----Original Message Follows---- From: "Brien Tourville" <hh7x@xxxx> Reply-To: gremlintime@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To: gremlintime@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [gremlintime] 1981 Plymouth Volare Carb Swap for AMC Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 18:41:08 -0500
Hi Jerry - the Ford Carb Base swap is the long way around . ....... here is a post from Brian Nelson I've stashed as a rainey day solver :
On the advice of my mechanic (who has a Jeep with the I6) I found a Holley 2bbl carb on an 82 Plymouth Volare 318 V8. the carb body is very similar to the infamous Carter BBD and has the same mounting plate and bolt pattern.
I also added a mounting stem for a better placement of the throttle return spring.
The entire Carter carb is replaced with an entire Holley carb - no take-apart and splicing required on the one I found.
I live in an area where I do NOT have "air care" inspections, so I was not concerned about maintaining the anti-pollution system ! I just wanted the little Spirit to run free ! I couldn't believe how well it ran on first startup !
At the first stop sign, I hit the starter only to have the little girl snarl back at me - I thought the engine had stalled - but it was running like it was fuel injected (Karl told me that it would run very much like a modern fuel injected engine).
The Plymouth had an automatic choke device on it that used heat from the intake manifold of the V8 to operate a "spool-winder" type of cable to manange the choke - the Spirit does not have this so I am going to install a manual cable type when I get around to it - even here out on the Canadian prairie I don't need the choke to start - but the fast idle would be nice.
I have since rebuilt the card (throttle shaft seized up really tightly after a 6 month layup) and at this last Xmas I installed a new cap, rotor and rebuilt distributor, as it was developing a miss at idle. Then I added "Lucas" Oil Stabilizer (couldn't find my fave "XM-5" here) last weekend and filled up with some better gas - this old gal just whirrs !!
I don't have stats on mileage but on my trip back at Xmas she just sipped - my expectation is high 20's (US gals.) - and I crossed the Rockies in 3rd gear and less - took me 8 hours to make about 300 miles! (was right in the middle of a storm that was moving as fast as I could see to go)
Power gain is harder to determine, but the I6 will run comfortably at 100 kph in 3rd gear, and still has passing range at that speed. I have a slight shimmy at 120 kph so I don't go over that generally.
Good simple carb, good ignition, good oil, and good gas - this little number will run with the wind effortlessly!
I am actually getting to like this little gal - maybe I will install the tri-Y header I have in the tool shed this spring and see how she likes that !!
Brian Nelson '82 Spirit GT T5, 15" '81 Dodge (5on5 spoker) alloys w/215 60's, Clifford valve cover, Holley 2bbl, Aurora plug wires, MSD Blaster, K&N beasty girl
Speaking of carbs, does anyone remember the discussion about fitting an '80's Ford Annular Ring 2-bbl carb to the AMC engine, and what model of carb it was? I can't find it in my obese AOL Filing cabinet of files, maybe I saved it somewhere else. But, I would like to know which year bolts directly to the AMC manifold, as I'd like to try one out. I'm getting tired of crappy Carter and Holley carbs! Sheesh. Any help appreciated. Thanks,