MPG experiment, 1976 Dart Lite
 

I started this a while back on my Mopar forums. I am going to post the previous stuff, and then start back where I am now.


I have an almost stock Dart Lite. 225 /6 with 3 SPEED and 7.25 rear end.
The car is manual steering, manual 4 wheel drum brakes, and very little options (3 speed wiper and 3 speed transmission were only primary options) Only "upgrades" so far are the modern radial tires, and a "dual" exhaust that splits into a Y where the stock converter would have been, through glasspacks out the rear. Exhaust is in line after carb, and distributor modifications, with a GOOD dual or bigger single system with better mufflers.

Since this was Dodge's MPG car, that is what I am going to start to do...Tune it for better mileage.

As run, it has 15" ralleye wheels, small bolt pattern. The drum brakes have been gone through COMPLETELY, and now stop EXCELLENT.

Dart has received a basic tune up consisting of:
•plugs
wires
cap
rotor
fuel filter
air filter
oil change
I adjusted the valves to quiet it down, i still have one or 2 that are clacking, so I need to go back with the feeler gauge, and get them adjusted properly.
I also had to run the idle a little higher then I would like to make driving easier, as it would not leave a stop at low idle. Investigation led me to no accelerator pump function.
First full tank, of 35% in-town driving, and 65% highway, (with stop and go, but most highway is 35-55 consistantly) MPG was 13.5

Long Terms goals:
I am going to swap the 4Speed OD that I bought with the car, once I have maximized MPG in the current configuration. I also bought 8 3/4 rear with 3.55 (3.23 also available) rear end that I want to go in later. Eventual plans are Turbo stock /6, and 8.75 may wait until then, or in sooner if the 7.25 gives up sooner.

Next phase, next tank:

I am going to start with Carb. Mileage on odometer says 41K, so presume is 141K.

I started with carb teardown. There is extra "Stuff" on it. I will post pictures later. During teardown, I noticed coat hanger material wrapped around the choke shaft, and throttle shaft, several times. WTF.

As I tore into it, I found 2 of the 3 bolts that hold the carb base to the carb main body were stripped.

So I took off the extra "stuff" and separated main body / upper body / base, and set them into the carb soaker cans. Main and upper look AWESOME
I am going to tap out the main body, to a larger size for new fasteners, and rebuild carb, then run for next MPG update.

Next up is to start with some of the distributor and ignition modifications.
I think the HEI will be next.

Ideas are welcome, some might be tried some might not.

2nd round has begun. I filled up Tuesday Morning.

1. The carb is rebuilt and installed, with the exception of the accelerator pump rod, which needs to be fiddled with. I am running one of a Thermoquad, as the carb did not have one upon purchase. All of the bolts holding the baseplate to main body, and top plate to main body have been tapped out and have new bolts.

2. Tire pressure has been adjusted to 35 PSI on all 4 corners. I wanted to leave it alone for the purity of the test, but could not in good conscience leave them as bought. Even thought they looked fine, they ranged from 15-18 PSI Tires max pressure is 44, so I might run them up to 44 down the road to see the effects. The manual steering is much easer now, I can almost turn it one handed.

Conclusion, I will fill up Thursday evening, and compute mileage. I now have a book, to keep MPG and notes. Update soon.

UPDATE

I could not wait until this afternoon. I topped off at same station, same pump, with same routine. 54 miles on 2.97 gallons = 18.18 MPG.

Previous was 13.5 mpg.

Adjustments made between 13.5 and 18.18 was tire pressure, tires were under-inflated and the carb was rebuilt. Basic parts store rebuild kit, on a 1945 Holley.

Stock, this car had 6.95 x 14 tires, which converters to 25.3 OD if I understand correctly. Currently, tires are 235/60/15, which convert to 26.1 OD. 26.1 / 25.3 = 1.03 or 3% taller tires.

This changes the baseline to 13.9 MPG, and the current to 18.72 MPG.

Next up: Identify gear set, and fluid change in both differential and transmission. Who knows how much better it will shift and drive with new fluid.

