HotRod777
Active Member
The short version is:
If you want to draw a huge crowd at a cruise (well, huge for a /6 car at least) put one of these on.
Grabbed this up off eBay earlier in the summer. This one was NOS from 1961 or 1962... the linkage package was still sealed and the very delicate old and browned paper instruction sheet was titled “61-62 Valiant/ Phoenix 170-225cid”.
I had a spare 1920 and air cleaner from a prior car, I checked to make sure both had a the same jet, they did, a 56.
The install is straight forward, I left the exhaust manifold on and just used a thin coat of copper rtv on the intake flanges and the original exhaust manifold heat stove gasket. The tricky part is the linkage. The tricky part is getting the right return spring tension(s) and the right ‘ratio’ off the eccentrics. The first hurdle is the oddity of the 1920 that is spring loaded to default to wide-open, not to idle. I ran 2 springs right from each carb to the linkage pivot shaft so with nothing else hooked up the carbs would return to idle. I then also ran a spring in the stock location right near the firewall.
(Quick note, it’s a 4 speed so no throttle pressure to worry about). The next hurdle was the linkage ratio. When hooded up as instructed the throttle was too quick, the pedal only traveled about 1” from idle to wide open. After experimenting with different alignments of the eccentrics (more & less over-center) I ended up drilling 1 linkage hole much lower on the first arm that pins to the throttle shaft that comes through the firewall. This made the peddle need to travel much further up and down to cycle the carbs from idle to wide-open. I finally got it stock-feeling with about 2.5” of travel at the pedal. Along with doing the intake I also curved the distributor and put on a 2.25” head pipe. (On the distributor I took off the heavy spring and welded the slots, (15int/ 32total) (the pipe was from Accurate and I used an UltraFlo W/dump).
The car runs much stronger... it’s still no where near fast but it’s a noticeable improvement. (The car also has 3.55’s) There is really no cons to the drive ability other then it has a bad off-idle stumble when it’s totally cold. It goes away as soon as the temp gauge starts to move (I do have the heat flapper tied to block off the intake, so I know that isn’t helping but I’d rather keep the intake cooler once hot (if that makes sense)).
As I mentioned in the beginning people start calling their friends over at cruises with the “you gotta see this” wave.
All and all I’m happy with the $300 of love I gave the slant... it’s a shame so many people assume they are a throw-aways.
If you want to draw a huge crowd at a cruise (well, huge for a /6 car at least) put one of these on.
Grabbed this up off eBay earlier in the summer. This one was NOS from 1961 or 1962... the linkage package was still sealed and the very delicate old and browned paper instruction sheet was titled “61-62 Valiant/ Phoenix 170-225cid”.
I had a spare 1920 and air cleaner from a prior car, I checked to make sure both had a the same jet, they did, a 56.
The install is straight forward, I left the exhaust manifold on and just used a thin coat of copper rtv on the intake flanges and the original exhaust manifold heat stove gasket. The tricky part is the linkage. The tricky part is getting the right return spring tension(s) and the right ‘ratio’ off the eccentrics. The first hurdle is the oddity of the 1920 that is spring loaded to default to wide-open, not to idle. I ran 2 springs right from each carb to the linkage pivot shaft so with nothing else hooked up the carbs would return to idle. I then also ran a spring in the stock location right near the firewall.
(Quick note, it’s a 4 speed so no throttle pressure to worry about). The next hurdle was the linkage ratio. When hooded up as instructed the throttle was too quick, the pedal only traveled about 1” from idle to wide open. After experimenting with different alignments of the eccentrics (more & less over-center) I ended up drilling 1 linkage hole much lower on the first arm that pins to the throttle shaft that comes through the firewall. This made the peddle need to travel much further up and down to cycle the carbs from idle to wide-open. I finally got it stock-feeling with about 2.5” of travel at the pedal. Along with doing the intake I also curved the distributor and put on a 2.25” head pipe. (On the distributor I took off the heavy spring and welded the slots, (15int/ 32total) (the pipe was from Accurate and I used an UltraFlo W/dump).
The car runs much stronger... it’s still no where near fast but it’s a noticeable improvement. (The car also has 3.55’s) There is really no cons to the drive ability other then it has a bad off-idle stumble when it’s totally cold. It goes away as soon as the temp gauge starts to move (I do have the heat flapper tied to block off the intake, so I know that isn’t helping but I’d rather keep the intake cooler once hot (if that makes sense)).
As I mentioned in the beginning people start calling their friends over at cruises with the “you gotta see this” wave.
All and all I’m happy with the $300 of love I gave the slant... it’s a shame so many people assume they are a throw-aways.
