if you have points or the pertronix I you need the wire, same with the flamethrower I coil that you can use or stock coil all need the resistor wire.they have a flamethrower II coil to use with the pertronix II does not need resistor wire. if you have points or the pertronix I and no resistor wire your car will miss fire. i have talked to pertronix about this because i was working on a friends car that had no wire and was breaking up even at idle. you should not have 12v at the coil with the key on,only when cranking the motor to start you should have 12v.
:gp: Tom X 2! I plugged the holes in the manifold of my 425 Nailhead and it runs fine. I had the same problem with the eaten-up gasket and crud in the carburetor as you. I discovered that the manifold exhaust passages are almost the exact size to tap and install American 7/16 (I think) machine thread plugs. I did not tap the holes all the way through the passages, the plugs cannot screw themselves all the way into the manifold and cause problems rattling around in places where chunks of steel should not be. BTW: Those compression readings seem high to me. Could your engine be a bit carboned up?
For the pertronix flamethrower this (pic) is what I went by. 1.5ohms seems to say bypass the resistor (pertronix modules requires 12v too see 2nd pic). I just took off my carb and the intake manifold (wow is that thing heavy !!!! Wonder why they did not make it lighter out of aluminum ?). How do I know if my engine is carboned up ? What is the problem if my compression readings are too high ? What is the risk ?
LOL!!!!!!! Marty!!!!!! Can you help a guy out???? "Carboning up" will be deposits that are left on the top of the piston and around the quench area of the head surface. Without a dismantle, your only options will be with fuel additives or such like an injector cleaner. Newer fuels are also supposed to help with that as well. Personally, I wouldn't disassemble any further. The compression numbers are fairly even. Just get your SS carb gasket/plate set up and cleaned up as described and back together. You can pack and stuff aluminum foil in the heat passage cross-over passages of your intake to block the heat, but there are varying opinions and pros-and-cons on weather you will want to do that. Something else you should check is the exhaust dampner (if you have one) is opening and functioning correctly. Incidently... what kind of plugs are those? Erik
RJBT, One good way to get rid of excessive carbon deposits in the cylinders (piston tops and combustion chambers actually), is to first get the thing to run properly. Second - the fun part - is to drive the thing hard. Rapid acceleration and sustained high speed, will gradually burn the deposits out. I am not suggesting 160 kph or anything like that, but 100 kph would be good. If the base gasket/steel plate has been allowing exhaust gasses to enter the intake stream; the engine has been running on an improper fuel/air mixture. This definately could cause the formation of excessive carbon deposits. A stuck heat riser (OK, manifold heat control) would make the problem worse. Heat riser valves usually stick closed.
Thanks ! Well, I will get a metal spacer / rebuild the carb and clean everything up. As for the heat riser it is stuck. I am not sure how to unstick it. I tapped on it w a hammer (nicely) and it did not move. I'd love to dismantle her but the bolts look quite corroded and I dont want to touch something I might screw up ! What if I spray it with WD40 for several weeks and then tap her ? Or smudge her in grease ? I assume it is in the open position because it puffs out the exhaust (is that a good assumption?). How can I tell what is the open position ? I tried taking pictures but it was hard getting the right angle. I will try again after Christmas as I am off for 10 days. As far as the carbon buildup. Is there a way to tell if I have some ? (sticking finger/something in plug hole ? trying to scrape stuff somewhere ?). I will gladly run her over 100kph next spring ppp
My heat riser looked about as bad as yours. I sprayed it a few times a day with some pb blaster and in about a week it freed right up.:Smarty:
I notice that you have a bad freeze plug behind the exhaust manifold.... next to the oil filter.....best to keep a eye on it ....especially if you are losing coolant....
I don't know if the stuff is still available, but Chrysler had an aerosol can of stuff made specifically for the purpose of freeing up stuck heat riser valves. It was ugly black gook that probably was a mixture of a good penetrating oil and graphite. Eureka! I found the stuff: it is "Mopar Heat Control Valve Solvent Penetrating Fluid" Part #3419129. It worked great. Spray it on, let it sit, tap the shaft lightly with a small hammer, then start working the shaft back and forth with a pair of Channelocks. The stuff is also a lubricant for the heat control valve. LOL.