MPG on the last tank, 19.60 per odometer, 20.18 corrected for tire size.
This was combination of city and highway. AM highway was cruising at 55 MPH for the most part. PM highway is more slow and go, 25-35 mph average.

Changes....
Transmission fluid (drained out 5 ounces, took 85 to fill it back up )
Differential fluid (ok fill level but dirty)

Both were done mid tank, so their benefits were partial. I was hoping to get new exhaust run this weekend, but it might not work with finances.

Next up will probably be the HEI ignition modification. I am also going to duct air up to air filter housing, to see if that helps.

I am not quite ready to dive into the timing modifications just yet. I have to work my way up to that (new, scary )

Trans fluid was NON EXISTENT. I am running standard fluid for now, I will switch over to synthetics once the transmission and rear end get "cleaned out" with the new mineral fluid.
Wheel bearings front were repacked with the front brakes, rear are due to be checked when I switch to synthetic in rear differential.
Tires are all spot on at 35 PSI. Tire sidewall says max of 44, I might work up there later. There is a lot of "opinions" on that matter on the thread on slantsix.org.....
I want to rebuild suspension later, throwing sway bars, etc into the mix....I wll have alignment set after rebuild.
Brakes could very well be dragging a little, I went to extremes to make sure this 4 wheel drum car would stop in daily traffic. They will also get checked, and drums turned as part of the evolvement of this experiment.
Air intake is next, going to duct air to stock air box. I am not going to spring for a K&N right now, because it would be a waste of money once the turbo come in this winter. For now, clean paper filters, with a little forced air might help. I can't wait to see the difference between the 3 speed and the OD, to actually document the difference.

Hit the gas station this AM.
Same station as past 4 fillups. Same procedure, fill on low speed, until it shuts off, and then one more slow until it quits.

206 miles on 10.5 gallons...19.61 plus the conversion for the tire diameter of 3% = 20.19 which is best so far.

I had a test running by accident. A while back I took off the air cleaner, to mess with the accelerator pump linkage, and clear out vacuum lines. I forgot to put the air cleaner back on. I knew it was there, but it got lost in the shuffle with the twins coming, and I just plain forgot. If I reference this tank as #4.
Tank #4 was 20.19 mpg
Tank #3 was 18.16 mpg
Tank #2 was 17.28 mpg
Tank #1 was 20.18 mpg

So, the 2 tanks between previous best of 20.18 and now best of 20.19 were down, 11% to 15%, and these were the tanks when the stock air cleaner with parts store paper filter was off.

So, my Sheer-Luck deduction tells me that the air cleaner provides better mileage, then an open carb.
Feel free to call me a rocket scientist
I presume it is for 2 reasons, the velocity inside the tube, and the contour of the base of the air cleaner, streamlining air entering the carb

This is where I stand right now. It was too hot (black vinyl interior) to roll this middle of summer. I drove it hit and miss when when weather was not blistering, but not enough to document.
I am going to fill up today, and resume the test. I will make sure fluids are up to par, and check tire pressure.

I figured I should explain my goals and objectives:
I grew up in the twin to this car, so when this one came about I snagged it. I am a gear head by birth, but eco by choice. Standard fare for this car would be to drop a small block V8 in it and have a hot rod. I love the basic reliability that it has so that option is out the window. It is a very early Dart Lite, with unusual factory configuration, so I am not doing anything I cannot reverse.
I want to make some small improvements here and there to get better MPG. This is not going to be an ALL OUT mpg build, but more of a "improve over stock". Body mods will be next to nothing, perhaps some underbelly, etc, but external core will stay put.
Ultimately it will get a used Grand National turbo. That way I can have HP when I want it, and MPG when I want it.

Next moves:
Synthetic fluid in trans and rear differential.
"HEI" modification (common in slant 6 community, using HEI module from GM products for hotter spark energy)
Index plugs
--Electric fan to replace mechanical. I expect this to have some significant rewards
wide band to check A/F ratio, perhaps jetting and timing adjustments.

