That could just be the fact that its a Holley and not a Carter...

Just kidding (partly). The problem with the lean-burn system (well, ONE of the problems) is that its pretty hard to sort out whether a problem is with the carb, controls, sensors, or computer. Given that yours is a "sometimes" thing and that part of the problem is wild pinging, it sounds like the VDC solenoid in the carb isn't working- either because its screwed up or because the computer is forgetting to tell it what to do. IIRC, default mode (no power to the VDC solenoid) is full lean, which would explain the pinging.

Yeah- simplest thing is to slap in a regular 318 distributor, HEI, and a good conventional 2-bbl carb (<cough>CarterBBD<ahem>).


IIRC the quick test for clogged cats is to see if manifold vacuum falls off sharply when you fast-idle the engine with no load. If the exhaust is clear, the engine should be able to pull almost the same vacuum as at slow idle. If the cats are clogged, then they "throttle" the engine instead of the carb and manifold vacuum won't build at high RPM, even under no load. Of course this has to be done with the carb and ignition working right, which yours aren't.

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No, it is a feedback BBD with the mixture solenoid on the back of it. The car runs a little better when it is cold, but once it warms up idle speed and timing seems to be all over the place. Once my FSM gets here I might spend some time diagnosing the lean-buirn system, but I am 95% certain I will just dump it in favor of HEI and a standard carb.

The 318 will stay in place for awhile. I won't have the time to be bulding a slant six for a long time. I have too many other projects in line first. However, I am thinking about building a hydraulic slant with GM MAF fuel injection off of a 3.8 motor. Sort of like building what Chrysler should have done with a slant six if they had kept on refining it into the late 80s/early 90s.

I wouldn't bother with the Lean Burn unless there are emissions law issues. Its just too easy to turn it into a circa-1974-spec fuel and ignition system and be done with it. I will say that Dad's got amazing mileage with the Lean Burn working- 20-23 MPG wasn't uncommon on that old silver shoebox with wheels. I never got close to that in my 73 Satellite with a 318, the best it ever did was about 18. One of the (the only?) advantages of Lean Burn. I'm sure the 2.4 gears and lockup 904 helped some, but the way it could lean out ridiculously at light-throttle cruise also helped a lot.

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Yeah. I am fairly certain i will be dumping the lean burn for the four barrel carb and HEI.

YAY! My factory shop manual got here today! Now I can really get into making this Fifth Ave run right.

Reed,it might have to be a "Park Ave" whilst you remove the offending leanburn stuff Then when the /6 is installed it would be a "6th Ave",right?

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

Heh! I like it! A Sixth Ave.

Looks identical to my Mom's last car except hers had no sunroof; that one got towed out of the garage after Dad died with 200+, K on it. I never could find real good BBD for it in the days my parents drove that car. Even after it was De Lean burned. I mean, it ran, and started dependably, but I could never find one I could tune to my liking. Shortly after they got the car (I found it after the prev owner gave up trying to get the timing cover off and BUSTED it because they apparently did not see the bolt thru the cover near the fuel pump. So Dad and I yanked the motor had it rebuilt (yeah I know; but Dad was payin' and was anxious to get it going, and I was working 2 jobs) and the 7-1/4 died shortly after we put the fresh motor in it, so I found an 8-1/4 in a 'yard; get this; 2.41 Sure grip; no better on pep than with the 2.2's; but being that my Mom drove like an "old woman" before she even was one, it was not an issue. They had that car, what; 9 or 10 years though for what turned out to be a very reasonable price.

I learned how to work on slants on my old Volares, so if they can survive my 15-18 year old ignorant and moronic mechanical abuse, they are a solid design.

I Just looked a an 83 5th ave a few days ago. Silver/silver with 39k and all origional. It still has the lean burn on it, and runs like a brand new motor. I would still change it though. Man, I wish I had the $2500 bucks he wanted for it! I would love to have that thing so bad...

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'74 Duster 225 Super Six w/904
14" Cragar SS wheels

For $2500 it would have to be in mint condition. Around here the average asking price for these cars is free to about $1500. The guy I bought mine from wanted $1200, but I haggled him down to $800 cash. I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. An identical 85 Fifth ave (silver/silver) was for sale a few weeks ago for $500. I didn't like the color combo, so I passed.

Oh it is! It is in better shape than yours! Clean as can be.

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'74 Duster 225 Super Six w/904
14" Cragar SS wheels

So I took my 5th ave in last Saturday to see if I could get it to pass emissions as it sits. They wouldn't even run the test. They said my tail pipe was too rusty to get an accurate signal:





So I just got back from Autozone where I bought a new O2 sensor and a bunch of generic muffler pipe. $30 and I should be able to get it welded up. I even got some of that cheesy flexible exhaust line to go over the rear axle to avoid having to deal with all the bend.

After the stop at Autozone I went over to the new Napa Autobody shop. it is a little room inside the normal Napa store that sells autobody supplies. i got enough paint and supplies to paint the replacement fender and door I got from the boneyard. Total on the paint stuff came to $220! And that was buying only what I needed for the fender and door. I am down to my last $60 I had saved up to work on this car, so hopefully all I will need to buy now is the pinstriping. Makes me wonder what corners Maaco has to cut to paint a whole car for $500.

more pictures to come as work is completed.

Woo! I got the new Autozone muffler line welded up on the car. I installed the O2 sensor I bought with my $20 free credit at Autozone and the car runs almost good now. I took it and it passed emissions testing great, so now the way is clear to remove the lean burn and cats and install the four barrel and HEI ignition. Yay!

The motor has gob os torque. Even with the 2.2 rear gears it will still break traction going around corners, although it is raining today.

I need to get a rear sway bar on this thing.

A rear sway bar will only make wheel spin during cornering worse. I think some serious testing on a dry day is in order. What tires are on the car and how old are they?

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Joshua