starting a slant six for the first time in 15yrs ???

[jollykreiger]

So the car is a 1972 dart swinger special, that I used to ride around in when I was a kid. My father gave it to me a while back and Im finally getting around to getting it on the road. Problem is some of the the parts were stolen so im starting from scratch.

So getting points cap rotor and wire (luckly not plugs stolen) replaced, and the carb put on im trying to get it going.

So the setup as of now is a little "special", so bear with me.

Right now there is no heater core so the cooling system has no water in it not that it maters there is no alternator either so the water-pump isn't going either (same belt).

It has all new Ignition (points, cap, rotor, wires, plugs, coil) the points are set to .020 gap. As of right now the positive side of the coil has a 14ga hot wire straight to the battery for the best spark. (not worried about burning up the point just yet)

The carb is a Holley 2280 from a 318 I think. Its been a while since I pulled it. With all the vacuum ports plugged except the dizzy port.

The gas tank is for now my 6 gal boat tank with straight gas not oil mix, and a see through fuel filter.

There is no crankcase breathers hooked up to the carb yet.

The Problems

So I can get it to fire up and make noise just fine, but I cant quite get the idle to settle down without dying. I tried to set the dist to 10 deg but I need re plunge it a tooth over. One thing I did notice is that I could not get it to rev up without way more advance on the dist. I dont know whats going on there.
It did sit around for probably 10 years with now cap, rotor, points. So the weights are kinda rusty (cleaned it up before I installed the points)

Also whenever I try and open the throttle it bogs and I have to pump it to keep it running or rev it.

Another thing is if there is no suction on the crankcase will it smoke a little to moderately out the valve cover?

And the last question is do the slant's rattle when they rev up (Ive never worked with solid lifters) I know I have oil being pumped to the rockers (I can see it through the oil fill cap hole (that was stolen too))
or will fresh oil help that too?
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[67Dart273]

......... 1972 dart swinger

So I can get it to fire up and make noise just fine, but I cant quite get the idle to settle down without dying.
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Most likely you left a vacuum hose loose (off) or the carb is gummed up and needs to be cleaned

I tried to set the dist to 10 deg but I need re plunge it a tooth over. One thing I did notice is that I could not get it to rev up without way more advance on the dist.

Not sure why you are messing with timing. If it was running then, it should run now. Just gapping the points a tad wide will advance the timing a bit. To do a "quick check" spring the rotor against the advance mechanism (cw) --it should spring right back. If not it's rusted up

If you can't get enough "swing" to time it, there's the adjustment slot at the engine, and a second one up under the distributor, like this:
http://imageshack.us/a/img585/623/ilq2.jpg

..

Another thing is if there is no suction on the crankcase will it smoke a little to moderately out the valve cover?

And the last question is do the slant's rattle when they rev up
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I would say crankcase smoke is normal for now. "Rattle." They do make lifter noise. Properly adjusted (mechanical) tappets should have a smooth "buzz" sort of sound. One, two, or more "clanking" means out of adjustment. I would CHECK THEM regardless. Engine hot, .010" intake, .020 exhaust. "Some people" insist you set them running. I never have. I use the "EOIC" method which works on any poppet valve 4 stroke. It means.......

Rotate the engine until the EXHAUST just starts to OPEN and set the intake for that cylinder

Rotate the engine until the INTAKE has opened and is nearly CLOSED and set the exhaust for that cylinder.


If you get it warm, determine that it "hits" on all six, run a compression / leakdown test and determine that it's worth running, I would waste no time changing the oil.

Don't run it long without a ballast resistor. You'l burn up the points or coil, one or the other. This car should have a simple 2 terminal ballast resistor on the firewall, and you should be able to connect one end of that so that you'll have the proper ballast in place

The fact that there's no "water" or coolant is a little troubling. Is there evidence it's been drained, or a hose rotted out? It might be that someone parked it with WATER and that it froze and broke the block. I assume the oil looks "black"? No sign of water / coolant?

 

[jollykreiger]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jollykreiger
I tried to set the dist to 10 deg but I need re plunge it a tooth over. One thing I did notice is that I could not get it to rev up without way more advance on the dist.

Not sure why you are messing with timing. If it was running then, it should run now. Just gapping the points a tad wide will advance the timing a bit. To do a "quick check" spring the rotor against the advance mechanism (cw) --it should spring right back. If not it's rusted up

For a while before I posted this I was having trouble getting a decent spark... Even with all new wires and cleaning everything. The only thing I could think of was that the contact between the dizzy and block were bad. (never heard of it happening before but points are only so complicated) So I pulled it cleaned the mating surfaces and now have an amazing spark. I was pretty sure I got it back in the same place but I guess I missed a tooth or when my dad put it in years ago he was off (it was at the edge of the notch on the block anyway when I pulled it and my dad barely knows what a timing light is let alone how to use it)

As far as the water goes someone stole the heater core and all the "water" drained out as a result, and over the years of sitting I think it evaporated. It always had the hood closed whenever I saw it so I'm not too concerned with rain water getting in there.

And yes I do need to reinstall the ballast as that went the way of the rest of the missing stuff
Or what I was actually hoping was to make sure she ran fine and upgrade to the orange box

 

[jollykreiger]

ok. so I tore the carb apart. no rebuild kit or anything just shop towels and carb cleaner. It was a little dirty so I cleaned it up and reinstalled it. One thing I did notice was the (what I think) idle jets at the very bottom front of the carb have no adjuster on them. they look almost pressed in??? Is that normal for the holley 2280?

Anyways I put it back on and she ran halfway decent for being hogepoged together.

But having no experience with the slant 225/198 (all I know is its the taller deck height) Are they cold blooded engines??

It ran like a cold blooded sob but I couldnt run it long enough to warm up (no water yet)

 

[BillGrissom]

Poor cold running is usually the choke adjustment and the choke pull-off not working or set right. You want the choke solidly closed when hot, but the pull-off should pop it open slightly as soon as it starts (so it doesn't run rich). See the manual. Nothing special about how a slant runs, same controls as any other engine of that era.