The Kato Thread, 1963 Chevy II 4 Door

[Sharps40]

I'll move Kato over here as suggested...

I don't know what Green Hornet drove but it was black and had machine guns and rocket launchers and his Driver and Sidekick Kato (Bruce Lee) musta drove something like this. Either that or this used to be some sort of South Of the Border Fun ride.

But....here we go....





Real good glass all around....better than the paint.





Now this one has very cool custom paint touches....Chevy Emblems in alternating Silver and Green front and rear!



The wheels ain't the best looks or fit.



Laquer don't work well over enamel....



Grill looks great.



This one has a rear view mirror inside and out!



Most of this is just bad paint...it is still pretty solid.



A roomy low slung front seat.



And, a real back seat!



A trunk big enough for coolers fulla deer.



This is either a 194 or a 230...I'm bettin its a 194



Front shock towers are in fine shape...no rot.



The accessory pack includes a spiffy new Hurst 3 speed floor shifter!



The trip home on the roll back shook loose the junk in the tank and it started leaking. I managed to put my finger thru the thin spot so, caught mosta the gas in a bucket and pulled the tank out for safety. Cleaned up and thankfull, the trunk is in near perfect shape...a shot from the underside with the fuel tank removed.



Time to start tinkering...put on the new fuel pump that was in the back seat and see if the free spinning motor will start from a can of gas. Starter is great, spins like an airplane and most of the electrical works (all but L turns.) Even the factory original AM radio in the dash still works!

[Sharps40]

I think this one's gonna be a lot slower...gotta lot of mechanicals to work first. I found a fuel tank but still gonna try to fire it up tomorrow from a gas can. If that works I'll go thru the brakes here and get that setteled so I can at least test drive it once the fuel tank is in.

Fortunatly, my son is ASE Cert Master Body Man, So I get the mecanicals and he's gonna get the body stuff. The car overall seems pretty solid and complete and for $850 with a clear title and all the original factory parts intact...I ain't complainin a bit!

GoodWife says she'll never ride in it...not only is it the ugliest car ever made and then painted 80s style, it smells funny. We'll see...Grandaughters? GoodWife is out but they are down for the 4 door rat rod!

[Sharps40]

I'm pretty sure its a 194 but have to run the numbers .... if they are runnable. I'm willing to rust blue it but for the life of me can't figure how to boil it!

For now, lets explore.

Shade tree mechanic trunk key....



Insert the key and turn it clockwise to unlock.



Just below the shade tree trunk lock is the Red neck tow hitch....who needs a license plate, Cops can't tell when the trailer is installed....



Couldn't mount the tow hitch to the frame but the trunk bottom is still quite solid....



And the diagonal bracing ensures at least 75 lb toung weight is doable.



Uh Oh...unskilled trailer backing damage...didn't notice that with all the cosmetic issues.....



I'm pretty sure this is NOT a rust hole in the PS side front fender. That is actually a little known knock out for cold ram air intake for the Buzzin Half Dozen 194 I6. I can hook it up with no issues... as I recall the knock out is sized for a Hillborn Air Scoop mounted flush.



But, this here rear view mirror says it all....Chevy Alley, first across the finish line leaving Found On Road Dead (Ford) and Damn Old Dirty Garbage Express (Dodge) way behind.!!!


[hr]
GoodWife says, "That's all the same guy with three different handles. It ain't three guys sayin they like that car. I don't care how many brain damaged older men you find to say they like that Chevy...That's the ugliest car I have ever seen and I ain't ridin in it."

[Sharps40]

Much to my delite and the chagrin of Good Wife, my son likes it and Kato LIVES!

Motor is well worn, turn it with one hand on the fan all plugs installed. But the spare fuel pump, a patch on the gas tank, a set of points and I got him to fire and run for 1 full minute before using up all the gas in the little 12 oz tin under the crossmember....once the tank patch sets, I'll put in 2.5 gal and try for a start. Meantime we wait for the charger to do its majic to the battery - after filling up one dry cell and topping off the other cells.

[Sharps40]

Between mowing the lawn and taking breaks and eventually breaking the second intake manifold on my push mower...damn plastic parts...I spent some time exploring the intricacies of a supposedly fully rebuilt Rochester Model BV one barrel carburetor,,,,one each 1963 issue.

Well, it was rebuilt but....couldn't figure why it would slow down and choke when revved up with the gas pedal eventually going dead and emptying the fuel bowl.

So...listing out the long list of issues with this home rebuilt carb.

1. Float level and float drop were never set...its way off...

2. Accelerator pump shot gives a bubble instead of a shot....I suppose the plunger seal is shot or likely missing given the lack of attention to the most recent rebuild...though I think the "Rebuild" consisted of a full can of carb spray I found sitting empty between the battery box and inner fender well...sure was clean in the throat and filthy in the barrel.

