Thanks for all the input guys, you have given me lots to consider. I think I will hold off on intake and carb until we go on our first road trip and I get acquainted with her and see how she performs. I'm going to drain the 5 year old gas today and fill with some fresh stuff and let her run for 30 minutes and see if she stops smoking. If not I found two completely rebuilt heads for 500 that I will invest in instead. I also changed out oil and filter and used valvoline high mileage with zinc and a litre of Lucas oil so hoping that may help too.
-- Edited by cantafforda2door on Saturday 24th of January 2015 09:31:53 AM
IF it needs valve seals you are going to buy other heads? interesting
Yes well I'm not so mechanically inclined so me doing it myself is out of the question and I got a quote for 325 just for seals so if I can grab freshly rebuilt heads for 500 I can bolt them on myself.
Doing valve seals is a piece of cake, changing heads is a nightmare. If you have limited ability, jsut resarch it, ask questions, adn have a buddy help you.
If it smokes out the oil fil cap, it will need seals, if it smokes out the tailpipe, just run it and drive it, it will go away completely, especially since it has been sitting. Ge out drive the car for a few days or weeks, then reassess.
This topic is going to get ugly with opinions and power addons, if you have no/little mechanical ability, then just tinker with small things like checking the point gap or filling the transsmision oil, start slow and dont strip the car down to the frame like most people would do!
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Beaumontguru
MY BEAUMONT HAS 4 STUDDED TIRES AND 2 BLOCKHEATERS......AND LOTS OF OIL UNDERNEATH. The other one has a longer roof.
Doing valve seals is a piece of cake, changing heads is a nightmare. If you have limited ability, jsut resarch it, ask questions, adn have a buddy help you.
If it smokes out the oil fil cap, it will need seals, if it smokes out the tailpipe, just run it and drive it, it will go away completely, especially since it has been sitting. Ge out drive the car for a few days or weeks, then reassess.
This topic is going to get ugly with opinions and power addons, if you have no/little mechanical ability, then just tinker with small things like checking the point gap or filling the transsmision oil, start slow and dont strip the car down to the frame like most people would do!
start slow and dont strip the car down to the frame like most people would do!
Good advise Dave and I wish you were around 30 years ago to give me that advise. I might have enjoyed driving my car and slowly fixing it up over the years instead of using it to store stuff on for the last 30 years.
Ian
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-- Edited by Beaumont4008 on Saturday 24th of January 2015 02:17:44 PM
Doing valve seals is a piece of cake, changing heads is a nightmare. If you have limited ability, jsut resarch it, ask questions, adn have a buddy help you.
If it smokes out the oil fil cap, it will need seals, if it smokes out the tailpipe, just run it and drive it, it will go away completely, especially since it has been sitting. Ge out drive the car for a few days or weeks, then reassess.
This topic is going to get ugly with opinions and power addons, if you have no/little mechanical ability, then just tinker with small things like checking the point gap or filling the transsmision oil, start slow and dont strip the car down to the frame like most people would do!
EXACTLY........!
DO NOT watch ANY of those STUPID TV shows OR read ANY car magazines....
Just keep it running and driving.......and enjoy it......they are a blast to drive...in STOCK form and any performance upgrades will compromise fuel economy...
My best advice, and I've had lots of these and been young (I think), is no matter what you do, save all your old parts. When you're finished playing, and a bit older, you'll likely wish you hadn't done anything.
Couldn't tell you how many mid-sixties Pontiac changes I did. Cams, intakes, headers (gag), exhausts, rear end, carbs, heads, etc.
Once I got older I got tired of working around headers, and really appreciate my single exhaust and original everything.
You might too :)
This topic is going to get ugly with opinions and power addons, if you have no/little mechanical ability, then just tinker with small things like checking the point gap or filling the transsmision oil, start slow and dont strip the car down to the frame like most people would do!
Ya, other people will easily spend your money for you!
Just freshen up the small things at first ... check to hoses, lines, belts, fluids, etc. Google "how-tos" for the 1964 Impala.
Remember KISS (and I don't mean the band).
If you are going to get the 5 year old fuel out of the tank, and replace it with fresh gas. Manually drain the gas tank ... don't run it/burn it through the car. That is one sure way to dirty-up your carburetor. That 5 year old gas will likely have some bottom tank sediment in it.
Any questions ... fire away.
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
This topic is going to get ugly with opinions and power addons, if you have no/little mechanical ability, then just tinker with small things like checking the point gap or filling the transsmision oil, start slow and dont strip the car down to the frame like most people would do!
Ya, other people will easily spend your money for you!
Just freshen up the small things at first ... check to hoses, lines, belts, fluids, etc. Google "how-tos" for the 1964 Impala.
Remember KISS (and I don't mean the band).
If you are going to get the 5 year old fuel out of the tank, and replace it with fresh gas. Manually drain the gas tank ... don't run it/burn it through the car. That is one sure way to dirty-up your carburetor. That 5 year old gas will likely have some bottom tank sediment in it.
Any questions ... fire away.
