Automatic Idle Adjustment One Person HOW?

[Newbomb Turk]

I never set that stuff at idle and then drop it in gear.

That’s *** backwards.

Put it in gear, set the idle and set the mixture screws.

Then go put it in park and see what happens.

These engines spend more time in gear than in neutral or park so get it right with a load on the engine.

If you end up with more than a 300 rpm drop going into gear then you need to work on you timing curve. Or the converter is too tight. Or both.

Is it a little tricky to get the car secure so you don’t crash the car, kill yourself or someone else. But it’s not THAT unsafe.

If someone can’t secure the vehicle and set the E brakes and do it right, with load on the engine they need to ride a bike.

It’s just silly how scared some guys get over nothing.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I never set that stuff at idle and then drop it in gear.

That’s *** backwards.

Put it in gear, set the idle and set the mixture screws.

Then go put it in park and see what happens.

These engines spend more time in gear than in neutral or park so get it right with a load on the engine.

If you end up with more than a 300 rpm drop going into gear then you need to work on you timing curve. Or the converter is too tight. Or both.

Is it a little tricky to get the car secure so you don’t crash the car, kill yourself or someone else. But it’s not THAT unsafe.

If someone can’t secure the vehicle and set the E brakes and do it right, with load on the engine they need to ride a bike.

It’s just silly how scared some guys get over nothing.

I've always done it that way.....but I don't have to worry bout that with Vixen. lol

 

[340inabbody]

I never set that stuff at idle and then drop it in gear.

That’s *** backwards.

Put it in gear, set the idle and set the mixture screws.

Then go put it in park and see what happens.

These engines spend more time in gear than in neutral or park so get it right with a load on the engine.

If you end up with more than a 300 rpm drop going into gear then you need to work on you timing curve. Or the converter is too tight. Or both.

Is it a little tricky to get the car secure so you don’t crash the car, kill yourself or someone else. But it’s not THAT unsafe.

If someone can’t secure the vehicle and set the E brakes and do it right, with load on the engine they need to ride a bike.

It’s just silly how scared some guys get over nothing.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I never set that stuff at idle and then drop it in gear.

That’s *** backwards.

Put it in gear, set the idle and set the mixture screws.

Then go put it in park and see what happens.

These engines spend more time in gear than in neutral or park so get it right with a load on the engine.

If you end up with more than a 300 rpm drop going into gear then you need to work on you timing curve. Or the converter is too tight. Or both.

Is it a little tricky to get the car secure so you don’t crash the car, kill yourself or someone else. But it’s not THAT unsafe.

If someone can’t secure the vehicle and set the E brakes and do it right, with load on the engine they need to ride a bike.

It’s just silly how scared some guys get over nothing.

I dropped another song on youtube if you care to listen.

 

[340inabbody]

View attachment 1716276668

This was exactly my bike from 1971. Same color. Wish I still had it….

 

[Newbomb Turk]

I dropped another song on youtube if you care to listen.

I’m on that like white on rice. I enjoy your playing and singing.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I’m on that like white on rice. I enjoy your playing and singing.

Thank you kindly.

 

[YO7_A66]

I never set that stuff at idle and then drop it in gear.

That’s *** backwards.

Put it in gear, set the idle and set the mixture screws.

Then go put it in park and see what happens.

These engines spend more time in gear than in neutral or park so get it right with a load on the engine.

If you end up with more than a 300 rpm drop going into gear then you need to work on you timing curve. Or the converter is too tight. Or both.

Is it a little tricky to get the car secure so you don’t crash the car, kill yourself or someone else. But it’s not THAT unsafe.

If someone can’t secure the vehicle and set the E brakes and do it right, with load on the engine they need to ride a bike.

It’s just silly how scared some guys get over nothing.

""Put it in gear, set the idle and set the mixture screws. Then go put it in park and see what happens.""

Me too.
I usually find an empty parking lot and pull into an empty spot, then check my vacuum and rpm in D. Then I put it in P and get out and make a quick adjustment, then I usually pull forward a few feet once I am back in the car (or into the next open spot) and check it again. But I always tune my idle in D with the brake applied.

 

[ESP47]

Someone is going to have to explain to me why going through all that work to set your idle in gear and check it in neutral is better than setting it in neutral and checking it in gear.

