1970 Buick Skylark part II

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

heat the cast iron to 700 degrees, then mig it.... better yet, mig it with stainless wire (nickel keeps the weld from cracking)

no smog - this is a 71 motor, the 70 heads are different yet.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

I learned something new and so I resurrected this thread to share.

I found the problem with the car's rough idle - stuck needle valve.... yeah, I know, not new by any stretch. Story is not yet finished..... so I put the original carb back on while I wait for parts to rebuild the holley.... never ran this carb.... it's a 750 Edelbrock carb.... put it on, idles fine... won't rev.... weird, it will rev a bit, but it takes forever to get rpms. I grab my trusty laser temp sensor..... passenger side ~937 degrees... good... driver's side `169 degrees.... hmmmm

idles fine. so I start looking and driver's side isn't getting fuel through venturis..... no problem, put car in shop wait for parts..... friend suggests that I remove the idle adjustment screw and blow a bit of compressed air through carb... I do.... now car won't start at all... no fuel.... see, fixed!!!! how is it I can get screwed up needle valves on both carbs??!!! I amaze even myself with this one.

still waiting on parts for holley.... perhaps should have added a rebuild kit for an Edelbrock to that order?

someone remind me.... why do I do this stuff?

[BBR]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

someone remind me.... why do I do this stuff?

It feeds our need for automotive sadism....

[DanStokes]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

It's like slamming your hand in a car door - repeatedly. It feels SO GOOD when you stop.

Dan

[Scott Liggett]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

I learned something new and so I resurrected this thread to share.

I found the problem with the car's rough idle - stuck needle valve.... yeah, I know, not new by any stretch. Story is not yet finished..... so I put the original carb back on while I wait for parts to rebuild the holley.... never ran this carb.... it's a 750 Edelbrock carb.... put it on, idles fine... won't rev.... weird, it will rev a bit, but it takes forever to get rpms. I grab my trusty laser temp sensor..... passenger side ~937 degrees... good... driver's side `169 degrees.... hmmmm

idles fine. so I start looking and driver's side isn't getting fuel through venturis..... no problem, put car in shop wait for parts..... friend suggests that I remove the idle adjustment screw and blow a bit of compressed air through carb... I do.... now car won't start at all... no fuel.... see, fixed!!!! how is it I can get screwed up needle valves on both carbs??!!! I amaze even myself with this one.

still waiting on parts for holley.... perhaps should have added a rebuild kit for an Edelbrock to that order?

someone remind me.... why do I do this stuff?

Thas a common problem on Edelbrocks. Someone probably ran it without a filter in front of it. The lint and dirt will build up and clog the drivers side needle,seat. Biut, you have to take it apart to clean it. Blow out all the tiny holes you can find with carb and put it back together. You probably wont even need a kit. Just remove the metering rods from the lid before you put back on, or you might bend them.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

I have two complete AirResearch fuel injection systems - there is a part of me (the doorslamming part I'm sure) that is considering putting that on there .....

[Ferrari812]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

I have two complete AirResearch fuel injection systems - there is a part of me (the doorslamming part I'm sure) that is considering putting that on there .....

That's a GREAT idea! And I think Randall will approve.... ;)

[milner351]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

I love the idea of EFI - but I've never done one - Randal's posts have been educational - and frightening at the same time. :o

I'm perhaps too young to be old school but I can rebuild a carb in an hour - putting EFI on something will take many many hours, and it contains a certain amount of voodoo magic and computers -- both sources of frustration in my daily life.

I like things I can SEE --- carbs and distributors will tell you what they need if you look hard enough - electrons? not so much. ;D

Clean that edelbrock as Scott suggested - they're much less temperamental than a holley - once it's clean - you may not want to put the holley back on.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

I just want to take the opportunity to say "I LOVE THE EFI CONVERSION ON MY SKYLARK" It fires right up and runs consistently every time. Drove it last night and had a smile on my face, just like everytime I drive it.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

There's a caveat to mine..... it's old, like 90s old - it's been checked out, but it's still old tech ....

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

It runs (again).... I did forget to update one other bit before on the heads.... there are 6 mother-loving exhaust holes in the head.... bright side, with the nickel content of the heads those holes mig up nicely (without removing the intake).

as for EFI - I've kind of saved it for the studebaker... but who knows? I think it's too small for the buick and to old to be terribly efficient.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

6 holes?

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

6 holes?

yep.... two in the 3/4" range and 4 roughly 5/16ths.... they do weld up easily

[milner351]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

YAHOO!

Welding iron - that takes some skill - and preheating.

Only success I've had to date with iron is a cracked manifold on an escort - I started up the engine to warm up the manifold, ground it clean and did some welding (crank was 2-3" long) started it up again to warm it up - welded some more. Then let it cool slowly.

It's still holding last I checked - I sold the car about a year later - a friend drove it for a year or so - and just recenly sold it.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II

In this case I was only creating a plug, not a structural member... so it was easy and no need to preheat.... however, nickel is your friend when welding iron..... easiest way to get nickel in the weld - use 304 SS welding rod as filler.