OK I'll pick your brain a little. Here's my conundrum. When the car was delivered I had to "feather" the gas to keep it running. I drive it off the flat bed and let it run in the driveway. As it warmed up the idle picked up but it seemed to run very smooth. I shut it down and covered it up as snow was on its way and left it for a few days. Next time I started it I still had to feather but thus time as it warned up I started seeing smoke and when I revved it up it was a crazy cloud and I could smell oil. I checked plugs and #1 and#2 were very fouled the others pretty clean. I decided to change out all ignition parts including a pertronix electric points upgrade. That didn't seem to help much in fact the idle seems even rougher and when I pull off several of the wires one at a time it doesn't change engine speed or idle making me think they aren't firing however I have a huge blue spark that jumps over an inch back to the distributor. I also changed oil with valvoline with zinc and,a quarter of Lucas. I also drained the gas ( that was orange) and fuel filter. Another thing I noticed is the small diaphragm on the carb which I believe to be the chose constantly oscillates back and forth while motor running. Today I ran it for a good. 40 minutes hoping it may clean itself up and I noticed when I revved it it would run smoother for a minute but then go back to the loping idle. In sure it could be a million things but I'm not sure where to start. Really disappointing as I thought motor was good but getting a bit nervous. We set timing 3degrees over top dead but it seems to want to be further ahead like 10 degrees. It's also farming out carb throat. We had to stop because we broke the key off in the ignition (what a day) so that's where she sits now.
That was blunt...BUT.. I totally agree.....those stock engines are to be admired and appreciated....that is why I still have my 64 custom sport...mostly thanks to the 283 ...saved the car..cause ya know what a 16 year old is like!
beaumontguru wrote:
I would not bother doing anything to it, if it runs good, leave it alone, those 2bbl carbs are the best damn carbs in the world, you will never have a problem with it, good choke, great driveability, ungrading to a 4bbl will make no difference, its a 283. especially stick with the stock cam, has the best low end torque curve. if you plan to drive the shit out of it at every stoplight then upgrade it by all means, and if you plan to rev it to 4000 rpm 95% of the time, then upgrade the cam.
I all depends of what you are going to do with it, if you want more power, replace the motor with a larger displacement, or replace the car with a different car
Its a 64 pontiac 4dr 283, enjoy it for what it is!
That's what I was hinting at when I said this: "A replaced carburetor, intake, headers, & dual exhaust won't harm the transmission or rear end because the horsepower gains won't be too much."
It also would not be cost effective in my mind.
I'm just going to upgrade from a single to a dual 2" exhaust when the time comes. I've already refurbished the stock 2 barrel carb & intake, plus the exhaust manifolds. Mostly time and some money, well spent.
YES SIR TO ALL THAT. Keep her simple because she do not need any fancy shmancy stuff to keep her a good, reliable and economical work horse. The only thing i would do to your already built prof combo, is to add dual exhaust and to convert those silly points on the ignition to a PERTRONIX electronic unit. You will never regret going to PERTRONIX. Why would you need a four barrel carb and forget a cam. A total tune up is what matters in a stock driver 283, after the duals and the ignition conversion. Good luck with what ever you decide. Cheers. George.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
Is the choke flap in the top of the carb wide open (straight up an down like in the 2 barrel carb pictured above) or is it partially closed? It sounds like maybe your choke is partly on?
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
George...... Points are NOT silly.............they work EXTREMELY well.......and you can set them at the side of the road if you need to. When the silicone expires in your chinese Petronecs....you will be calling the tow truck to get home....
People that don't like points generally don't understand them.....and are afraid to work on them...
I can explain how to change the the points if you need some help with that....It's really a SIMPLE procedure....and if you put in a quality set....they will likely last LONGER than YOU....
AND....there is nothing MORE satifying than opening up that little window in the side of the cap....and dialing them in with an allen key and dwell meter.......although you can easily set them without one...
As Carl said, it sounds like your choke is closing partly. Same as mine. Trying to get the choke closed properly, and then open all the way when it warms is a bit tricky. If the choke is partly closed, you'll get rougher idle and smoke.
And as for MoboMac and his points.......I'm agreed. Sounds like it's too late for this thread originator. He's already gone electronic.
I usually take the path of least resistance, being fairly lazy. If it has points I leave it, if it has HEI I leave it. At least this is the fun, easy stuff to play with.
Compression test isn't always dependable, I did compression test on my '677 nova with 23,000 orig miles, 130-130-130 everything seemed fine, but pull the head and she was carboned up bad, top off pistons had almost a inch of charcoal. Your carburetor probably has about a half inch full of green turpentine in it restricting flow, carb cleaner won't help it, carb most likely needs a rebuild.
Compression test isn't always dependable, I did compression test on my '677 nova with 23,000 orig miles, 130-130-130 everything seemed fine, but pull the head and she was carboned up bad, top off pistons had almost a inch of charcoal. Your carburetor probably has about a half inch full of green turpentine in it restricting flow, carb cleaner won't help it, carb most likely needs a rebuild.
Compression test doesn't ALWAYS tell the whole story,I agree......but trying to tune ANY poorly running engine without a recent compression test is just a CRAPSHOOT and generally a waste of time...
As far as 283s I'm not so sure about your area but in my experience I have found you can pick one up running for $200-300, rebuild the carb, replace the frost plugs and some gaskets and have a dependable driver. Keep your eye out for a running engine in a car that is being parted out or someone that just has to have a 350! My car was similar to yours, clean, just wouldn't run right. I got a running 283 from a fellow poncho member, "just to get the car on the road for the summer" 6000 miles later, it is into its fourth summer and I think nothing of 240 mile plus day trips...good mileage too, averaged about 24 miles per gallon 60-70 mph. I've had a replacement sitting in my shop from a 66 Parisienne, 78000 original miles, just in case, for three years.....complete, air cleaner to pan with a rebuilt carb.....paid $250