Go ahead and up the tires to 45 or so. Removing the mechanical fan will have an effect, not sure if it's noticeable. I would run some seafoam through the engine.

The mechanical fan is king of my wild card, I expect it to show decent gains. It is a fixed blade 4-6 (don't remember) fins unit. I am going with a larger single puller setup with temp switch, so it only runs when needed. I also want it to pull well once the turbo is in place, particularly for air flow over the intercooler core.

I will set tires at 40 cold, to see what it does.

A 4 speed and 2.73 gears in the rear end should give you the best highway mileage. Best all around gears would probably be a set of 3.23's.

That Chrysler Automatic transmission is the biggest drain on your fuel mileage.
One the HP loss is probably close to 20%, and the auto box weighs an extra 100 lbs over the manual box.
The other factor is it doesn't have a locking torque converter. Slippage in the torque converter is killing your highway fuel mileage. The transmission swap should be good for at least 3 mpg maybe 4 if you get lucky.

The 7.25 rear end with 2.94 gears is whining currently. Ususally a sign of improper setup if recently rebuilt or wear if not recently rebuilt (most likely), so the rear end is showing its age. I do not expect it to explode, but this particular differential has shown to be weak, and has a joking reputation that is is known to fail behind grandma and her slant 6.
The 8.75 housing I have is direct bolt it, and stronger, and I have both 3.23 and 3.55 gears accessible, and the gears change in an hour, so I can see which works better once the 4 speed OD unit is in place.

Exhaust: I am going to have a 2.5 run from exhaust manifold, to trans, and step to 3" from there back. Muffler will be a straight through Magnaflow, and exit just under bumper.
This goes against basic ecomodding theory. The reason is, this car will get a turbo down the road, and the 3" is sized for the turbo. It might be overkill in the short term while naturally aspirated, but the stock 1 7/8 stuff coming off the manifold chokes these engines. The head has terrible flow characteristics stock, and drinking straw sized exhaust does not help. The most common sizing on n/a is 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 so I am not overdoing it too much while n/a but will be sized right when turbo comes, and I don't want to do it twice. The existing set up is ok, but bangs and clangs, and is pinched over axle, through restrictive glasspacks.... not the model of efficient flow.
Right now it has the 3 speed manual. It was supposed to have 4 speed OD as part of the Dart Lite package, but mine is a very early unit, and got out the door with non Dart Lite options.

I have another /6 that I am going to build. Basic rebuild, with some internal tricks for oil drainback, reduced oil windage, etc. I will get it built, and swap the engine, trans to the OD, and rear end in one big swap, sometime next spring?

Sorry I miss read the original post and thought it was a three speed auto box.

Its because he said 3 speed was one of two options, a 3 speed manual is never an option, if it exists then its standard (hence the term).

OK I am confused.:confused:

The Dart Lite and Feather Duster were supposed to be either the 4 speed overdrive, or 3 speed torqueflite. Since mine was such an early model, it escaped with 3 speed manual.

An option in car terms is something you pay extra to get, the 3 speed manual costs no extra, hence it is "Standard" equipment.

The 4 spd OD would be a nice addition to your project I think.

Interesting.
Are you sure the Holley is the original Dart Light unit? Sounds like your timing chain has had it. 20 mpg with that car is pretty low.

Check the list number to see if the carburetor is the correct one. If there is a Holley 1940 or Carter BBS on there, it's not right.

SlantSixDan up on slantsix.org had some special Holley 1920's at one time, NOS. I bought one for the build on my wife's '63 Dart GT. I have the correct Aluminum 1 bbl intake. One that isn't cracked in the plenum floor. (A rarity.) I've got a Feather Duster 2-1/4" head pipe that came off when I installed Dual Dutra Duals into twin 2-1/4" head pipes on my drag car.