I as gone for 10 days of well earned (well hopefully) vacation. On the heat riser. I will try the automatic trans. fluid and acetone mix (thanks doc) and try to free it up. As for the freeze plugs.. I had noticed the leak. Very small leak I assumed (could I be wrong?) Is it a real issue ? What are the risks ? Can I change them without pulling the engine ? How does one take them out: punch hole and pry them out with something - sounds a bit neanderthalish though. Any best practices ? Or should I just leave them for later (or till they get worse). My immediate emergency is the radiator that is seeping all over and probably needs to be recored very soon.
If that engine belonged to me , I would replace all the freeze plugs with brass ones before doing anything else.... they can blow out and completely loose all the coolant when they are rusted through enough to leak ..... and on a engine that has only idiot lights... you can fry the engine before you are aware that it has happened....and ,,,, yes , it is neanderthalistic but sometimes ya gotta do what you gotta do..... this is one of those times.... between the leaking freeze plugs and the rad. it is a wonder that you havent already cooked the engine....that is the way to get them out , punch and pry... then clean the opening and put some permatex 300 on the edge of the opening before driving the new plug in.... or on the edge of the plug.....or both....i use a large socket that will just fit inside the plug for a driver and a 2 lb. hammer.... With the acetone/atf mixture, be carefull not to get it on your paint ,,, it will remove it..... so dont put it into a plastic bottle... metal container only..... on some engines you have to pull the engine to get to all the freeze plugs.... look close.... especially at the back of the heads.... and on nailheads there is a plug under the bottom of the intake,,, but it doesnt have water behind it,,, it has exhaust gas.... if you come up with a exhaust leak that you cant find look at the intake plug.....
Wow .. thanks Doc. Do we know how many freeze plugs there are in all (so I make sure I dont overlook a hidden one) ? I'll go through the workshop manual to see if it is mentioned. I have seen freeze plugs on several sites (CARS etc...) but they all seem like stainless or some bright silvery metal. Where can I find brass plugs ? Also I have seen some discussions mentioning vendors selling the wrong dimensions (or dimensions not being correct). Is that really an issue ? Bonne Annee 2011, as they say back here p Roland
Brass plugs are widely used for marine engines. I don't know about the 401, but I have seen a 322 as a factory engine in a boat. I also must confess that I don't know if all Nailheads had the same size core plugs. I'll bet that if you measure your plugs, you will be able to find a marine supplier who has them.
I have finally taken my carb apart. Here are some pics. Could not get one of the jets out (bottom of bowl). I tripped the head but the jet itself is fine so I'll just leave it in for cleaning. Here are bottom pictures of the carb. Some of the aluminum base was attacked by the exhaust but it still seems good to me. Is it ok ?
That carb is probably useable... what counts is how the inside passage ways are.... the idle needles and seats and the emulshion tubes.... get some soft copper wire and run thru them after you soak the carb in cleaner.. then blow the thing/things out with compressed air.... install a good kit and try it....the worst/best you can do is have to sell it and buy a good holley.....:laugh: :laugh:
I'll probaby try to fill the base with epoxy to level the surface. I live abroad (France) and did not find any carb cleaner (did not look much) and bought a can of brake cleaner to help. I used paint thinner to grossly clean the body and made a wild attempt at what i thought would be a smart cleaning move. I put the upper halve of the carb in the dish washer thinking it may really clean it up. Well it did not do much except leave some white deposit in some places (soap ?). Hum... not a good idea. I do not know how to clean the body to a nice aluminum finish (besides wire brushing it for hours and never getting every nook and cranny). How can I acheive that "near new" finish with non "exotic" cleaning products ? I was told by a local guy to soak it in diesel fuel overnight and then rinse it with gasoline... hum ? not sure it will work. Any ideas ? Here is a pic of the top carb piece after the dish washer adventure !
Well,,, I had a good chuckle at least..... RJ old buddy,,,, you can do a pretty good job of cleaning alluminum by submerging the item in simple green full strength for 24 hours.... then wash it out/off with a soft brush and clear water.... and see how that does.... :laugh: :laugh:
