So the consensus is she's ugly - but I married her anyway ? Sign me - have Val gal will travel........
Thanks everyone for your tips and advice! So I'm gonna tackle the valve lash today. I have the engine to operating temp and loosened all the cover bolts. When I removed the vent hose. It stalled? This is the PCV line. I assume if I lift the cover off with this attached it's gonna break the vacuum and stall? Not sure how to proceed?
I learned to drive in my old man's '61 Valiant slant 6 with a 3 spd STICK ( factory) I used to beat the crap out of it ( 2nd gear "chirp"). Then I got a deal on a '63 2 door and bought it. (slant 6, 3 on da tree). Those cars took a hell of a beating! Good for you; have fun with it. ( and they're not ugly, just different)
Your right she's no beauty queen but she sure is fun! I agree the slant six is awesome! It's quick as F... So now that I've adjusted the valves the idle I'm trying to get the idle dialed in. I have a dwell meter that reads rpms. What's the idle suppose to be at? The book says 550? That seems low to me? When it's that low it lopes? If that's the correct word. Although at 750 it seems to race? Confused?
Correct order in which to do a tuneup- do the ignition, adjust the valves then adjust the carburetor. Your valves, ignition timing, dwell, and spark plugs must be good before you can set the carb accurately. You don't necessarily have to replace the plugs and points but check the dwell, timing, plug gap, and see that the plugs are clean. It also helps to do a compression test although this is not strictly necessary especially if you have a vacuum gauge. They do idle down very slow compared to newer cars. 550 sounds right. If it won't idle down smooth it could be a worn engine, vacuum leak, or valves or ignition out of tune. The vacuum gauge will tell you if the engine is worn. Do you have a manual to go by?
Had a friend in trade school who bought the slant six valiant that Jim Mathison (sixties side kick of Bob Norwood) built that was more than a beast on the street or at the drags. Those engines can be built to scream. If I didn't have so many projects a local guy has an earlier Valiant on the Yakima Craigslist that would make a nifty Hamb drags gasser.
You'd be surprised what you can fit in a regular Valiant > NON wagon body> LOL I had this one a few years ago.
look at my avatar; I've had this panel since 1973 and it's still got the original single bowl/bore master cylinder. Granted, it's been rebuilt twice, but it still works fine. I have no idea how many miles this thing has, but I would guess that the frame and body (& mc) have 200 - 300K on it. Oh, yes; most of the original steel brake lines have been replaced. Either I need your wagon or you need the low mileage 413/727 that I've got stored away in my shop.
I drove 2+ hrs to buy these 2 cars and the man went up on the price when I got there. Everyone has one of those stories. They are still there!!!
Back in 1964 I had a '60 Valiant with a 283 Chevy engine in it. Hurst made engine mounts for the swap. I remember I had to put a 3" tube threw the oil pan for the center link to run thru. Joe
I replaced the plugs but everything else ignition wise looked brand new. It was running so good I didn't think to adjust the timing. Then I did the valves and then tried to adjust the carb. I do have a manual but carb adjustment still baffles me. I think I'm overthinking it. I'll check the compression and re read the carb adjustment procedure. Any tips?
Ignition - spark plugs clean or new, gapped to factory specs. Points gap/dwell to specs (gap and dwell are 2 different ways to measure the same thing. 1 with a feeler gauge the other with an electronic device). Timing set with a timing light. There are 2 adjustments on the carburetor. The one on the throttle linkage is for idle speed. The one at the base of the carburetor is for idle mixture. Turn the idle speed down as slow as it will go and idle smooth (back the screw out). Turn the idle mixture screw in until the engine starts to slow down and miss, then turn it out 3/4 turn. Do this with the vacuum advance hose disconnected and plugged so the carb can't suck air thru it. You may have to adjust the carb 2 or 3 times to get it right if it is way off. Idle speed according to the book, I think is 500 or 600 RPM. Valve adjustment we have already gone over. I didn't bother looking up dwell, plug gap, timing etc you should have a book or be able to find the specs on the net. The engine should idle down smooth with just a slight rustle from the valves that you can barely hear with the hood closed. If the valves have been adjusted regularly there will be NO noise, no more than a good hydraulic lifter engine. But most have been neglected and the valve gear has gotten pounded. Like I say it should start easily, warm up fast and pull away smoothly. Gas mileage well over 20 MPG. 30 MPG is not out of reach for a 170 engine in a car with manual trans if you baby it. If your car won't idle down I don't know why. If you say ignition and carb are good, and compression is good, you could check for manifold leaks. Spray WD40 around the joints, if the engine speeds up it is sucking air. DO NOT tighten the manifold bolts over 12 foot pounds, you will crack the manifold. Replace the gasket. You could also check the spark plugs are in the correct firing order. It is easy to mix them up especially 3 and 4.
On that carb adjustment, the way I like to describe it like this: Turning the screw in allows less fuel for the same amount of air (lean). Turning the screw out allows more fuel for the same amount of air (rich). The difference will most likely be less than 1/8 of a turn, so it is a SLOW, careful adjustment. Normally it is set at around 3/4 to 1 and a quarter turns out from lightly seated. DO NOT 'crank down' the screw! As you adjust, the RPM and the (manifold) vacuum gauge will both peak at the best mix to slightly rich. You can use both to really get feedback as you adjust. You can keep slowly turning it in and out to get a feel, right on will be smooth, rich will tend to 'roll' or jiggle like Jello, lean will tend to 'shake' like the shivers when you are cold. Firing order is 153624, same as all straight sixes. Dwell is 37 degrees, timing varies from year to year (more due to emissions than changes in the engine), but many are 0 to 5 BTDC. If going for absolute best power/mileage, you can try more timing and slightly leaner idle. Do not allow it to ping (advanced timing)!
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