Question Re: Carb and Distributor (need advice)
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 889
From: tn
The metal line that goes to your housing is supposed to tighten up. It supplies heated air to the choke to get it to open up. There is also supposed to be a hose clamped in the bracket to assist in heating the choke.
You have a "Load-o-matic" distributor and it uses manifold and venturi vacuum to advance the spark. There is no mechanical advance in the distributor.
You should be getting around 27 MPG. With the choke heater tube loose the choke is not heating up fast enough. Using the wrong carb will cause a lack of timing advance that will further reduce gas mileage.
Your initial problem was probably a combination of a bad spark valve and the inoperative choke. Fix the line that goes to the choke housing, mount one of the heater hoses (not the one coming from the water pump) so it sits in the clamp on the choke housing and then adjust your choke by loosening the three screws that hold the clamp to the housing and turn just the black housing until it just closes when cold. (the part with the line and the clamp don't turn - just the black plastic housing).
You may want to carefully check that the metal line that supplies heated air to the choke is in one piece from the exhaust manifold to the choke fitting. They are known to rust off or become brittle with age and heat and crack.
You have a "Load-o-matic" distributor and it uses manifold and venturi vacuum to advance the spark. There is no mechanical advance in the distributor.
You should be getting around 27 MPG. With the choke heater tube loose the choke is not heating up fast enough. Using the wrong carb will cause a lack of timing advance that will further reduce gas mileage.
Your initial problem was probably a combination of a bad spark valve and the inoperative choke. Fix the line that goes to the choke housing, mount one of the heater hoses (not the one coming from the water pump) so it sits in the clamp on the choke housing and then adjust your choke by loosening the three screws that hold the clamp to the housing and turn just the black housing until it just closes when cold. (the part with the line and the clamp don't turn - just the black plastic housing).
You may want to carefully check that the metal line that supplies heated air to the choke is in one piece from the exhaust manifold to the choke fitting. They are known to rust off or become brittle with age and heat and crack.
guess i wasted a lot of gas...have got readings in the low 20's...never got 27.
found pictures of cruise-o-matic vs mechanical dist so Tilley can verify if he has cruise-o-matic.
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 194
From: California
Picture time!
Here is a photo of my old carburator that got me 9 mpg (hiss-hiss...):
And a photo of my new carb which gets me 19-20 mpg WITHOUT the Spark Control Valve:
A closer picture of my carb without a Spark Control Valve:
A picture of my old distributor with two vacuum nozzles:
A picture of my new distributor with my new Petronix Igitor I:
A picture of my spark plugs a week ago before I put on my new carb:
A picture of the spark plugs a week and 500 miles later:
The "before" picture of the spark plug belongs to my car, but I changed the plugs a week before I got my new carb. The point is, the plugs were totally black like the "before" photo, and the "after" photo is 500 miles later. The black crud was burned off.
So the question is, is this new carb and new distributor compatible? I am getting 19-20 mpg with an 200ci motor, and I am very happy with how the spark plugs look.
What do you folks think?
And a photo of my new carb which gets me 19-20 mpg WITHOUT the Spark Control Valve:
A closer picture of my carb without a Spark Control Valve:
A picture of my old distributor with two vacuum nozzles:
A picture of my new distributor with my new Petronix Igitor I:
A picture of my spark plugs a week ago before I put on my new carb:
A picture of the spark plugs a week and 500 miles later:
The "before" picture of the spark plug belongs to my car, but I changed the plugs a week before I got my new carb. The point is, the plugs were totally black like the "before" photo, and the "after" photo is 500 miles later. The black crud was burned off.
So the question is, is this new carb and new distributor compatible? I am getting 19-20 mpg with an 200ci motor, and I am very happy with how the spark plugs look.
What do you folks think?
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 889
From: tn
I tune my car w/ plug readings also. Gets you pretty close. Besides, Santa never put a wideband O2 sensor under the tree.
I tune each mode separately.
if i wanna tune cruise mode i key off engine as i exit freeway cruise.
pull one plug and read it. Last time I checked my cruise mode it was just off white not far off from yours.
did you pull plugs after idle or after cruise?
did you keep the old carb just in case you want to do oem cruise-o-matic setup in the future?
I tune each mode separately.
if i wanna tune cruise mode i key off engine as i exit freeway cruise.
pull one plug and read it. Last time I checked my cruise mode it was just off white not far off from yours.
did you pull plugs after idle or after cruise?
did you keep the old carb just in case you want to do oem cruise-o-matic setup in the future?
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 194
From: California
I tune my car w/ plug readings also. Gets you pretty close. Besides, Santa never put a wideband O2 sensor under the tree.
I tune each mode separately.
if i wanna tune cruise mode i key off engine as i exit freeway cruise.
pull one plug and read it. Last time I checked my cruise mode it was just off white not far off from yours.
did you pull plugs after idle or after cruise?
did you keep the old carb just in case you want to do oem cruise-o-matic setup in the future?
I tune each mode separately.
if i wanna tune cruise mode i key off engine as i exit freeway cruise.
pull one plug and read it. Last time I checked my cruise mode it was just off white not far off from yours.
did you pull plugs after idle or after cruise?
did you keep the old carb just in case you want to do oem cruise-o-matic setup in the future?
I could have keep the old carb, but it was $100 core deposit, and I needed the money.
I was very worried that the plugs would still be black when I pulled them today. When I put on the new carb, the carb shop put my car on some type of analyzer with a sensor up the tailpipe. I think the numbers on the "leaness" was 1.75 with an rpm of 750 with a warm idle in Park.
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 194
From: California
And yes, it accelerates very smoothly.
6th Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,212
From: Hills of California
Dont know much about these smaller old Sk 
L style carbs and how much better you could tune this thing but two things come to mind
1) I told you so
2) its probably way late but you should change the oil directly I would imagine its been compromised due to having high levels of fuel in it. I guess this fall under the category of better late than never
-Gun
L style carbs and how much better you could tune this thing but two things come to mind1) I told you so
2) its probably way late but you should change the oil directly I would imagine its been compromised due to having high levels of fuel in it. I guess this fall under the category of better late than never
-Gun
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 194
From: California
Dont know much about these smaller old Sk L style carbs and how much better you could tune this thing but two things come to mind
1) I told you so
2) its probably way late but you should change the oil directly I would imagine its been compromised due to having high levels of fuel in it. I guess this fall under the category of better late than never
-Gun
L style carbs and how much better you could tune this thing but two things come to mind1) I told you so
2) its probably way late but you should change the oil directly I would imagine its been compromised due to having high levels of fuel in it. I guess this fall under the category of better late than never
-Gun
2) This coming weekend.
I need to replace the oilpan...anybody got any extra one they want to sell (or give) at a good price?
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 889
From: tn
Plug color is great.
Mileage similar to two I6 200 mustangs I drove for years.
You sold origilal carb for core.
don't have any acceleration problems.
i'm kinda leaning toward the if it ain't broke camp.
Yeah i have an oil pan for cheap...along with a complete working engine thru trans...don't think it will fit in the mail box though...sorry
Mileage similar to two I6 200 mustangs I drove for years.
You sold origilal carb for core.
don't have any acceleration problems.
i'm kinda leaning toward the if it ain't broke camp.
Yeah i have an oil pan for cheap...along with a complete working engine thru trans...don't think it will fit in the mail box though...sorry