For the longest time I would have to give my engine plenty of time to warm up (even in the summer months) so that it wouldn't quite when I shift into gear. So I remembered I had an EGR blockoff plate cut for me a while back, went to find it and slapped it on the EGR port with a new gasket. Went out to start the engine the next morning and it ran smoother than expected, along with being able to stay running when I shifted out of park. Just thought it was interesting that I had no obvious symptoms of a vacuum leak, but apparently I did have one. I retuned the carb and felt like I gained a small amount of seat-of-the-pants power from the engine too. Funny how stuff like that works out.

For those of you who don't have one yet, get a blockoff plate cut and slap it on your intake. Makes for one less possible location for a vacuum leak.

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

Were your vacuum readings fine before or did it just not seem bad enough to hook up a gauge?

Jopapa,

Good point! Over Christmas break I installed a 1980 225 SL6 barn find while my good motor is getting some upgrades. I ordered a block off plate which came from a dealer in Wichita and installed it a few weeks ago. It was worth 1" of vacuum @ 600 rpm idle in gear with everything on.......from 15" to 16" vacuum.

I had already done a valve lash the engine still had an irregular idle which got me to thinking about installing the block off plate. Now the idle is perfect and can idle in traffic under load with out missing a beat.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

just curious, where can i get a block off plate?

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75 Dodge Dart Sport /6 225
The Good: new coil, new batt, new dist. cap and rotor, new plug wires, new plugs,new fuel pump, new fuel filter, new air filter, sraight pipe exaughst,
The Bad: The engine miss fires, Stock carb and manifolds, lacks power,

I made mine out of steel, the holes are 5/16'' and are 3'' on center with 5 pieces of aluminum foil for a gasket.

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85 d-100 HEI 2BBl
06 Toyota Corrola

I ordered mine through our local Dodge distributorship, Tom Matson Dodge in Auburn. I got the block off and two gaskets...

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

Years ago, I bought one off of Ebay for about 12 bucks. Nice looking one too, but I don't know if they are still out there.

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"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Never felt the need to hook up a gauge. I have one but never felt any real roughness during idle (even when in gear once it was warmed up), especially after converting the ignition to HEI. I kept feeling improvements with everything I did so never suspected I had a leak. Now I can mark that off as one more (little) thing done.

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me