Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

[milner351]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

We've got some great writers on this site!
Great to hear it!

Did you do much to the edel 600 or just bolt it on and go?

Great great day in the life of a car junkie!

[cantvalve16]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

John, I just roughly set the timing and idle screws with a vacuum gauge. Seems to be rockin'.

I do have a problem with the distributor, though. It's an Accel Street Billet I found NIB on Ebay. The rotor wasn't tightened down all the way so when I fired it up, I think the rotor rocked back and forth. I think the metal tang must have hung up on contact on the cap. It broke the tang loose and broke a couple plastic tabs surrounding it. This would move the initial timing from 12 advanced to about 15 retarded. Car would run terrible after a couple of revs to 3k or so. There were also a couple of plastic plugs installed in the plate the rotor screws to. Those plugs were hitting on the electronic parts below and cutting them as a bit on a lathe would. So, I removed them. I think they were for shipping purposes. Thoughts?

Sat down with my wife yesterday and told her I am selling the car. The housing market is great right now and money from the sale of the car should put us in firing range of a housing purchase. Offers? LOL

[horsewidower]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

Ha, Mr. Hyde will have to ride another day. Nicely done.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

Be glad you have a small car with the dist in front.

[cantvalve16]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

Always hated that about Chevys. Dist. in the back? Why would you do that? Guess every brand has their drawbacks, right?

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

Always hated that about Chevys. Dist. in the back? Why would you do that? Guess every brand has their drawbacks, right?

reason #12 of why I don't own a Ford - I had a Landcruiser with a 302 in it..... I kept a screwdriver, wd 40 and a rag in the glove box.... why? because everytime I drove through fog or wetter I'd be out drying that&&^%&^%^%%%$$$!!!!!! distributor....

[milner351]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

we almost worked out a deal before you got it running - now you do, and the ranger runs, and it's still just a raper for a powertrain, but - I can't take on another project as much as I love these falcon based rancheros.

I hate to see it go - but I can't think of a better reason to sell it. Housing is a great deal these days if you can swing it.

Remember - you're buying a garage that happens to have a house close by! ;D

[cantvalve16]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

Haha! I tend to look for the more eccentric houses in our price range. They always seem to have the coolest garage setups. I understand the too many projects thing. Maybe I can change you mind once I get a little driving footage. Hehe.

Just got a few more little things to do before this thing is road testable. Tighten this, adjust that. Think I may be able to drive it to work in the next couple weeks. I'm stoked.

[milner351]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

you owe yourself at least that much - to drive and enjoy it until you find the right situation to sell.

Good luck in the housing search - BE PICKY! Buyers are in the driver's seat these days.

[cantvalve16]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

Seems to me that project cars are a sum of small victories. I have only had a scant few hours a week to work on the car that usually all fall on a Saturday. So, the progress has been slow. Our good computer had a hardware malfunction, so that is why I come without pics. You'll just have to trust me. There HAS been progress.

I've driven the car a couple times. The last time left me stranded around the corner from my place. Good thing a couple buddies helped me push it home. After some trouble shooting, I was pretty sure there was some trash stuck in the carb causing it to flood and stall. Having never done a successful carb rebuild, I pulled off the Edelbrock and took it apart hoping for the best. My suspicions were confirmed halfway through the rebuild when I found one of the float needles stuck open in it's bore and one of the screen for it filled with trash. I blame the fact that I (stupidly) left the carb sitting on the shelf uncovered while I was doing all the body work on the car.
I'm pretty sure the carb had never been apart. When reassembling the carb, I was very careful to be very clean and very exacting with the specs listed in the instructions. This factory built carb had:

-both floats way out of spec requiring adjustment on both
-the secondary connecting rod opening way too early
-accelerator pump out of adjustment

Moral of the story is that I am going to bed in a few minutes with a smile on my face. I rebuilt a carb successfully for the first time and the car starts and runs better than ever! This is one of those rewarding project moments and I'm just soaking it all in baby! Usually by now, I would have just bought a new carb.

Now, I just have a few more tasks to complete to make the car driveable. Like working lights. Hoping to have it ready to drive to the March Meets.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

congrats on the 1st carb rebuild

[cantvalve16]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

Well, it's not technically my first. My first way a worn out Autolite 2100. But I was an impatient teenager and it turned out no better than before. So, I saved my pennies and swapped on a 4V. ;D This is my first successful rebuild.

Can't wait to see how it drives.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

as my mechanical abilities (or lack thereof) are not a secret, this isn't saying much but it took me 6 rebuilds of a quadrapuke before I got the needle valve to seat.... thus, it is real admiration that promoted my statement.

[milner351]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

welcome to the black magic club of carb rebuilders, I told you it wasn't that hard!

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Cantvalve16's '64 Ranchero

Seems to me that project cars are a sum of small victories.

I think that applies to life in general.

Good to hear you've made some headway.