'66 Mustang Carburetion

I've owned a '66 Mustang for several years. I drive it every day in urban, stop & go traffic. Historically, a mechanic has handled all of the maintenance on this vehicle (even the simple stuff), due to time and automotive know-how constraints on my part. Since I have increased free time these days, and in the interest of lowering the ongoing costs of running this car and educating myself, I would like to start performing minor work on this car myself. I'm mainly referring to oil change and tune-up related items. I don't have much hands-on experience with the inner workings of car, but through experimentation, trial and error, I hope to learn.

Carburetor-related problems are the most frequent issue I confront, performance-wise. It requires attention every six months or so when the car becomes inoperable. I'm always throwing money at this issue. I would like to learn the ins and outs of installing, rebuilding and tweaking this component of my vehicle. Is there a book someone can refer where I would learn about this generation/variety/era of carburetor? For that matter, I'd also like a general do-it-yourself book or two on maintaining this car. In the five years I have owned this car, the carburetor has been replaced at least twice, with 2 or 3 rebuilds as well. It seems to me that this is gratuitous. I feel that if I better understand this equipment, I can improve on these outcomes. Perhaps the carburetors that have been going in are crap to begin with and I can take a huge step by making a better choice on equipment in the first place. What parts in a carburetor are being worn out (that require rebuilding) in its typical life cycle? Besides installing good parts to begin with, what other habits/choices can I engage in that might give me better results?

Reply to
SmarSquid
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There's definatly a problem there. Once properly installed and adjusted, the carb is almost maintenance free. It should last for many years of daily driving without being touched. So you have to ask why your mechanic thought it needed rebuilding every 6 months. Even a cheap stock rebuild from Autozone should last for years. Some thoughts might be that there's an excessive amount of dirt and FOD entering the float bowls, and clogging up the tiny passages in the carb. A quality aftermarket filter should prevent that. Another thought is Gasahol. Too much alcohol in the mix can eat some of the seals and gaskets - that's kind of a stretch, though.

If it's a daily driver, I would suggest swapping to a modern intake and carb combo. I prefer Edelbrock manifolds and Holley carbs. But the Edelbrock carb is well designed and quite popular, too. You might also consider swapping to an electronic ignition. I've been using a Pertronix kit in my '66 for a couple of years now. Electronic is more reliable, stronger, and maintenance free.

Reply to
boB

Get a hotter coil if you go to a pertronix, tho--the stock coil is a little weak for that application.

Reply to
vince garcia

Agreed, once a properly rebuilt or new carb is installed and adjusted/tuned properly there should be no need for any adjustment.

The Autolite 2100 (and even 4100) is probably _the_ most reliable carburetor out there. It's very simple, virtually leak-proof, and downright rugged and dependable. Much more reliable and hassle-free for a daily driver than any Holley or Edelbrock carb. It's a excellent carburetor and should function wonderfull on a daily driver. They give good mileage and performance. The only thing that can be a pain is getting the choke adjusted just right, but once you've got it just right, but even that isn't too big a deal. A more modern carb can certainly give better performance (must be properly tuned), but for simplicity and reliability nothing beats an Autolite 2100, and the Autolite 4100 is only slightly more complex definitely a great carb. They are probably the best choices for a stock(ish) Ford engine.

A new intake manifold will give better performance, but won't do anything for reliability. It's just a hunk of metal that funnels air+fuel into the cylinders. The Edelbrock Performer or the Weiland Stealth and great manifolds for daily drivers. Both make power in the range of a stockish engine, though I've heard the Weiland can make more power at higher RPM than the Edelbrock. Either one would be an excellent choice for a small block Ford in a daily driver. An Autolite 4100 would probably be the easiest and most reliable carb to use so long as the engine is stock. They are just so reliable and such a great design that they can't be beat for daily driver dependability and ease of use/maintenance.

Admittedly I run a Holley 600 CFM vacuum secondary carb on my 302, but I've thought about going to an Autolite 4100 for a few reasons. One being I like thermal heat tube chokes. Electric chokes suck, they will either stay on too long, come off to fast, or come on when not needed (engine still warm, but car has been off for a little bit), or come on way more than needed for the temperature outside and engine temp. Thermal chokes will open as eneded based on engine temperature. Also, an Autolite carb will give better mileage, definitely a plus for a daily driver. The Autolite 2100 and 4100 carbs were just such a great design it's hard to beat them for a daily driver. The only thing that might beat tehm is one worked over by Pony Carbs, as I've ehard good things about their rebuild process. Supposedly they do some work to the carbs to fix the few faults the Autolite carbs had. I can honestly say though, that I have never had a problem with my Autolite carbs. I can't say enough good things about them, so I'll just stop and leave it at what I've already said.

