Tuning Your Engine for MORE HORSEPOWER & RELIABILITY! HOW TO and WHY ITS IMPORTANT!

[@billfioretti3013]

Once again, you pass on lots of useful information, Alan. Just what viewers of your channel expect. Good to see your subscriber membership growing.

[@joe-hp4nk]

You're right on the money with the choke. First thing I do is take off the choke and throw it in the garbage. When it comes to tuning a carburetor, two things must be right before I start and that is fuel pressure and float level. I fine carburetors will give you all kinds of trouble with too much fuel pressure, 6lb is all I shoot for. If you need more fuel go to a bigger fuel line for more volume. I set the float so that it drips out when I bump the car. If you're racing give it a 1/2 turn counter clock wise to raise it after you put the plug back in. The engineers at GM use manifold vacuum at idle, I'm not going to argue with them they're smarter than me. But I set my initial timing with a vacuum gage. I advance till I get the most vacuum then back it off a little. When driving if I get knock I'll back it off a little more and or go up on the fuel octane. Don't know if it's perfect but the engine seems happy. Well that is about all I got to say haha, all the best.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Great info Joe, sounds like the voice of experience and I can relate to everything you said. Thanks for commenting. AG

[@AdamDixonSR]

You do such a good job explaining things. Most people do not realize all of the benefits of a properly tuned engine.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Very nice, thanks do much for the compliment Adam.AG

[@billlittle4285]

Your video is a lot better than anything on TV tonight Alan.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Great comment Bill, thanks for watching. We will get together for another r video soon. Alex is back tomorrow.AG

[@davidslivinski7690]

Love your show Alan thanks for clearing up the vacuum advance. Other reliable mechanics on KZbin explain it exactly like you just did. Thanks for sharing your Mountain of knowledge with us viewers

[@goldsgarage8236]

Very nice compliment, thanks David.AG

[@GregMargraff]

As always Allan. this 'ol school guy loves your videos! Get healed up buddy!!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Nice compliment, thanks Greg. Healing well, starting the 355 assembly this week and playing hockey next week.AG

[@OriginalSphincter]

I'm managing a .060 over 396 in a K30 on 38's, myself. Fantastic video on the subject. I set up a limiting tab on my electric choke so it's starting in a tuned location maybe half open or so. Using a narrowband A/F gauge I can see its slightly rich when I restart after going to the package store. Before I put the limiting tab there It was way too rich after having been warm, would have to open the throttle up and clear it out. I'm on the fence with keeping this setup or going to a manual cable. I need a choke because I like to be able to start and move at a moments notice. I also have a cable actuated High idle Cam so I can drop it in gear and go with no issue. Another thing is I'm running more initial timing, with my vacuum advance on the "timed" port. Having the timing pull out with vacuum dropping(on the manifold port) created a noticeable flat spot when stepping into it. My 408 bbc is 10.5 cr, with a comp 280h cam k kit. I firmly believe Vacuum advance works great hooked up to manifold when the engine has an off-idle camshaft that's in it's power band at or close to idle. Perhaps, that is the crux of the biscuit with the old vacuum advance line hookup debate.

[@johnweaver8470]

Sounds like a nice truck you have, I've got a 74 k 20 with 38,s and a 454 gets me to work when the snow gets deep in the Pacific north west

[@OriginalSphincter]

​@@johnweaver8470 Sweet! God Bless Ya Man Daily Driving a Beast like that. A Blast for sure! Mines a hoodless funtoy I keep in a tent here in the northeast. I'm nutty about a smooth startup, cause the locals around me with turbo diesels and injected gassers just turn the key. I also have a cable coming out the back of my distributor that pulls my vacuum advance can(I set the bolts up like studs it could move on) for 10 degrees of start retard. It's spring loaded to stay steady when I release the cable.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Great comments and information, thanks for contributing guys. AG

[@reevesautomotivefarm9614]

One thing I do see that most people overlook is that most of our fuels are 10% ethanol these days and that changes the stochiometric ratio from 14.7 to around 14.3. they're also seems to be a misconception that you cannot cruise around with your engine at 14 to 15 to 1. I've heard a lot of people that think you want the engine at in the 12 to 13s all the time and that is just way too rich for cruise, lots of carbon

