was.
Nice truck and a very good buy.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by tmoble

Dan, I can fix your Holley, doesn't matter what's wrong with it. PM me and I'll send you my address and stuff.

I'd recommend a 260° for 283. a modern 268 is a lot of cam for a 283, better in a 350. I have a Crane 260 in my 327, about right. I had a Comp 268 in it for years, but it idled ratty and was a dog off the line. You're like 45 cu in smaller with that 283. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to have a 268 in it now.

A 260 and a Q-jet would really help that 283. to get good street performance out of a small engine you need a carb with small primaries, like a q-jet. What manifold is on there?

Thanks for the real world advice, I need it.

Whatever's in it now gives it a rumpety rump idle, doesn't have enough vacuum to run a power brake booster and while it's not exactly a "dog" off the line it's not impressive. I'd been assuming it was the rear end ratio...but I do need to check it to know what it is for certain.

What do you know about using an Edelbrock 1405 or 1406? I'd read that these are based off a Quadrajet but honesty don't know enough about it. I'm planning to pull the existing Holley before the weekend and order a rebuild kit for it. If it's a model with large primaries you're saying it won't improve it's performance?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by mgchevyparts

Funny. Fast forward 3 years that truck here in Calif as he bought it will sell today, quickly for $12000 as is, or as was.
Nice truck and a very good buy.

Thanks for going all the way back and reading the thread.

I've been watching prices too and I'm shocked what prices are being asked for running, big window short beds but as they say, "Asking Ain't Getting!"

I think as it sits today (INCREDIBLY) it wouldn't be all that atypical to ask $10 or 12,000 IF I were selling it but if course I'm not. But as it was when I bought it? Nah, I'd laugh out loud if I saw a truck in that shape and someone asking $10,000 for it. Maybe someone would give that but it wouldn't be any of the guys on a board like this. You simply don't have to. Today I'd buy a non-running, but as complete as I could find truck.

[tmoble]

Dan, the Eddie carbs have the same issue as the Holley as far as street performance goes. The primaries are too big, almost are or are the same as the secs. You'll get much better response with a carb with small primaries. Carbs are sensitive to velocity of air through the venturiis, it's the velocity of the air that builds vacuum signal in the booster venturiis. This is what pulls fuel from the bowls. no velocity means no signal means no fuel. Lean bogs at low RPM are the first sign of over-carb'd. This is what you're getting now. oftentimes rodders will try to fix this by installing giant accelerator pumps or other cover up type fixes. This is why I asked you what manifold you have. If it is a Q-jet or universal flange Edelbrock performer you could switch to a Q with relative ease. You might be amazed at the difference in response and fuel mileage.

did I mention fuel mileage?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Rude Dude

Dan this is what I used for power steering pump bracket just remember Chevy pump has to be modified to work with Ford R&P flaming river , speedway have the kit. I bought mine from RB's they are out of business now.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Mustan...-GPM,5852.html
http://www.billshotrodcompany.com/673/715.html

Thanks for the info, Rudy! Yeah, I'd read somewhere you had to cut the pressure of a GM pump but the link says to cut the volume of fluid pumped. Glad to have that link.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by tmoble

Dan, the Eddie carbs have the same issue as the Holley as far as street performance goes. The primaries are too big, almost are or are the same as the secs. You'll get much better response with a carb with small primaries. Carbs are sensitive to velocity of air through the venturiis, it's the velocity of the air that builds vacuum signal in the booster venturiis. This is what pulls fuel from the bowls. no velocity means no signal means no fuel. Lean bogs at low RPM are the first sign of over-carb'd. This is what you're getting now. oftentimes rodders will try to fix this by installing giant accelerator pumps or other cover up type fixes. This is why I asked you what manifold you have. If it is a Q-jet or universal flange Edelbrock performer you could switch to a Q with relative ease. You might be amazed at the difference in response and fuel mileage.

did I mention fuel mileage?

Yeah, my manifold is a new Edelbrock Performer dual plane manifold. Do you have a specific Quadrajet part number I should be shopping for? Any other advice relative to setting up the carb other than; of course, rebuilding it?

[Dan in Pasadena]

I found this link about Quadrajets.

http://www.carbkitsource.com/carbs/t...jet-index.html

Excellent information but I confess I don't know which one to look for and likely, won't be able to tell one from the other when I do find one!

