Getting ready to stab the Columbia in Dad's pickup and he's worried about it operating correctly since he has a little bit of a cam in it. Its a 35 pickup (hence my creative screen name) and we believe the rear to be out of a 36 passenger car. The questions I have are... will a "3/4 race" cam in a stock stroke and compression flatty cause it to not make enough vacuum to operate the solenoid in the rear? (the only other mods are a dual carb intake and Edelbrock heads. I am pretty sure we put the smaller Isky cam in it .325" lift and 260 adv duration.) If if will not make enough to engage the solenoid, do we go with an aftermarket electric pump to create the needed vacuum? Or can we use a canister like I do on my SBC with the lumpy cam? I did a couple of searches and came up empty. The good news is that Dad is working on the truck again and might have it up and running by next summer! Thanks in advance!
I appreciate the offer, but shipping to PA would kill you... besides the line forms behind Django if he scraps the idea (which he won't) Anyone have any ideas on this?
I don't have an answer but I do have a little info. because I was asking the same question a couple of months ago. I have a Columbia under my '27 roadster (still not done). When I bought the rearend it came with a canister . Not knowing what it was and not seeing it in any of the Columbia literature, I called a guy who works on them in Tenn. (you will always see his ad in Hemmings). He told me that is what they used as a storage tank when someone was using a vacuum a lot (heater, wipers, rearend, etc.) So I can't answer your first question but I can tell you that if necessary you can use a tank to help if you have a low vacuum situation.
If you end up needing a pump, I pulled a vacuum pump off a Dodge Conquest I have laying around. Its very quiet and pulls a strong vacuum. You could probably get one at a wrecking yard for cheap. I believe it would be a 83 - 86 turbo Dodge Conquest/Mitsubishi Starion.
I believe my uncle pulled one off of some small Ford... maybe an Escort for another project that will probably get pressed into service, but thanks for the offer! Cool. I figured that would work... just don't want anything that will look cheesy. Thanks for the help so far! Anyone else?
I seriously doubt you'll have any problems at all--the experienced dude to ask is Rumbleseat, who just drove his '34 with 286 and Columbia literally all over the country over two summers. If you do have probs, both boosters and cans are all over the junkyard--ask me for ideas if necessary. Me, If I didn't have enough vac, I'd just declutch for the shift with throttle still open a bit, and then dump it to spike the vacuum... Lubing he can is also imposrtant for easy movement.
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