[@goldsgarage8236]

Exactly, an engine is not the most fuel efficient when it is making the most power. At 13:1 and full RPM, a lot of fuel is going out the exhaust. AG

[@UncleVom]

Yes that's right a street car is not a race car, it spends very little time at WOT and just like the ignition advance, the fuel delivery should also mirror actual use, not a street/strip usage dream. There is a lot to be said for looking closely at part throttle operation, it will pay off with fuel efficiency and smoother response across the range and the secondaries actually get to do their thing when called for. Did I mention I'm a Quadrajet fan. (-;

[@howitzerman]

Learned a lot about the carbon buildup that i have experienced in the past. Excellent information, thank you.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Good to hear, thanks for commenting Neil.AG

[@keithiverson6687]

For my Holley carbs, I have the choke plate removed, but kept the fast idle cam attached. It keeps the idle high when cold but doesn’t enrich the mixture too much, pulls from the transfer slot and not the boosters. With a Quadrajet, I use the choke, they can run very lean at idle and needs the enrichment.

[@goldsgarage8236]

good info Keith. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.AG

[@Richard76-pp6ic]

Thanks Allan. I look forward for the spark plug video.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Richard, we will get to it. AG

[@reevesautomotivefarm9614]

Excellent video. Less and less people understand how to tune up particularly carbureted applications. Also even less people understand how critical the vacuum advance is if you're going to actually drive your car. I have a friend that was advised not to hook up his vacuum advance and he has like a thousand miles on his engine and the spark plugs are already fouled because of no vacuum advance.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Reeves, your comments are a good affirmation of the point I was making. AG

[@davestarr7112]

Very informative video Allan. I learned a lot, thanks.

[@goldsgarage8236]

good to hear, thanks for commenting Dave.AG

[@dondotterer24]

Unity Motor Sports Garage has a great video on tuning vaccum advance. Believe i or not on a big block Ford with a tunnel ram!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Don, I think i may have seen that video in the past. good info.AG

[@bradlygordon1725]

Thanks buddy! Good video as always!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Back to you Thanks for commenting Bradley.AG

[@nicholasDaigle-c6m]

Great Video Mr Gold! Please correct me if I'm wrong, this is from 2 stroke engines. We use Br#es spark plugs a lot. Br9es/br10es we use in High winding High combustion chamber 65-125cc motocross. We use br7es in some low reving low temp combustion chamberKTM 300 enduro engines. We had a Kx125 with br9es that fouled 2 plugs on a relax ride. We switched it to br7es and was good for the day. Lower the number for lower chamber temps. Higher the number for lower chamber temps. I dont see the plug creating the higher/lower temps, but being to live/thrive in that said environnement. Thanks and keep them videos coming!!!!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Nicholas. Yes, it looks like 2 stroke to me also. The insulator on the spark plug can effect how much heat is transferred out of the combustion chamber. AG

[@joshuagarvey9362]

Great video.Ty for education.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for watching Josh.AG

[@steelcitycaprice.899]

Great information 👍🏼😎 I've always thought any timing over 36 was considered to much..well I'm unlocking my distributor back to normal cause I have it locked out at 36 and it doesn't seem to run that good.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Be careful Steelcity, More than 36 degrees at idle with the manifold vacuum connected is what i was referring to. 36 degrees including initial and mechanical advance at RPM should still work. AG

[@shane-222]

The warmer plugs have a longer insulator so the water jacket doesn’t suck as much heat out of the electrode. You want the plugs to get hot enough to self-clean like a self cleaning oven. Too hot and the ceramic will start eroding and develops a matte texture. I always run my daily driver plugs on the warm side, just hot enough so the electrode starts showing a matte surface gives great idle quality and fuel economy, also makes for easy starts in a cold Canadian winter.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thank you Shane, excellent explanation. i wish i had thought of that when making the video. Thanks for contributing.AG

[@dondotterer24]

Great explanation AG. But some people stuck in there ways are thinking just lock out the distributor.

