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Tuning my Slanty...

MarPar

MarPar

If it weighs, it pays
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Gents!
I am attempting to tune my Leaning Tower of Power and need advice. I get that she's a slanty, but the basics should be pretty much the same. (I posted this over on FABO also fwiw)
That being said, it was tuned by the PO and I have never fooled around with it, but my spidey senses are telling me she's not quite right and needs tuning.

Specs:
-225 slant with unknown cam (it's obviously not stock and pretty hot from what it sounds like-see vid)
-Edelbrock 1403 500cfm carb
-Offy intake
-Clifford headers into dual tailpipes
-new black Mopar ignition box from Ray (halifaxhops)
-new ngk ZFR5N gapped at at .030
-initial (just hooking up the light-with advance knob at 0 and pointing) timing at 0
-15 hg of vacuum hooked up to manifold port
-distributor is hooked up to ported port



Now, it has been quite a while since I've tuned a carb (it was my GTX like 10 years ago lol) so im a little rusty. The vacuum is jumping around at idle A LOT and I think that means there is a leak somewheres. I put my hand over the carb and it does not die. Let's start with this and proceed from here.

Thank you for any and all help Gents.
 
Not familiar with 6's, but wouldn't you want to advance the timing some, especially with a hotter cam?
 
hunt2elk said:
Not familiar with 6's, but wouldn't you want to advance the timing some, especially with a hotter cam?
Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinkin'. But Ive only dealt with stock-ish cams on big blocks, so Im kinda out of my element here. Not to mention I'm rusty with tuning a carb. lol
 
Beautiful looking car, appears to be well taken care of. I agree that advance should be somewhat advanced from 0, but I agree with you that with a jumpy vacuum gauge I would look into the possibility of a vacuum leak first. I had a /6 in a '64 dart vert once upon a time but it never sounded like that. Without looking under the hood I would guess there was a sb crammed in there. Good luck with your car and let us know what you find.
 
Love that car! If you suspect a vacuum leak you can spray carb cleaner under the carb and around the intake and see if the idle is affected.
I would also plug in a vacuum gauge and adjust carb to the highest vacuum then set the timing. Advance 'till you hear it ping and back it off a few degrees
 
I like it . Those Slant 6s are a good engine. Nice car too.
 
To get a baseline I would disconnect the vacuum line and plug the port.
Check advance at idle and if you can (sometimes the timing marks don't go high enough) get the maximum centrifigal.
Note the RPM where you have maximum centrifigal as well.
See what amount on centrifigal is, you may need to shorten the slots to get more initial.
Take a look at how heavy the springs are in the distributor, it may want quicker advance.

I would gap the plugs at .035.
After you get the timing set pretty well then you can start tuning the carb.
Set idle mixture and then if you have a strip kit you can play with metering rods and finally jet sizes.
 
MarPar said:
Gents!
I am attempting to tune my Leaning Tower of Power and need advice. I get that she's a slanty, but the basics should be pretty much the same. (I posted this over on FABO also fwiw)
That being said, it was tuned by the PO and I have never fooled around with it, but my spidey senses are telling me she's not quite right and needs tuning.

Specs:
-225 slant with unknown cam (it's obviously not stock and pretty hot from what it sounds like-see vid)
-Edelbrock 1403 500cfm carb
-Offy intake
-Clifford headers into dual tailpipes
-new black Mopar ignition box from Ray (halifaxhops)
-new ngk ZFR5N gapped at at .030
-initial (just hooking up the light-with advance knob at 0 and pointing) timing at 0
-15 hg of vacuum hooked up to manifold port
-distributor is hooked up to ported port



Now, it has been quite a while since I've tuned a carb (it was my GTX like 10 years ago lol) so im a little rusty. The vacuum is jumping around at idle A LOT and I think that means there is a leak somewheres. I put my hand over the carb and it does not die. Let's start with this and proceed from here.

Thank you for any and all help Gents.
Click to expand...

Slants rub always but dont make power.
 
440 Charger said:
Slants rub always but dont make power.
Click to expand...

huh.jpg
 
Our '63 Dart convertible. Nicely hot rodded /6 that I find I like driving better than anything else we have.

First slants don't like as much advance as the V8's. See what the timing is with the vacuum disconnected and RPM high enough that the mechanical advance is all the way in. I would only run around 30 degrees all in on the slant.

I have never had a 4 barrel but the typical suggestion is to run about a 350-400 CFM 2 barrel for drivability, it is reported to be hard to get a 4 barrel to work well anywhere but WOT. I am running 2 one barrels at about 450 CFM, decked block with 9:1 compression, Oregon Cams 2106 cam with Dutra Dual cast iron headers and it runs great from idle to WOT. This is the wife's car and she manages in traffic without a hitch.

They are notorious for leaking between the intake and head with the batwing and stud attachment. Look for vacuum leaks there... and yes that is a LOT of cam....

DSC_0300.jpg
DSC_0111.jpg


 
Hey Jim, Great looking '63 Dart. I learned to drive in a '63 GT Dart. I always said Darts were the 1st "pony cars". they were on the streets 1 1/2 years before the stangs showed up. 2nd car I ever owned was a '64 dart vert, just like yours only red. Great memories.
 
Ray70Chrg said:
Hey Jim, Great looking '63 Dart. I learned to drive in a '63 GT Dart. I always said Darts were the 1st "pony cars". they were on the streets 1 1/2 years before the stangs showed up. 2nd car I ever owned was a '64 dart vert, just like yours only red. Great memories.
Click to expand...

I was on the fence when we bought it to restore but the way it came out blew my mind. We simply love this little thing.
 
Ray70Chrg said:
Hey Jim, Great looking '63 Dart. I learned to drive in a '63 GT Dart. I always said Darts were the 1st "pony cars". they were on the streets 1 1/2 years before the stangs showed up. 2nd car I ever owned was a '64 dart vert, just like yours only red. Great memories.
Click to expand...

Hope we can bring it up to the HEMI show next year. And I can pass gas stations with it!
 
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