[tmoble]

Dan, I have to be up at 5am, I'm headed for bed now. I'll try to answer you tomorrow during the day, but it might slip til evening. I'm working 12 hour days this week so things get a little spacey.

[tmoble]

Dan, What you want is a 75-79 Chevy carb that was originally on a 350. if you go back to that link the second pic down on the left is pretty good. side fuel inlet, integral choke that can easily be converted to electric, chevy style throttle linkage that makes it easy to hook up your TH350 kickdown. Here's a pic of the throttle lever you want. This is hooked up to a 200-4R, but the throttle lever setup is identical.

[ChuckDriver]

I met the owners of this company last year at a car show. Great people and there carbs looked awesome!!


http://www.allamericancarburetor.com/

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks JJ.

I just found THIS link and it looks promising too:

http://www.everyday-performance.com/index.htm

[tmoble]

if you want a nice Q-jet that doesn't break the bank look at this:

https://www.smicarburetor.com/produc...2/productID/18

This is Sean Murphy, many guys have reported excellent results with Sean's carbs. Call them and ask about a carb for a 283.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks. Pretty much the same price as the Everyday Performance link I posted above. $350 isn't cheap on my budget so I've gotta count my pennies.

I did find a local guy selling a Quadrajet off a '72 Nova that had a 350 - but of course I don't know if that's the original engine OR the original carb and at only $20 this QJet may be in pretty bad shape. But I'll go look at it just in case. Maybe it's just been sitting for years (decades? Lol) and he doesn't know what it's worth.

[tmoble]

you want one with an integral choke. No 72 Q had that. check my post #915

[Dan in Pasadena]

Pulled my Holley out today and it had a code of "List 1850-3", then the date code of "3261"

The internet is (sometimes) a wonderful thing and this told me it's a 600 cfm vacuum secondary, manual choke carb made in December, 1971 most likely.

Since I've been spending money like a drunken sailor (apologies to any drunken sailors on the board!) I decided to rebuild my existing carburetor since it seems to be sized right for my little 283... Well actually my brother-in-law will do the rebuilding since he's done it several times on the dual Holleys on his boat.

A trip to Pep Boys for a gallon of carburetor cleaner - is it even strong enough anymore?
And I found a couple guys at Blair's Speed Shop here in Pasadena working on an engine in the shop even though the shop was closed. For a few bucks more than Jegs (and no wait) I got a new kit from him and I'm dropping off the carb tonight.

I also decided to complete a little improvement I'd started months ago (EEK!). Stripping the coating on the lip of my old school knock-off Torq Thrusts so I can polish them. I bought a quart of epoxy paint stripper and it came off surprisingly faster than my previous (dangerous) try which was jacking up the truck while running in gear and using sandpaper!

[tmoble]

>>> "...which was jacking up the truck while running in gear and using sandpaper!"

What could possibly go wrong?

Ask the B-I-L if he has any way to surface the front face of the main body. Many of these carbs have been gorilla'd on the bowl screws. This pulls the corners of the main body up, causing a deal where the screws tighten up but the gasket is not properly compressed around the PV chamber. This causes rich idle and transition problems that can't be tuned out normally. Hit the front face with a big sharp flat file to see the problem.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Funny, we were literally JUST talking about that very thing. (I JUST got home from his house where I dropped off the carb and we had dinner together) He was saying if it's a few thousandths bowed it can be "surfaced" with some 320 wet/dry sandpaper stuck to a piece of glass to be very flat. Sounds iffy to me but he claims he's done it successfully before. I guess it depends how much it's out of whack.

[tmoble]

Dan, I used to work with a guy who did a lot of Holleys, he made a mill fixture that held two main bodies, did them two at a time. Thousands have been done. we used to tske off .010 by default, very few didn't clean up at .010. We did the front, back and bottom of the main bodies. It was a very successful deal, used it from the late 70's till now. We did this with brand new carbs, they typically had low spots around the PV chamber out of the box due to some issue with die casting of zinc or pot metal. The stuff shrinks more in cooling where it's thick, leading to the issue with the sunken PV chambers. I don't have a mill, I use a 16" mill b@stard file which I carefully protect to keep other tools from dulling the teeth.

[Dan in Pasadena]

While I'm waiting on my carb and just blabbing here:

Does anyone think I HAVE TO remove my intake manifold to clean it with mag wheel etch type cleaner?

I was thinking to just mask my finned valve covers & distributer, plug the intake with a rag, and spritz, then wipe with wet old rags and dry.