3. Vacuum brake adjustment has the butterfly at 1/4" gap instead of .160" gap.

4. Idle mixture screw set at 1/4 turn from fully closed instead of 2 or 2.5 open for initial setting.

5. Idle speed screw was adjusted fully in for 82.6 million rpm at idle.

6. Choke rod adjustment was set fully closed instead of .060" open.

7. Choke unloader adjustment was set at 3/8" gap instead of .350" gap

8. Idle vent adjustment was set fully closed instead of .050" so no air was getting into the top of the fuel bowl.

9. Idle cam was installed upside down and the choke rod was installed backwards instead of forwards...the total effect was to slam the choke close when depressing the accelerator instead of allowing it to be opened by the functional hot well thermostat.

So...I think I'll pick up a $15 kit and go thru the carb and replace the rock fuel filter too in case its plugged. But I do have fuel coming from the tank and new pump and the leak in the tank is temporarily fixed with tank putty...at least till I can see if this is a running motor and worth the expense of a new tank.

Meantime, I determined the battery is shot. Its nearly new but had a dead/dry cell and just won't take a charge. So I suppose I'll get John Lee Jr a spanky new battery and put his old one into Kato for the time being.

What a simple carb. I don't know how it could have gotten so goofed up in a rebuild but that and stuck closed points and never doing a simple fuel pump change, I guess PO didn't have many skills or did his best work in a dark room.

Onward and forward....Kato sure does growl with the big hole in the exhaust!

[PanelDeland]

Looks like a cool project.4 doors rule with the old guys,you can load up 3 of your buddies and make a car show a ways off by splitting expenses.

BTW Just for reference,Green Hornet drove a Chruster Imperial.

[Sharps40]

Cool, Imperial. I always wondered what Kato drove when he wasn't drivin for the Hornet. I assume something as ugly as this Chevy II or that Cruster!

[68 short step]

nice, gota love the 4 doors... it needs a ls1 tho

[Sharps40]

Nah,,, I've had some v8s...pretty much they are too much for daily driving and the pocket book and all the changes necessary to accomidate them. The sixes run great, make more torque than the same size v8 and leave enough room in the engine bay to stand beside them when ya tune em!

[68 short step]

i6 are cool, thats true

[Sharps40]

If it runs! Carb kit comeing. And, it has neat lil 6 cylinder emblems on the fenders, covered in paint but they are still there.

[Sharps40]

I can add to the list of "Rebuilt" carb faults now that I have it apart....kit arrives this afternoon for the rebuild...I'll photograph.

No Accelerator pump return spring.

No Power Valve Check ball return spring.

Reversed assembly of the vacuum valve spring, making it work in the wrong direction!

It appears the vacuum valve plunger has grooves for O-rings...not sure till I get the kit but there is nothing in the grooves...maybe it needs em, maybe not.

But if springs are not in the kit, I can make the pump return spring and power valve check ball spring from some gun spring stock I have on hand.

Heaven help me. PO didn't know how to work on cars.

[Sharps40]

A Rochester BV in a tub...all hosed up, assembled wrong and missing parts...no wonder it didn't run more than a few seconds.



Top, bottom and middle, no instructions in the kit so....review the 1967 Motors manual for the steps.



In this hole in the air horn goes a ball, a spring and a spring guide...this is part of the accelerator pump assembly called the Ball Check Pump Discharge. There are two balls in the BV carb, this is the spot for the large ball.



Next to the Ball Check Pump Discharge is a large hole for the accelerator pump.



The accelerator pump with new seal, upper and lower springs and actuator shaft ready to drop in. A light coat of grease go's on the surface of the seal for installation.



There are many gaskets in the kit, use the right one...this one is wrong, it plugs 1.5 of the holes in the carb base assembly.



Here the right gasket is in place...



Bolt the base to the body with the proper gasket between.

[Sharps40]

Connect the lower end of the accelerator pump actuator to the throttle linkage, spring clips are in the kit.



This is the new needle and seat, it goes in the bottom of the air horn with the new seat gasket.



Take out the old, including the old gasket and install the new seat gasket and seat, then just drop in the needle, to check fit...it will be retained later by the float assembly.



This is the Main Well Assembly that mounts on the bottom of the air horn. It contains the main jet and the Power Valve Ball Check assembly.



Install the main jet to the right. Make sure the jet is clean and clear or replace it. (If you want to experiment with lean/rich on these old ones, solder the jet shut and drill the hole a different size) The Power Valve Check Ball Assembly (Small ball, spring and cap screw) go in the hole to the left of the jet.



From the underside you can now see the jet in the hole in the middle and the face of the Power Valve Check Ball being held on the seat by its spring and cap (this spring was missing) to the right. This Power Valve Check Ball is actuated by a Piston Power Valve we'll install next.