Also check your distributor and vacuum advance can to make sure they are the correct ones. The vacuum amplifier that runs the EGR may have problems. If it isn't there, you sure don't want to run the Feather/Lite distributor curve. You'll jack the Cylinder head temperatures through the roof with 52 degrees total timing and no EGR. :eek:

Got some pics of the engine compartment? Unmolested Feather Dusters and Dart lite's are cool! And Rare!

CJ

I recognize the screen name.
I futz around over at .org from time to time.
20 isn't great for sure. I had not considered timing chain. Original motor has fair amount of blow by so I know it is aged.
Carb is a 1945 if memory serves. I rebuilt it when I first got the car. The bolts holding lid to main body AND bolts holding base to main body were stripped. I tapped them out and rebuilt. I sorely need to find or build an accellerator pump rod, it has no acc pump shot right now.

I might need some help with the distributor and EGR curve stuff.

I will get some engine shots.

Your user name looked familiar!

Yeah, typo on the 1945. I gave my last one to DusterIdiot over on dot org. See if Dan still has one of the Holley economasters. He seems to have quite a few interesting tidbits squirreled away!
The 1945 wasn't well regarded by the mileage or power folks. DI was experimenting to see if he couldn't get one to run well. He may be able to supply you with the accelerator pump rod. You should be able to find a ton of 1945's in the junk yards though.

For the power fiends, best economy tends to be with the BBD or small Holley four barrel. I was in the 24 mpg range with the 8007 Holley 390, converted to a jetted secondary metering block.
For the HyperMiler, the Holley 1920 or the BBS would probably be a good carb to play with, except in a heavier vehicle, then the 390 Holley would likely give the best balance. Staying in the small primary venturis will give excellent results. DusterIdiot was bumping 26 mpg with his Hyperpak car with a split plenum and 390.

The 1 bbl economaster should emulate the original Feather/Lite carburetor. The main jet was pretty small. I think DI told me they ran a 48 jet. Something to that effect. I'd have to take a look at what's in the Economaster I have. It got installed on THOR's race car for a while, so he likely has a 56 in it. I'll have to fix that. :)

Do you have the FSM for the '76 model year? The EGR will likely be very similar, if not identical to my '74, but I just don't know. The biggest issue is finding a properly working vacuum amplifier. Mine was junk on the '74. DI got me one, which I returned to him when I started farting around with four barrels. (No EGR provision on the Exhaust setup I run.)

Have you found a build sheet? They normally were in the rear seat back, or taped up behind the glove box. That will tell a tale. Be careful with it! By now it's going to be old and crunchy!
The gears and transmission seem a bit odd. As an early car, it's very possible though. DI has a Feather Duster that has a factory Sun Roof! Want to talk about a rare car! It's 1 of 3 IIRC.

If you can get somebody with a distributor machine to take a look at the distrubutor curve, we can see if it's correct for the Dart Lite. The governor should be rediculous, like a 15R. Huge advance. It won't be all in till 3400 or something like that. So if you cruise around at 90 you'll get all of your timing.

The advance can is pretty radical too. DI has all the specs, and may have some bits and pieces for the Feathers and Lites. His Hyperpak car is a Feather Duster with much of the Aluminum bits and pieces. The optioned car he has includes the Aluminum trunk lid, so is a tad lighter yet. Not all the cars came with all the good bits.

The quiet chains are generally a 100k mile item, but time and rust will loosen them up pretty badly. Even a low mile car that's this old will have a worn out chain. It'll give you a chance to degree the cam to make sure it's where it's supposed to be.

Fun project!

CJ

My head is spinning now. I wish one of you pros lived closer, cause despite a solid competitency in automotive, a great deal of what you speak of with the timing I just don't understand.
I do not have a 76 factory service manual.
The "vacuum amplifier" and governor, is beyond my knowledge, I guess I should post up good pictures at org, and let you pros pick it over.
I will call some of the speed shops to see if anyone has a distributor machine.

Mine has alum hood, intake and bumper supports. Trunk is all steel, and does not appear to be replace at any point, the color and fade matches the rest of the car.

I presume the timing chain swap is a "line up the dots" kind of deal?

