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, Mon, 5 Jan 2004 10:35:38
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"I was wondering if there was a replacement for the air intake cones" -- you mean the air filter elements that go on the ends of the snorkels? You can get these at NAPA. I'd have to go out in the garage to get the part # and it's too cold and too late at night to do that, but if you take in one of the old ones they should be able to match it up. If that's NOT what you mean by 'cones' then what DO you mean?
"also my car has been idling low and seems like there is a loss of pressure. Is there certain places i need to be looking for holes? or what more would cause it to just whimp out?" -- Well, if you've got a vacuum leak that would definitely cause it to whimp out. Good clue that you have a leak is if the idle doesn't change when you twiddle the idle mixture screw, which sticks out the base of the FoMoCo carb. (Idle speed screw is farther up the carb where it can press on the throttle linkage. Watch the part on the carb that moves when you pull the throttle crank and look for a screw that blocks it from going back all the way. That's the idle speed screw.)
If you have a leak, where to look? ANYWHERE there's vacuum: gaskets around base of carb and intermediate plate, line running to distributor, carb body etc. People tell me the FooMooCow has a tendency to wear around the throttle shaft spindles and this can let in extra air. One trick to try for tracking down leaks around the carb: spray the suspected area with carb cleaner while the engine is running, and see if the idle changes. You can also listen for them, but if you've got no muffler and holes in the exhaust, you might not be able to hear anything else!
If no vacuum leaks then you need to start checking other stuff: Is the fuel line clear and filter not clogged? Is the ignition timing correct and wires/cables/plugs in good shape? Is the carb in good shape, or dirty and in need of a rebuild/replacement? Very tedious to go through all this stuff, I know, but ignition problems can easily masquerade as carb problems and vice-versa, so you have to go through a process of elimination.
BTW, easy/cheap power increases for a V4 are: (1) good tuneup so the stock engine is performing as well as it can; this makes a big difference! (2) Replace points with PerTronix Ignitor module (doesn't increase power but keeps timing constant so you don't have to dink with it as much.) (3) Y-type extractor exhaust such as the MSS system PLUS a 2-barrel manifold and progressive 2-barrel carb such as Weber 32/36 (carb and exhaust work together to improve engine breathing; you'll get some benefit out of either one separately, but not as much.) All this will probably set you back in the range of $500-800 depending on what you have to pay for the manifold and carb, but you won't have to pull the engine or do any major disassembly, and the car will feel noticeably livelier.
You can go a LOT farther than that with head porting, different cam, lightened flywheel, more drastic carb, etc., but it all runs into serious effort and money. Still, I personally feel that if you're truly power-hungry, this is a better approach than trying to swap in an alien engine, which would be difficult to fit because of the V4's very short packaging dimensions, and might put out too much power for the relatively fragile stock transaxle.
And at some point you have to ask yourself how much power you really want in a tiny 1900-lb car that rolls on skinny 165 tires, and is really a lot of fun to drive even with the stock power levels (when it's running well.) In fact, one of the things I like about my Sonett is that I can thrash it around town, ripping through the gears and blipping every downshift and generally feeling like I'm cutting a hot lap at Monaco, but when I go by policemen they just smile indulgently because I'm still 'way under the speed limit!
posted by 68.13.13...
, Mon, 5 Jan 2004 10:35:38, Thu, 8 Jan 2004 01:18:52, Mon, 5 Jan 2004 20:22:13
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