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Tuning Woes

To: mgs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Tuning Woes
From: Glenn Schnittke <schnittke@mindspring.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 19:51:20 -0500
Well, I finally got the HS4's back on the primrose. But I can't tell what
the difference between old beat-up carbs and freshly rebuilt, shiny, with
new everything carbs is, because I can't seem to get the damn car back in tune.

Along with the carbs I also installed that 1 7/8" stainless exhaust. I
needed a new system; the old one was dented in about half and rusted
through. It fit the primrose better than the maroon - bolted right up, and
no fitting involved. All this, of course with new filters, vacuum check,
valve adjustment, plugs, oil, timing, everything.

So when I finally get around to starting the car up I finally found a nice
smooth even idle at about 1k rpm and took it out for a drive. As soon as I
get out the drive I got nothing. Sputter. No power. Yeah, it'll run, but it
limped up to the corner. Limped back to the drive and started playing with
it again. More test drives and still the same thing.

I finally got out the Colortune and checked it, found it was running rich on
both sides, so I dialed it back about three flats into the blue, and pulled
the idle back down to 1k. Set the timing with the light at spec (14 BTDC)
and started out the drive and turned right back in. Less power. Finally I
was able to get the thing to at least accelerate and drive smooth enough to
go get gas, nudging the timing or mixture every couple of blocks, but for
the life of me could not get it to run smooth.

The question that comes to mind is; What is the effect of opening up the
exhaust pipe diameter on an otherwise standard high compression 18G engine?
That is the only non-stock item in the mix. 1 7/8" pipe with a single rear
free-flow silencer. I can't imagine that one item trashing the entire
system, but that's the only thing different from before. Is it back-pressure
I'm staring at?

If there's anything I've missed, I'm stumped what it is.

Glenn 

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No one in Tuna knows what I do for a living. 
Why should they care what I say?

Glenn Schnittke                    Recovering Musician
Nashville TN                       615-385-2800
schnittke@mindspring.com         

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