Nice thread. This is really cool to see this kind of build on a car from 1976. That car is older than most people on this site. I love it!!!! No school like old school.

Tell me about. If I was under six foot I would be trying to stuff a 2.0L TDI
into a 1974 SAAB Sonett III. :D

Can you say at least 80 mpg highway. The car weighs in at 1800 lbs and has a .32 Cd. :thumbup:

Dot to Dot is going to get you in the ball park. Just make sure to line them up before taking things apart, then don't disturb the engine. Sometimes dot to dot is #1, other times #6. It doesn't matter which as long as it goes together the same as it came apart.
The Feather and Lite used the MP 244 cam. It was the "Marine Cam" prior to 1971, then became the OEM stock mechanical cam up until the hydraulic engines became standard. The stock cam that came in these cars is excellent.
Other good choices for a a cam would be the Erson RV10M, the RV15M, and a special RV15M RDP designed by Doug Dutra. Erson will do custom grinds to order, as will comp cams and many others. Some folks have found issues with Comp Cams blanks where the timed oiling passage doesn't match up to the cam bearing passages. There are methods for fixing this. It's a darn good idea to check in any event! If the passage isn't properly alligned, there will be top end oiling issues.
I haven't heard of any issues with the OEM or Erson offerings.
I run the Erson RV15M RDP straight up. It is actually advanced about 3° from the cam card, which matches up to the regular RV15M rather than the RDP lobe center. The cam in question carries 110° lobe centers.
Degreeing in requires a degree wheel. You will need a piston stop, or preferrably, head removal, which is the best way to do it. Once top dead center has been identified, and the degree wheel set, a dial indicator is placed on the intake lifter to determine when the cam event is occuring at .050" lobe Lift. This is easiest to do with a "Special" Tall Lifter that can be built with a flat upper face to indicate to.
Finding top dead center will also allow you to mark the balancer accurately if the outer ring has slipped. This is common, and a lot of folks end up setting timing based on a mark that is in the wrong place.

It is more difficult to do with the head on, but not impossible. It is important that valve train Geometry is correct. Varying thickness head gaskets and any head or deck cuts can change the angle of the pushrod, and thereby the amount of measured lift at the pushrod end of the rocker. Affixing the indicating device is also harder with the head on, depending on the type of indicator base you have available.

The reason degreeing the cam is important is there are variations in manufacturing of the timing sets, and to an extent, the accuracy of the cam grind. When buying a timing set, stick with good stuff, not bargain. Melling is "Good Stuff." A double row timing set can be used to improve accuracy, but there are oiling issues that need to be addressed. You can also go to a true roller chain setup, but they are very expensive, and not really needed for the engine speeds most slant sixes see. Make note of how everything comes off with the timing set. There is an oil deflector that is important to avoid flooding the front seal.
While some folks seem to think nothing of driving the lower timing set gear onto the crank, I strictly install with an installation tool. I don't like beating the snot out of my thrust bearings.

To test the timing chain to see if it's part of the problem, pull the cap and rotate the engine by hand till the rotor starts to turn. Stop, note where the crank is in reference to the timing mark, then rotate the engine the other direction. The rotor should start moving immediately. If you have to rotate the crank very far before the rotor starts to move, the chain is shot.

One of the most important tune up evolutions with the slant six is valve lash. If you find excessive noise, or more often, an exhaust miss, the lash likely needs to be addressed. As the lash tightens up, you will have a miss, and vacuum will not be good. Lash can be set static to start with, but to obtain best results, should be done with the engine running and up to full temperature.
Once you have a handle on setting to factory spec, there are further fine tuning methods that can be used to obtain best results. We can go into that later if you wish.

CJ

fuel log update
 

1976 Dodge Dart Dart Lite Gas Mileage (Dart Lite) - EcoModder.com

I filled up Saturday afternoon.
I was no happy with results.
19.17 MPG (no correction factor for tire diameter difference of 3%)

My brother and I looked over underhood. PCV hose was unhooked, vacuum ports on carb had cracks, and the enitre carb was loose, the nuts had worked loose. :eek:
We cleaned up these hiccups, and adjusted idle down, and adjusted air fuel mixture screw for best idle. The car ran GREAT on the way home.