Installing a Pertronix Ignitor II in my '68 Galaxie is one of the best things I've done to it. After putting the new motor I built in the car at the end of March the poitns only lasted 2,500 miles or so before I noticed the car was running a little rough. I filed and re-gapped the points and it ran wonderfully again. No one but myself could tell the difference though, but I could. I got a Pertronix kit after that instead of replacing the points. I have not had to touch it in the 9,000 miles I've put on it since then. The car ran better and started faster than it ever has with points. This is with the stock coil (probably the original coil), though on my list is an Ignitor II coil to match the Ignitor II I put in the distributor. I figgure it would be a good idea.

Cory

Reply to
Cory Dunkle

"Cory Dunkle" wrote

for simplicity and reliability nothing beats an Autolite 2100, and the

An Autolite 4100 would probably be the easiest and

Smarsquid asks for titles of how-to books regarding "this generation" of carbs -- i.e., 1966-era carbs. This indicates he's talking about either the 2100 or 4100. Then he says he's been through THREE of these carbs (two replacements) and 2 or rebuilds. Cory replies that there is no more reliable carb than the 2100 or 4100. Amazing!

Smarsquid, get yourself a 4-bbl intake, if you don't already have one, and an Edelbrock 500 cfm electric choke Performer carb. Set the curb idle, the fast idle, and close the hood. Carburetor issues are now a thing of the past.

Be sure to carry some points and a wiring diagram to remind you how to reverse the wiring to go back to points, for the day the Ignitor II craps out. In a recent thread in the Vintage Mustang Forum, three of six posters stated that their Ignitor II's had failed. Two had lost two of them, and one had lost one (that was ME). That's fairly typical of the response, whenever the Ignitor II comes up. The 1st gen Ignitor gets mostly favorable comments, although they have been known to fail too.

180 Out TS 28
Reply to
180 Out

I pretty much agree with everything Cory says about the Autolite 2100 and

4100 carb. They are very good, reliable units that don't suffer from throttle shaft wear like the GM Q-jets. Rebuilt carbs used to be a real nightmare. The mass rebuild shops strip a bunch of carb cores at the same time, put all the parts in a cleaning solution and then assemble them with the very cheapest parts available. This gets them done fast but not necessarily correct. The problem with this is while all the parts are supposed to be the same, small differences in booster venturis, jets and linkage can make the carb run like crap. The most desirable carb would be an un-touched core that came off a running engine. When the car it came off of was new, it ran correctly or the customer took the car back to the dealer until it did. If you can get one, have it rebuilt by a shop that uses a quality kit. (I used to use Autolite kits). If you are having to have carb work done every 6 months, I would look around for someone else to work on your car. There is absolutely no reason this should happen.

Another thing to look at is the heat crossover passage under the intake. If this is plugged with carbon, the carb will never reach operating temperature. I have seen a few small block Fords with this problem. As far as ignition goes, I prefer MSD. Only enough amperage across the points to keep them clean. LOTS of secondary voltage. Good Luck Bill

Reply to
Me

Entering into the unknown, V'ger seeks information used to maintain his Vintage Burgundy 1965 Ford Mustang 2+2 w/289 ci 4v oem A Code V8, C4 Trans, 16x8" Vintage 40 wheels, with BF Goodrich gForce T/A 225/50ZR16 tires, American Racing "Mustang" Centercaps, and a whole lot of other stuff; )

Reply to
D. Willson

While I prefer the Q-Jet for street driving, it really doesn't matter what carb. is used. Proper filtration of air and fuel is needed to keep the carb. performing as designed.

Another problem can be an uneven carb. pad on the intake manifold putting stress on the baseplate. Completely clean the pad and check with a straight edge in N-S, E-W, NW-SE and NE-SW.

bradtx

Reply to
B2723m

My 64 1/2 autolite 4 barrel non high performance gets leaks in the rubber of the accelerator pump and the diaphram that opens the secondary.

