Off season Aspen projects have begun

[Aspen500]

You are correct. As with many things, in the long run it costs less to spend more to begin with.

Tracking shows the carb should be waiting by the door when I get home Thursday. Like Christmas in April, lol.

 

[Aspen500]

New carb was waiting when I pulled in the driveway this evening. I forgot that a 4150 style double pumper has the fuel inlets an inch farther apart than a 4160 style carb so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,correct fuel inlet line is on it's way. Will need to modify the throttle/ kick down cable bracket a bit also. It almost fits but not quite. A little trimming and tweaking, and it should work just fine. At least that's the theory I'm working from right now.

Looks good sitting on the intake though.

 

[Aspen500]

Got the throttle bracket modified to fit the new carb. Then found the bracket I had made that goes to the right rear carb stud to stablilize the throttle bracket didn't fit. The secondary pump arm hits it so,,,,,,,,,,,,,modified that piece also. At the same time I broke out the Eastwood gold cad kit I've had for eons (and all 3 cans are still good!) and used that. Previously, like in the photo, it was painted Detail Silver or Aluma-Blast or some such color. It obviously isn't real gold cad but as long as you don't look too close, it's a reasonable substitute. Same stuff that's on the wiper motor.

Waiting on the fuel feed line and thick base gasket (carb came with a paper thin gasket, no heat isolation) and then we'll be set, provided if it ever stops raining anyways. Parts should be here Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

[Aspen500]

When I got the new fuel feed line, found that because on the new carb the fuel inlets are lower the fuel line hit the intake. Stacked a pair of 1/4" base gaskets as a check. Ordered a 1/2" phenolic spacer and waited,,,,,again. Carb bolted on and hooked up but then the air cleaner hit the hood. Pulled the 1/2" air cleaner spacer out and that solved the hood problem with about 1/4" clearance. Except the air filter base sits on top of the float adjusting screws and won't seat fully. Stacking 2 air horn gaskets was the ticket. Also had to make the fuel feed line another 3/4" longer to reach the inlet line. Made a new piece between the filter and carb. p.s. getting braided hose into the hose end without an assembly tool will test your patience, lol.

So,,,,,,,,at long last I fired it up this evening. The float levels are a bit high and I'll need to adjust the idle air screws yet BUT, first impression is HOLY you know what! INSTANT throttle response. Can't believe how quick the engine revs up. The old carb was never even close to the way this one is. When driving back into the garage, I hit the gas same as I always did before and the car just about leaped. Took me by surprise. Too beat to mess with it tonight anymore but already I'm thinking all the problems getting it actually on the engine so everything cleared, and the price tag, are going to be a fading memory real fast. Next step, after adjustments, shakedown run! Hopefully this weekend, weather permitting that is.

 

[Aspen500]

Oh, forgot. No photo's it didn't happen.

 

[Aspen500]

Best laid plans...............Today that plan was get the floats and idle screws set and go for a little trip up the road and back then get on some yard work. Something that starts with the letter "r" has put a damper on those plans for the time being. It's the weekend so of COURSE it has to rain.

 

[Aspen500]

This morning I got the float levels adjusted on the new 850 and did a preliminary "by ear" idle screw tweak. Will need to fine tune with a vacuum gauge and tach hooked up, along with the A/F reading. Took it for a short ride and according to the A/F gauge, it looks like the main jetting is pretty darn close and I shouldn't need to mess with it. Excellent throttle response with zero hesitation on tip-in and nice driveability.
Tromped on the throttle at about 35 mph in 2nd gear and ended up with tire smoke (oops). With the old carb, same scenario would just barely grease the tires. So far, it looks like this 850 double pumper is what the engine needed right from the get-go. Time will tell once I can drive it a bit more but, I think it'll be just fine.

 

[Aspen500]

All dialed in now, in theory. Had everything working good except the choke. Way too rich for the 1st minute or so after a cold start. Same symptom as a bad choke pull off diaphragm, if it had one that is. Adjusted the choke cap a couple notches clockwise to decrease spring tension, so the plate will open farther right away before the choke coil heats up. So far, seems to be OK. May go a hair leaner yet but time will tell.

 

[Oldiron440]

What are the venture bore and throttle blade sizes?

 

[Aspen500]

No idea. I'll try to check this evening for you

 

[Aspen500]

OK, as promised. The carb has a 1.75" throttle bore and 1.570" venturi bore

 

[Aspen500]

After screwing around trying to get the choke to work right, gave up for now and am going with no choke. On cold start, the engine would load up bad, sputter, black smoke for the 1st minute or so,,,,,,well you know. Like a carb with a bad choke pull off. Since it has no pull off, not sure what to do. Tried setting the cap leaner but all that did was make it open way too soon. Turned the cap until the plate is wide open all the time for now. No choke, not a big deal. Searching around, I see others have had the same thing but didn't see where anybody came up with a solution. It's not so bad without a choke, just takes a little more right foot action until it warms up a bit.
Going to be beautiful tomorrow (sunny, 79, no humidity, NO RAIN) so looks like the Aspen is coming to work with me. It's been way too long.