Sunday I checked oil and struck nothing. I park it over rocks, and I guess the leak is still significant. I swapped the valve cover gasket a while back, and it got better, but there must be something else. It was very low.

Ultimately, the MPG was very close to last time, and there were several factors counting against the MPG. With the vacuum leaks solved, idle and air fuel adjusted, plus full of oil, it should be a much happy camper.

I think changing the carburettor model from 1 barrel to 2 barrels would give some improvement in mpg.
Primary venturi could be small size as it it used mainly for cruising
Secondary venturi could be much bigger giving you power for the occasional accelerations.
My accelerator pump is not working, and it's not needed, because I have quite small primary venturi on my carburetor.
Smaller venturi atomizes fuel better on lower rpm.

I like the idea, but I am not aware of a commonly available carburetor in 2 barrel configuration that is spread bore, or said another way, small primary and large secondary. 4 barrel carbs can be had this way, and I have one waiting for later stages, that is configured this way. Do you know of a staggered 2 bbl carb?

On the carburetor, I would agree a 2bbl stands to offer improvement. Wouldn't necessary say you want spread bore on a 2bbl though. As long as the primary isn't larger than your 1bbl and you can set up the secondary so that you're next to never opening it you can jet your primary a little leaner and use the richer secondary to fight ping at WOT. Fix your vacuum leaks and cracked hoses, then look at your idling. A "loose" lash setup is noisy but tends to increase idle speed independently of carburetor stop and idle jetting due to improved torque from reduced valve overlap.

Why drop a sought-after muscle car axle in? The 7.25 has a (undeserved IHMO) bad reputation, but that came from much heavier cars. I know a guy with a tube-frame, glass-bodied, blown 350 SBC T-bucket that's running a 7.25 he got for $25 because he needed "something" to get the car on the ground. He's still running it last I checked; the car weighs so little it breaks traction before it could possible break the axle. Your car isn't as light as his, but it isn't as wild as his either (he refuses to dyno but estimated 800 hp based on his jetting).

Anyway, even a truck 8.25 could work; I have one in a Ramcharger that's running 3.21 gears and I had heard a numerically lower gearset was available for that axle. Pre-84 should have the small bolt pattern your car has also.

Getting the timing set updated may help, but you might want to consider a new camshaft. I've seen older engines (305 chevy) wear down cam lobes to be visibly different than a "stock grind" replacement.

If you acknowledge blow-by and are losing oil without identifying a leak, look into a compression test and even a leak-down test. Figure out how badly worn your engine is; you might want to do a hone/re-ring or even an overbore to clean things up. Pull a plug and see if it's fouling also.

I am going to jet the carb up tonight. Slant 6 pros seem to find that a 2-3 step up in jet flows enough to keep the carb out of the power valve, and gives better MPG. We adjusted air fuel to highest RPM and then adjusted idle screw down, it idles smooth as glass, and I can hardly hear it run.

The reason for the 8 3/4 is "tune ability" With the drop out center section, I can switch between the 3.23 and 3.55 center sections to see which give best overall results. The 7.25 is working, but whining, probably from old age. The 8 3/4 has the strength for the power adder down the road....

The cam is a concern, sounds like it might be past it prime. I don't really want to put a new cam in older motor, so I might put the cam into the new engine.

It had a fair amount of blow by without the PCV valve hooked up. With it hooked properly, there is no blowby coming out of the vent. It seems as if the PCV is actually doing it's job, creating positive crankcase ventilation, which should also help ring seal.
The oil loss is a leak for sure, I put a pan underneath, and it is leaking. I thought the leak was solved with the valve cover. I am suspecting the fuel pump, perhaps the gasket has failed.