G
Reply to
Gene Wagenbreth

Whether an Autolite 2100 or 4100 performs and is reliable depends on how well it was rebuilt. As far as I know they don't make new ones. I've enver had trouble with the handful of those carbs I've owned and rebuilt. They are pretty much set and forget. I've worked on dozens of cars with Autolite

2100s and they are a pleasure to work with, and downright dependable. The OP has had bad luck with whomever has been rebuilding his.

I have a set of points and condensor in the trunk. I am pretty much prepared for the apocalypse. I have everything I could ever need. Except a radiator for when those pesky deers strike at 55 MPH. That sucked, but other than that I'm ready for anything.

Reply to
Cory Dunkle

"180 Out" wrote

I had an Ignitor II on my 302 and it crapped out in less than 2 months. Just suddenly stopped working. I have a friend who used to be a Pertronix distributor locally and he said that of the hundreds of I II's he sold, EVERY SINGLE ONE has been returned. He no longer sells any Pertronix at all.

Crane has an electronic ignition swap that I'm considering for about the same money. It has a built in rev limiter too.

Reply to
66 6F HCS

Is that rubber 40+ years old? Rubber parts deteriorate over time. If the gaskets and diaphragm are fresh but of a type not compatible with the alcohol/ethanol blend of gas used in many areas that will rapidly deteriorate the seals and cause leaks.

Cory

Reply to
Cory Dunkle

Crane has an electronic ignition swap that I'm considering for about the

I installed the Crane unit in the 260 in my Sunbeam Tiger. It works and has not given any trouble in the two years it has been installed. HOWEVER, I hesitate to give it a good recommendation. Here's why.

The crane unit requires that you replace the breaker plate in the dist. with a piece included in the kit. This plate pivots on a plastic bushing included in the kit. The clearances between the bushing and the plate were so sloppy that there was no way the plate would pivot and advace timing smoothly. The clearances were greater than 0.015 inches. I remade the bushing on a lathe. I got clearances around 0.002 inches. The system rotates cleanly and smoothly. Knowing that most people don't have access to a lathe, I don't want to recommend it.

The bushing was an injection molded part, it was just sloppy. I did not contact Crane for a replacement or to complain. I just fixed the problem and enjoy the unit.

Erich

Reply to
Kathy and Erich Coiner

"Kathy and Erich Coiner" wrote

Damn, looks like I'm stuck with points then, until I can afford a new MSD "Ready to Run" distributor.

Reply to
66 6F HCS

So you're not paying attention to the Duraspark info in the BB group, huh? Tisk tisk.

Reply to
CobraJet

Shop around the "old guys" and find the Duraspark II setup that matches your engine.

It's easy to wire with any ignition knowledge at all. and very reliable.

Parts available anywhere.. no need to reinstall points, and mechanics recognize it.

CobraJet opined in news:160920042327141642% snipped-for-privacy@streetracer.sfv:

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

any Idea where and what year vehicle would have a duraspark for my 68 mustang 289 thanks Ed. I believe I have the bottom section of a dura spark dist from a straight 6 250 motor. is that any good to me???

Reply to
Edward Ginsberg

the 6 cyl. parts wont work, you need a distributor from any 75-85

302(except 85 mustang 5 speed) they have a steel gear for the roller cam. Get the ignition box with the blue wire strain relief(the plastic piece where the wires go into the box) and a harness from the box to the distributor or make your own. you can use the points style cap,rotor & wires or upgrade the the bigger cap,etc. The wiring is easy,match the wires from the box to the dist. the green wire goes to the coil - , run a hot wire from somewhere thats hot when the switch is on (the starter solenoid is a good place) , run it to the red wire coming from the box, the white wire from the box is not needed. Start it up and set the timing and it's done.
Reply to
winze

"winze" wrote in a message:

If your looking for 12 volts, when the ignition is on, the starter solenoid is NOT the place to get it. On the older style solenoids, the two smaller connections are for: 1. the one closest to the power wire (from battery) is for energizing the solenoid (to send 12 volts to the starter through the solenoid). 2. The other connection (marked I for ignition) is to supply a full 12 volts to the coil during the starting process only. As soon as you release the key, there should not be any power at that connection. If your looking for 12 volts, only when the key is in the run position, your best bet would be to run a wire from your fuse box to the engine compartment.

Gary

Reply to
GEB

Use the #2 position on the solenoid, thats where I ran the hot wire from on my 67 ford truck, my 73 ford truck and my 66 mustang, a friends 72 galaxie,70 ford truck & on a friends 87 mustang V8 conversion

Reply to
winze

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