[@goldsgarage8236]

I am aware, peoples actions are based on their beliefs. AG

[@mrho4speed]

Thanks for another good video. The next time you visit the "dyno" room = would it be possible to discuss volumetric efficiency? Is this related to the air fuel ratio throughout the rpm range?? Thank you!!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Sure, thanks Mr. Darrell is the expert on how to interpret that. We will try to do that for you.AG

[@billlittle4285]

Pump gas needs a heated manifold on the street,a annular booster in the carb will help on the street, race fuel is just the opposite, good video Alan!!

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Bill, great information from you as always. AG

[@dondotterer24]

My friend even used a vaccum advance on his Super stock car. It cleaned up the idle . Other cars were about to stall in the pits and the lanes.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Don, that should work,, definitely will help drivability.AG

[@greggc8088]

But it hits a lick so sweetly running fat and low on ignition timing at idle. 🤣🤣 But really, I often on my own vehicles with high stall converters just locked the distributor at 36-40 depending on what it liked and had a toggle switch on the hot wire for the coil. Get it to spinning and hit the switch and away she goes. Never broke anything that way but was kind of worried it might. That was before computer controlled ign timing so I would probably go with that now on the street. It must be nice dialing in ignition timing with the turn of a switch/knob over setting up a mechanical advance.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for sharing your experience Gregg. AG

[@bos-G-state7359]

Hi Gold's garage i have a question about kickdown cable hookup or adjustment i replaced my 2004r transmission with an th350 and i can't get that adjustment correctly do you have a video on that

[@goldsgarage8236]

Sorry, i don't have a video about that, but there are other videos on KZbin about how to do that. AG

[@Sunspot-19]

Alan, those are glow plugs, you need sparkplugs!! 😉 Hope you had a great Thanksgiving with your family!!

[@goldsgarage8236]

You too Sunspot. Thanks for watching and commenting.AG

[@cbscustoms9827]

Question, isn't performance unlimited in Florida if so why you buying from them where you live ? Thx

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for the question. The PERFORMANCE UNLIMITED i buy from is in London Ontario, about 20 minutes from my house. They have a website if you want to check them out.AG

[@4speed3pedals]

14.7 is also the air pressure at sea level with whatever the standard temperature is associated with it.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Interesting coincidence, thanks for commenting. AG

[@4speed3pedals]

@@goldsgarage8236 Using the first site I looked at, a cubic foot of our atmosphere at sea level weighs 0.0807 lb. This means it would take a volume of 182 cubic feet to weigh 14.7 lb. Imagine what it takes at 8,000 rpm by volume, I am not going to calculate this because I do not have the info nor needed nor the desire. I bet someone has done this.

[@philstar905]

The Best teacher on KZbin 🚘👨🏼‍🔧🫶🦾

[@goldsgarage8236]

Very nice compliment, thanks so much Phil.AG

[@johncalhoun8011]

20k 🎉

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks John. AG

[@philthelawnman]

Seems like the cars after 1974 were made to fail in 10 years like the story of the Preachers one horse shay.. except the opposite. I have taken so many of the valve cover filters and thrown them against the wall to replace them with proper PCV to stop oil leaks on cars. Second is when people have a stuck choke and wonder why it smokes. 3rd is they have the factory plug wires on a 40 year old car. Turn out the shop lights and tell them look at the light show while I let it idle. Well if it will.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Phil, lots to think about in your comments. Thanks for contributing.AG

[@smilsmff]

tune a Camshaft added with 10 degrees more duration then needed and was not my choice as I did not install cam i bought it that way. I would think more ignition timing. it already has a RPM intake. it appaers they added too much duration (A 408 mopar with 10.5 mechanical compression , close ABDC 69 =8.1:1 (160P.S.I.)the camshaft has for Nitrous they added

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Smils, looks like the 69 ABDC is taking out some cranking pressure.AG Thanks for commenting.AG

[@quentonjohnson1916]

Thanks Allen:: i always look forward to your high Octane informational video's. Can't wait till the next one.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Very nice, thanks for commenting Quenton.AG