Depending on who you are, setting it in gear requires your e brake, wheel chocks, jacking the rear up, empty parking lots etc. Setting it in neutral requires applying the e brake.

Both ways require you to go through the exact same process. One way is more work and has the potential for danger. The other way has basically no potential for danger and is the same amount of work.

The FSM also tells you to put the car in neutral to set curb idle and the RPM specs they give you are for neutral as well.

What exactly is the benefit of setting it in gear?

 

[Newbomb Turk]

Someone is going to have to explain to me why going through all that work to set your idle in gear and check it in neutral is better than setting it in neutral and checking it in gear.

Depending on who you are, setting it in gear requires your e brake, wheel chocks, jacking the rear up, empty parking lots etc. Setting it in neutral requires applying the e brake.

Both ways require you to go through the exact same process. One way is more work and has the potential for danger. The other way has basically no potential for danger and is the same amount of work.

The FSM also tells you to put the car in neutral to set curb idle and the RPM specs they give you are for neutral as well.

What exactly is the benefit of setting it in gear?

How much time do you spend at stop lights and such? And how much of that time does the engine spend in park and neutral?

You want to tune the carb WITH LOAD ON IT not when there is less load on the engine.

It makes ZERO sense for the guys running leaky slush boxes.

 

[YO7_A66]

Someone is going to have to explain to me why going through all that work to set your idle in gear and check it in neutral is better than setting it in neutral and checking it in gear.

Depending on who you are, setting it in gear requires your e brake, wheel chocks, jacking the rear up, empty parking lots etc. Setting it in neutral requires applying the e brake.

Both ways require you to go through the exact same process. One way is more work and has the potential for danger. The other way has basically no potential for danger and is the same amount of work.

The FSM also tells you to put the car in neutral to set curb idle and the RPM specs they give you are for neutral as well.

What exactly is the benefit of setting it in gear?

“What exactly is the benefit of setting it in gear?

I always set the in D idle rpm, the timing, and the A/F ratio with the tranny in D and with the brake applied. I have found that tuning an auto in D will require a richer A/F ratio, which in return gets me a smoother vacuum reading, and a cleaner take off (no hesitation or stumble) from a stop.

I also run an idle solenoid so that I can set my in D idle rpms differently than my N/P idle rpms. I like to keep my N/P idle rpms lower than my in D idle rpms which helps with keeping the engine from dieseling when it is shut down. The higher in D idle rpms makes sure that my alternator is excited at a stop (keeps the load off the battery when using brake lights, turn signals, wipers, etc.), and I like a little more rpms for a solid lifter cam at idle.

I usually have a second person sitting in the car with their foot on the brake after a major combo change to allow the tuning to go a little quicker. But after that is when I will just pull into a parking spot to reference the in D idle/vacuum/A-F ratio when I am away from the garage.
If I need to make an adjustment, then I just put it into P and make my change. Then after I make the change, I put it back into D to see the results.

 

[340inabbody]

“What exactly is the benefit of setting it in gear?

I always set the in D idle rpm, the timing, and the A/F ratio with the tranny in D and with the brake applied. I have found that tuning an auto in D will require a richer A/F ratio, which in return gets me a smoother vacuum reading, and a cleaner take off (no hesitation or stumble) from a stop.

I also run an idle solenoid so that I can set my in D idle rpms differently than my N/P idle rpms. I like to keep my N/P idle rpms lower than my in D idle rpms which helps with keeping the engine from dieseling when it is shut down. The higher in D idle rpms makes sure that my alternator is excited at a stop (keeps the load off the battery when using brake lights, turn signals, wipers, etc.), and I like a little more rpms for a solid lifter cam at idle.

I usually have a second person sitting in the car with their foot on the brake after a major combo change to allow the tuning to go a little quicker. But after that is when I will just pull into a parking spot to reference the in D idle/vacuum/A-F ratio when I am away from the garage.
If I need to make an adjustment, then I just put it into P and make my change. Then after I make the change, I put it back into D to see the results.

“I also run an idle solenoid so that I can set my in D idle rpms differently than my N/P idle rpms. I like to keep my N/P idle rpms lower than my in D idle rpms”

What is an idle solenoid? When I drop into gear and it’s under load I always drop RPM’s. This is fundamentally why I started this thread. You seem to be able to avoid this and I want to understand how….