In addition, this is an "enthusiast build" that wants to be efficient. I have a spare /6 that is getting a rebuild, ported head, windage tricks in oil pan to reduce drag, etc. This car will get the engine, a 4 speed OD trans, and 8 3/4 in a weekend swap. Once it is dialed in a bit, it is getting a Grand National turbo (231 CI vs 225 CI).

I will pull plugs tonight, and check out cap and rotor, that is a good idea.
THANKS FOR ALL THE INPUT!

This is a fun build. I used to drive slant 6'es, and had a few Valiants and Darts. Most of my cars were purchased for $500 or less. I will admit that I treated them as disposable vehicles, and drove them till the rust ate them up, and didn't really look at them as a restoration project. I remember getting mpg in the low 20's, this was back in the 80's and 90's.

The timing chain replacement really livens up the motor. You can tell if you need a timing chain by looking at the timing mark with a timing light. Hit the accelerator and check how far the timing mark bounces back and forth. After the motor slows down to an idle you can still see it bouncing if it is old and stretched out. Actually you don't even need to do this. If you have an old timing chain, you need a new one. It turned my tired old motor into a, well, not a powerhouse, but a responsive economy motor.

Checking and adjusting valve clearance is an easy job that should take less than an hour or two. If you have some clicking, you should be able to fix the noise and improve how the motor runs with a simple adjustment.

The other big thing on the 225 is to keep your PCV valve clean and/or replaced. They tend to gum up.

I always liked working on the slant 6 and greatly prefer straight (or in this case slant) 6'es to any other motor type. My favorite 6 was a Chevy straight 6 in a 1964 Studebaker with 3 on the tree. Simple, reliable machines with plenty of room to work on them.

CEEJ,
The carb had a 62 jet in it. I swapped in a 64 (smallest in the box) to see what it does.
I did not notice any appreciable difference in the behaviour, so we will see over this tank if it keeps it out of the power valve.

Valves were run recently and no noise so far. I adjusted them running, others use feeler gauge when off, but they are quiet and it idles smooth for now.

I just got the PCV hooked back up, and we blasted it out with carb cleaner, so it is clean. Next parts store trip I will get another, but there is NO blow by coming out the vent, so it appears to be doing the job!

Timing chain is in the plans, seems as if it is a problem area.

Cool! Keep us posted on your progress!

A true spread bore two barrel that is readily available is the Rochester 2SE. It was used on the Chevy S-10 and Jeep Cherokee's that ran the 2.8L v6.

The pattern is pretty different. I'm not sure how you would make it work other than going aftermarket intake and build your own carburetor plate.

If you look into the Rochester, be careful not to snag the E2SE. It is a computer controlled version that was used for three years or so while GM was shifting from Carburetors to TBI. It allowed them to meet the emission requirement short term and bridged the gap.

It's not that the E2SE isn't a pretty good little carburetor, it's all the other stuff that would be required to make it work.

Some of the Japanese carbs could also be made to work on your slant. Similar issues would poke their noses up though.

Mainstream would be to go with the Holley 390, but you're going to want a bit more compression to make things work. The 4bbl will get you into the 23mpg range, but an extensive recurve would be needed for the Distributor.

Some folks have run the Holley 2300 series to good results. The 350 cfm model is just about right for a street car. The 500 cfm is a drag race only item that needs extensive engine mods to work well with the Slant Six. My Valiant launches harder with the 500 cfm 2 bbl than any other carb I've had on there. :D
Mid 20's with the 350 cfm. Not as many mods required to use it. The Offy, Clifford, or Aussie intake manifolds would be the trick there. Best for lower RPM torque would be the Offy in my opinion. Smaller runner cross sections. Top end would be the Aussie. The Clifford sports carb heat for Header applications and can deliver good numbers on both ends of the spectrum.

Another option is the Weber DGEV or similar. It gives you progressive, and there are manifolds out there for it. It's on the smallish size for the displacement, but should give terrific throttle response, and good road power. At the strip your going to run out up top, but that shouldn't be a concern with the build your talking about. I think Lynx makes the intake manifold for it. They also make manifolds for single, double and triple DCOE's, a dual DGEV and various configurations of SU carbs. (Which once you get used to the tuning procedure, aren't so bad, just not readily available on this side of the pond.)