 

[XfbodyX]

On your brawler from the box its set to fully close, behind your "lean" adjuster is the stepped initial setting and you can see the adjusting screw in these pics and the stepped adjustment.

Now im sure as it is when could one pump and the choke flap is fully shut, adjust accordingly. I adjust starting on the more open "lean" setting then you can get it right in one or two cold starts vs running rich, fouling plugs and only having one chance per cold start.

 

[XfbodyX]

Here is the choke flap with it hitting the different initial settings depending on how you set that screw.

Here are some of the initial open pump set choke cold settings on the different steps.

Then fine tune with your outer adjustment.

 

[Aspen500]

Thank you very much! I'll try the adjustments. The info that came with the carb is, well,,,,,,,,,sparse. I didn't have any trouble starting it this morning, 3 times before getting out of the garage but a choke makes things much nicer. Otherwise, it ran flawlessly all the way to work 15 miles away.

 

[XfbodyX]

You should be able to get it that way without much issue, ITs a bit tricky to set a choke in warmer weather though, it dont need much and it dont need it long.

If its starting good without the choke at all it might be a little rich initially, are you sure your floats are not a hair high?

But overall not super hard to set. You do have proper power to your lil ele adjusting coil right?

 

[XfbodyX]

Its great you got to drive it today.

 

[Aspen500]

I checked the float level again the other day and they're both even with the arrows at the sight glasses. The choke wire is hooked to the dark blue key on power circuit so it has full battery voltage. You're right on a day like today. When I went out to come home, we closed at noon today(!), gave it half a pump and it fired right up but it's 80 degrees out.

I had been thinking if there was a way to keep the plate from closing all the way, but still enough to start and have a semi-fast idle at first, yet not have the choke wide open in 15 seconds by having the cap turned too far lean.

I noticed on the way home with the A/C cranked, there wasn't even the slightest hint of spark knock on any hill, shallow or very steep. Even after going one range colder on the plugs, there was still a SLIGHT ping up steep hills. May try another degree or two of timing and see what happens. Wondering if the old carb was just to darn lean in some situations. Guess it can't hurt to try it. If it works, great. If not, set it back where it is now. One other thing also. The engine doesn't get as hot as it did (according to the stock gauge), even up that long mega steep hill I go up to and from work. It used to creep up to 3/4 scale or even a bit more in similar conditions. Today, only went just a hair past 1/2. Lean mixture will cause an engine to run hotter. Have I mentioned I love this new carb?

 

[Aspen500]

Been awhile but I got the choke on the Brawler to work fairly good. A little cold blooded but it doesn't load up anymore and it's good enough for me, and the cars intended use.

Going to order the new tires soon, and get rid of the BFG T/A's, which I was never happy with. Plus, the fronts are worn bad on the inner edge from before I put the TSB shims under the upper arm brackets. Much better without 2+ degrees negative camber and resulting 1" toe out which still can't believe I didn't notice sooner. Getting M/T Sportsman S/T, 255/60R15 rear, 235/60R15 front. (vs the 225/60R15 on the front now)

Also PLAN to finish the luggage compartment upholstery project this winter, at long last. Only started on it like 5 years ago, lol. One of those things that never occurs to me since I don't open the trunk lid very often.

Due to the crappy weather this past spring and summer (rain, rain, rain) and then my dad passing away in August, with everything that happens afterwards related to that, only put about 200 miles on this season. Pretty pathetic, ain't it? A couple weeks ago I did have it out briefly before parking it for winter and took a couple hundred miles off the rear tires. Kind of hoping the M/T's stick a little better and flooring it at 30 mph can be done without the tires going up in smoke.

Oh yeah, one other project. Fix the darn console lid lock so it doesn't spring open randomly, while at the same time being hard to get unlatched when you WANT the lid to open, lol.

Almost forgot. Additional projects include finding and fixing a rattle in the passenger door and,,,,,,,,,the annoying, constant, never ending buzz type rattle behind the instrument panel. Have a feeling it's something like a wire harness connector touching the plastic. It's one of those that make noise even when sitting still with the engine running, especially in gear. That also reminds me I need to tweak the exhaust a hair. Since adding the resonators upstream, the one t-pipe contacts the spring shackle when in reverse and the whole car resonates. It turned into a rattle trap this year

 

[Sub03]

It's the beauty (or sometimes pain) of our projects isn't it?
It is like bying and refurbishing an old house; you can never really say you're finished...