Mark Maras

Does the backfire out the carbs occur during acceleration or at cruising speed? Assuming you used the mixture (nozzle) screws to enrich the mixture, and they were pre-set at 2 1/2 turns down, how far down did you go with the nozzles?

The fact that the starting fluid affected the idle indicates your throttle shafts and or the carb bodies are probably worn and pulling air through the gaps. Before you decide that's the whole problem, describe the trouble you're having. Most SU problems are caused by the wrong float level (the primary mixture adjustment) or the airflow in the carbs not being balanced. There's a few more things that can cause trouble but those are normally caused by extreme wear or abuse. ZTherapy has a great DVD "Just SUs" that goes into SUs in detail.

I agree with the ignition switch being the cause of it shutting down when it switches from start to run however, that doesn't explain the high revs. High revs are usually caused by excessive air not excessive fuel. Example, one can't cause sky high revs by adding choke. I'm going to start with the obvious (Sorry Cap'n) Do you have both carb return springs connected. The ones that anchor to the heat shield? Vacuum leaks, while a possibility, usually affect low rpms. I've not seen vacuum leaks cause sky high revs.

It's time to test the mechanical pump for pressure (psi) and volume (gpm). The symptoms have the feel of a dying mechanical fuel pump. I remember a similar problem with my 71 back in the day.

Disassemble them and clean them thoroughly, I betting they'll be fine.

I looked at a few reviews on Eagle clutch cylinders. Some report failure in a short time. I believe we've heard about this problem across many brands usually caused by insufficient cleaning of the bore before assembly. If cost isn't part of the decision process, I'd go with the Beck-Arnley and I'd disassemble that one too.

Replacing the hose would be a good idea. If you don't you'll think about it for years.

Does Beck-Arnley offer that kit?

Gradually pull the choke on when it's stumbling. If it improves, the stumbling is from a lean mixture. Was the detonation a backfire out of the carbs? I'd also pull a spark plug to check the color.

Beck-Arnley had a good reputation for quality in the past. I'm going to assume their quality is still good. I'd go for it, but I'd disassemble both cylinders and clean the bores. Be sure to tell us if you find any swarf in them. Have you changed the valve seals yet?

Pull the rubber boots from the ends of the cylinders. If there's brake fluid inside the rubber boots, the cylinder is leaking. In the past I've found that if I only replaced the one leaking cylinder (slave or master), the other cylinder didn't last long and had to be replaced or repaired. Now I replace them both at the same time.

Hard chrome is frequently used on steel shafts, rollers, cylinders, etc. I doubt you'll see much wear, if any, on hard chromed butterfly shafts. In the past I've found oil lite bushings to be very durable as long as they are oiled regularly.

If it was mine, I'd get it running with the Webers for now. There's plenty of things to change after you've gone through your list.

They look like American Racing Vectors.

I may be one of the few that remembers good products from JCW. A loooong time ago I bought a complete wire harness and fuse block for a 1939 Chevrolet Pick-up. All wires, wire lengths and connectors were perfect. Just remembered, there was also a six-volt wiper motor that replaced the old vacuum mechanism.

4.5-9 psi seems way to high based on my experiences with OEM carbs. Am I to assume the newer aftermarket carbs can handle that much pressure?

It's also a good idea to check the clevis and clevis pin for wear.

I thought the towel bar was there to protect the front.

They used to be called towel racks.

If my memory is correct, the Buick top was from a Skylark. Question for those in the know? Did Nissan and Toyota share some body panels back around 1984? The reason I ask is, I parked my son's 84 Camry next to a Nissan ? of around the same year. I was amazed to see that both trunk lids appeared to be identical. I confirmed it by measuring both with a dollar bill..

I'm guessing why they changed the body style after one year has to do with shared sheet metal with other GM brands. My old friend's dad was a hot-rodder back in the sixties. He bought a 64 GTO that had been rolled. Everything was repairable with the exception of the top. He couldn't find a top for a 64 GTO but he did find that a 64 Buick top was identical except for some added chrome strips that came with the Buick top. It was a perfect fit.

There's no film on the rear glass that I'm aware of. There is a narrow protective coating on the defroster grid lines.

I removed the tint film from our Subaru. The film used on the rear, over the defroster, was much thinner than the tint film used on the side windows.

Every carb I've ever dealt with could take 3.5 psi. I'd let it idle for a while and check for signs of flooding before taking it on the road and check things under the hood a few times on the first trip. Always a good idea to pack a fire extinguisher too.

The float valves should be able to handle 3.6 psi. If they can't, there may be a problem with the needle or seat in the valves.