 

[YO7_A66]

“I also run an idle solenoid so that I can set my in D idle rpms differently than my N/P idle rpms. I like to keep my N/P idle rpms lower than my in D idle rpms”

What is an idle solenoid? When I drop into gear and it’s under load I always drop RPM’s. This is fundamentally why I started this thread. You seem to be able to avoid this and I want to understand how….

The one that I use is the Holley Idle Solenoid #46-74, and the bracket #20-9. Here are a couple of reference pictures.
When it is extended, then you can adjust the head head tip to achieve your higher idle rpms. When it is retracted, then you rely on your carb idle screw for the idle rpms.

 

[TT5.9mag]

“I also run an idle solenoid so that I can set my in D idle rpms differently than my N/P idle rpms. I like to keep my N/P idle rpms lower than my in D idle rpms”

What is an idle solenoid? When I drop into gear and it’s under load I always drop RPM’s. This is fundamentally why I started this thread. You seem to be able to avoid this and I want to understand how….

Modern efi adds timing when in gear. My truck specifically adds 10 degrees from 20 to 30 going from neutral/park to drive. Idle speed doesn’t change at all.

 

[TT5.9mag]

“I also run an idle solenoid so that I can set my in D idle rpms differently than my N/P idle rpms. I like to keep my N/P idle rpms lower than my in D idle rpms”

What is an idle solenoid? When I drop into gear and it’s under load I always drop RPM’s. This is fundamentally why I started this thread. You seem to be able to avoid this and I want to understand how….

Lotta carbureted cars in the 80s and 90s used throttle solenoids for rpm control when the AC was turned on.

Standard Motor Products ES9 Standard Motor Carburetor Idle Stop Solenoids | Summit Racing

 

[ESP47]

How much time do you spend at stop lights and such? And how much of that time does the engine spend in park and neutral?

You want to tune the carb WITH LOAD ON IT not when there is less load on the engine.

It makes ZERO sense for the guys running leaky slush boxes.

It makes no difference. If you tune your car to idle at 650rpm in gear and then you put it in neutral and you're at 750rpm and I tune my car at 750rpm in neutral and put it in gear and it reads 650rpm, we just arrived at the exact same spot except my car had zero chance of rolling over me or into a wall.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

It makes no difference. If you tune your car to idle at 650rpm in gear and then you put it in neutral and you're at 750rpm and I tune my car at 750rpm in neutral and put it in gear and it reads 650rpm, we just arrived at the exact same spot except my car had zero chance of rolling over me or into a wall.

Ok. It does make a difference but if it doesn’t for you carry on.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

“I also run an idle solenoid so that I can set my in D idle rpms differently than my N/P idle rpms. I like to keep my N/P idle rpms lower than my in D idle rpms”

What is an idle solenoid? When I drop into gear and it’s under load I always drop RPM’s. This is fundamentally why I started this thread. You seem to be able to avoid this and I want to understand how….

A big rpm drop from neutral or park to in gear is 95% of the time your distributor curve.

The other 5% is the converter is tight.

 

[340inabbody]

A big rpm drop from neutral or park to in gear is 95% of the time your distributor curve.

The other 5% is the converter is tight.

That’s what I was thinking as well. The solenoid appears to prevent that “dump” into drive.

How does the solenoid work (what triggers it)? How does it know when you shift from P to D? Are many people using this? Tuning seems more elegant than adding a solenoid however..

 

[barbee6043]

^^^^^All reasons the wife tells me I am NO mechanic!!!! You'd think be 76 years I would be at least a little.

But....OK, so I have always done the AT idle adjustment in neutral.

 

[340inabbody]

^^^^^All reasons the wife tells me I am NO mechanic!!!! You'd think be 76 years I would be at least a little.

But....OK, so I have always done the AT idle adjustment in neutral.

Thats why I don’t ask the wife for help unless absolutely necessary lol…….

 

[Newbomb Turk]

Thats why I don’t ask the wife for help unless absolutely necessary lol…….

Me either. Getting my wife to help me
in the shop is like poking a pine cone up a bobcats *** in a phone booth.

It’s just not worth the battle most times. But every now and then I get her out there just to irritate her.

If she didn’t want to work in the shop she should have married a nerd.