HEI is really going to give you a better burn. I'm prepping to dump my Mopar EI this winter once the racing season is over.
For a clean burn, multi-spark boxes can't be beat. The Mallory box is a bit less money than the MSD, and works fine. Move the coil from the stock location on the head onto the fender. Look at an aftermarket coil choice. There are a lot to choose from, just make sure you match the coil, distributor and EI to an appropriate Ballast resistor. Not all parts play well together.

Too bad your half way across the continent, or we'd get you in the driveway and get busy! :)

CJ

In the short term I am going to try to maximize what I have. The 1945 has a recent rebuild, and runs pretty well.

I am going to use an Offy for down the road. The carb is a 0-6210 Holley, spread bore double pumper, 650. (Duck and cover)
I know it's big, but when the turbo comes it is one of the smaller carbs that work for blow through. I will likely on my little engine, lock out the secondaries, as primaries should be adequate.

HEI mod is coming soon. It sounds like the next logical step. I have access to MSD, Mallory, and all the performance stuff through work. A max ignition system will help with boost down the road.

I may look into one of the OE distributors that Dan recommends. I emailed the old parts dude, no answer yet. I half wonder if going to non DL and FD distributor, would allow me to start with a 1976 non lightweight build, and go from there.

I am dying to get my exhaust run. I am tired of the existing stuff banging and clanging.

Electric fan is coming soon, especially with colder weather, no need to slow warmup, and eat HP turning fixed blades. If it stays cool, then I might fashion up one of these high fangled grill blocks I read so much about!
Even with the distance, we will get it tuned. I am anxious to see what the next tank will bring, with the working PCV, no vacuum leaks, larger jet, etc.
Thanks for all the help.

You might look into modding a 500 cfm Holley 2300 for the blow through. There are some mods needed, but your not hauling around a second float bowl of fuel that isn't pulling it's weight. :)

I haven't seen a spread-bore plate for the Offy. Doesn't mean there isn't one. I have a square bore plate on mine.

Clifford makes a plate for square and two barrel applications. Next time I take things apart, I'll see if my Clifford plate really bolts up to the Offy intake like some folks say...

The 500 is a lot of carb for a stocker, but once you get some boost on, it'll work very well. They are easy to richen up for forced induction. It's basically the same process as for the double pumper, but you don't have to mess with the Secondary circuits! :D

CJ

UPDATE:
Dropped to 17.45.
I updated fuel log, not sure how to make it show on the graph.
The change was jetting, went from 62 to 64 to try to keep out of power valve. The results are what I expected, as it appears the 62 is the "larger jet" people are using stock is 58-60? I am going back to 62 tonight, and will try to check out timing chain condition, maybe advance timing a bit.

Returning from the dead:

In the famous words of the monkey in the Lion King... It is time.

The Dart Lite is coming out of hibernation. I got better MPG out of it then I do my truck, and with gas as stoopid as it is now, it is time to bring out the DLITE.

I have picked up a "Super Six" setup that is 2 barrel carb, intake manifold, air cleaner, and exhaust manifold (rumored to be larger, not sure). The carb will get a kit over the next couple days, and then I will swap parts. I plan on throwing a replacement timing chain on at the same time, adjusting the valves, full igniton tune and HEI upgrade, etc.

2nd phase will be low budget rebuild on the spare /6 in the garage, mate it with the 4 speed OD, and see what kinda MPG I can pull with the OD.

I saw a Feather Duster last week, was that an economy model as well? My friend had a Hang Ten Duster in high school, but I think that was just the sunroof / folding back seat option wasn't it?

Feather Duster = Dart Lite, yep.

Hang 10 was option package, usually white interior with red striping, sun roof, fold down rear seat, etc, as I recall.

There is a trashed Al Bundy special Gold Duster parked on the side of the road near here, that wouldn't be a factory lightweight/economy car would it?