Oregon72 engine rebuild

vistacruzer · Post by **vistacruzer** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:51 pm

special tools i like special...

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 5:43 pm

Pretty good!!!

for a girl

Seriously, awesome j-o-b.

Oregon72 · Post by **Oregon72** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:16 am

Hey Spiffy - this engine really did help me get in touch with my feminine side you know. One thing I have learned is that high heels are not good for long hours on the garage floor.

So I just got back from the Lab a couple hours ago. It is 18 miles each way, so I'm up to about 75 miles on the engine as of now. In talking with the Lab dudes, I started wondering if I was rich/lean/or OK. Since I have not done the carb adjustments yet, I figured it would be good to pull a plug from each side of the engine and take a look-see. Pulled into the garage and shut the engine down promptly. Here are the two plugs I pulled.

#1 is on the left. #3 is on the right.

Here is a little bit better shot of #1

They seem pretty normal looking - your thoughts??

Oregon72 · Post by **Oregon72** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:21 am

dtrumbo wrote:, um, I hate to tell you, um, you forgot to put your bumper back on! By leaving it off you're betting you're going to have to remove the engine again, which ain't gonna happen! You nailed it, pal! Put the bumper back on, take it to the Lab and continue with your breaking in/dialing in. Well done, very well done!

I put the bumper on this evening. I figured I'd better hurry and do it before this engine changes it's mind

dtrumbo · Post by **dtrumbo** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:16 am

I'm trying to hone my plug-reading skills and to me, they look good to a shade lean. Am I right? What do the experts say?

Westy78 · Post by **Westy78** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:53 am

I'd say those look pretty good Troy. I say give the valves another check and confirm the timing and run it for a 1k miles or so and see where it is then. Of course changing the oil another couple times too. The engine is going to be tight for the first few thousand miles. Mine is just starting to loosen up and it's got about 7k on it.

dhoch14 · Post by **dhoch14** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:20 am

Westy78 wrote:I'd say those look pretty good Troy. I say give the valves another check and confirm the timing and run it for a 1k miles or so and see where it is then. Of course changing the oil another couple times too. The engine is going to be tight for the first few thousand miles. Mine is just starting to loosen up and it's got about 7k on it.

agreed. but what do I know?!?! I have posted pics of my plugs many-a-times.

-d

Gypsie · Post by **Gypsie** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:34 am

I would still go down the dial in procedure posted earlier. You may find that it needs very little in adjusting. Smelled a tad rich last eve, but that's at idle. could just be idle mix.

tight and throaty power.

So I says to Troy, I says "I just want to follow you on to the freeway and check it out.." next thing I know there's this yellow streak with a bay window on the front disappearing into the night." (meep meep ziptang ---->---->)...

dhoch14 · Post by **dhoch14** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:50 pm

Gypsie wrote:I would still go down the dial in procedure posted earlier. You may find that it needs very little in adjusting. Smelled a tad rich last eve, but that's at idle. could just be idle mix.

tight and throaty power.

So I says to Troy, I says "I just want to follow you on to the freeway and check it out.." next thing I know there's this yellow streak with a bay window on the front disappearing into the night." (meep meep ziptang ---->---->)...

I agree. You should still fix adjust your carbs. I imagine Colin probably tweaked one side since you had a underperforming cylinder. Plus, you just did a rebuild. You can do it!!!!!!!! Trust me! Lean carbs + rich central mixture a la what Gypsie pasted from Colin.

Post by **Amskeptic** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:01 pm

dtrumbo wrote:I'm trying to hone my plug-reading skills and to me, they look good to a shade lean. Am I right? What do the experts say?

Expert says, "Too early to tell". They look "leanish" because they are severely "newish". HOWEVER, Oregon72 can check the mixture in a jiffy, so do it. Warm engine everything hooked up, yank that little "Reference" hose from the thermostatic preheater valve and the idle must go up a tick.
Colin
(Iwant to drive that car so I can have a good cry, stupid ol' BobD doesn't have that singular Porschesque carburetor bark, pout pout)

Gypsie · Post by **Gypsie** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:32 pm

Amskeptic wrote:(Iwant to drive that car so I can have a good cry, stupid ol' BobD doesn't have that singular Porschesque carburetor bark, pout pout)

There there friend, time heals....

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 5:42 pm

(There ARE other early bays out there.)
(Don't fault a redhead because of the red.)

Oregon72 · Post by **Oregon72** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:58 pm

My attempt at dual carb adjustment could be classified as none other than an EPIC FAIL.

First figured I should try to see if I could put my unisyn to use and verify that the carbs are drawing similar airflow. '72 is supposed to be the easy one with the spring loaded bolt/nut adjustment, Couldn't seem to get the litttle red slug to ride the same on both carbs, adjusted it both ways and just seemed to make it worse.

Also tried to adjust the throttle stop screws and the right one was very far away from the carb body. The left one was fully against it 4 or so turns without any remaining screw length to back it out further.

I removed central cutoff and pulled vac retard hose from dizzy. Idle goes pretty low, go to do the reference hose test and idle increases very slightly with finger off. Do I put the reference hose back on airhorn for the next step or leave it off? Then I pull the left pilot cutoff - engine stalls imediately. It stalls so quickly there is no possible way to read RPMs drop. Replace wire for left pilot cutoff. Restart engine, pull right pilot cutoff and engine stalls exactly the same. How do you read RPM drop when the engine just stalls in two seconds. I then made the decision to seat both left and right mixture screws in and back them out 3 turns just to get a starting point. Reconnect central idle cutoff and vac retard. adjust little idle mix screw and can't make the RPM drop with reference hose finger off position - tried all different positions. Got what I thought was about mid-adjustment. Test drive and idle suddenly goes through the roof. With the clutch pedal pushed in between upshifting, the engine speed zooms. At stoplight the RPMs are crazy fast. Shortest test drive ever - runs horrible.

I think I need to start fresh right now, but I made so many adjustments I have no idea how to get to a starting point.

Collllliiiiiiinnnnnnn!!! (screaming upstairs) Can you come to the garage??? I got a little bit of an issue out here.

Incredibly humbled by a couple carbs and their associated linkage - Troy

Oregon72 · Post by **Oregon72** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:11 pm

oh crap!, I just remember I messed with my dashpot when I was trying to check the sychnronization, that could be my problem with the crazy fast idle. I didn't disconnect the throttle ball joint when I adjusted my throttle stop screws either. Man I suck -- With both of those things aside, I still don't think I'm doing this stuff right.

Post by **Sluggo** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:12 pm

Balancing carbs is an art that I have yet to get over my fear of. It truly scrambles your brains. I've done it several times with my Weber IDFs. It sucks. But your engine will thank you.

Colin will have to help you with stock carbs.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Oregon72 engine rebuild