Here the Main Well Assembly is next to the Piston Power Valve and its spring. (The piston spring was assembled backwards by the PO) This is the correct orientation of the Piston Power Valve and its spring.



The bowl gasket fits between the main well assembly and the air horn....install the gasket carefully, its a tight fit around the stud that the Main Well Housing Assembly fits over. Don't tear the gasket and make sure its not upside down...there is a rectangular hole to clear the accelerator pump assembly and its offset and so,....only on way to put the gasket on...once its on, the fit over that stud is snug enough that removing it to flip the gasket over is likely to tear and ruin the gasket.

[Sharps40]

Lining up to in stall the Piston Power Valve and the Main Well Assembly.



Put the Piston Power Assembly in the hole in the air horn, in this photo to the right. Set the Main Well Assembly over its stud, endure the tip of the Piston Power Assembly touches the Power Valve Check Ball in the Main Well Assembly and screw the Main Well Assembly down tight to secure it all.



Lining up the spring, screen and fuel inlet for installation in the Air Horn.



Snugged down with its new gasket.



With the Air Horn upside down, I installed the temporary float assembly (blue goo to plug a leak in one float, so this has to go and I'll get a new one ordered this week..I know, I Know...blue goo will come off...it won't hurt nothing, there are no brakes and the car don't drive! It'll get replaced with a new float assembly.) You can see that the Float Level needs adjusted....I bend the tang that touches the bottom of the needle to get it close...then check both floats and bent the arms slightly since one was dead on and the other a bit off.....



Now, using the gage, you can see the Float Level is adjusted correctly for each float....



Flip the Air Horn Right Side up and use the gage to set the Float Drop. I bent the tang that bears on the Needle Seat Assembly until both floats were set for proper drop.



Carefully put the Air Horn on the Fuel Bowl and start in the cap screws....

[Sharps40]

Install the idle mix screw and spring...Screw it in to closed gently and then open it two full turns for initial setting.



This is the Vacuum Break Adjustment...with the Vacuum Brake depressed close the butterfly and check the gap with a .160" gage pin. Bend the connecting rod to adjust the gap to proper width...in this case I adjusted it from a 1/4" gap to .160" gap.



Install the idle cam and choke rod. Big step go's down...before it was upside down and the idle screw run all the way in to compensate...mostly it jammed.



This is the choke rod adjustment. With the idle screw on the second step, close the butterfly and insert a .060" gage. Bend the choke rod to set the gap to the right dimension. In this case it was very wide and I reset it to .060" using an Allen wrench of the proper thickness as a gage.



This is the Unloader Adjustment. Open the throttle full, press the idle cam and butterfly assembly closed, check the gap with a .360" gage (Allen wrench) and bend the foot of the throttle assembly to adjust the gap. I closed it down from .450" to .360" by bending the foot of the throttle assembly where it bears on the backside of the idle cam.



The thin flat screw head at the top right of the carb is the Idle Vent. With the throttle closed I adjusted it open .050" using a feeler gage.



After I bolt it back on tomorrow, I'll adjust the Thermostatic Coil rod as needed and try to get this dude fired up and idling. If lucky, I'll be able to set dwell and timing hot and get an idea of how it runs. Wish me luck.

[Sharps40]

Cooler today after the storm and up early to do the install.

I removed two gaskets from the intake log, cleaned it up and put the new gasket in place.



The Old BV in its rightful spot ready to clamp down.



Final tweak before start up is the hot well choke rod. Close the butterfly and pull up gently on the rod, its tip should just enter the top hole in the choke cam. If not, gently bend the rod till it just enters and clip it into place. (Cycle all the linkage to make sure it operates smoothly and without bind.)



All connected and added a fuel filter just in case. Ready to fire but given some appointments this AM and the noisy exhaust I'll wait till this afternoon to give it a shot.



I think one lesson learned on purchasing a car as decrepit as this one is as follows: If it don't run but the PO says "I rebuilt this",,,,lower your offer. Keep lowering it with each statement of "I rebuilt this or that too." Fortunately, this car was cheep!

[Sharps40]

Well, wouldn't start on the fuel tank. I put the mightyvac on the front end of the line where it comes into the pump and it takes about 8 to 15 inches of vacuum to pull fuel...so, guess I gotta purge it and clean the tank/screens.

But runnin from a bucket of fuel, it started, quite fine. Finally got the dwell set at 34 on the 6 scale, gotta look at the right scale!

Kato is slap wore out I think. Runs rough with the right dwell and 8 degrees advance so I pulled a plug wire, no change, pulled another, no change, pulled a third, no change. Seems its runnin on 2 or maybe 3 cylinders...all on the front half.

On the carb, it idles with the mixture screw closed completely. So, the carb has seen better days too! All other functions on the carb seem to be fine and working correctly.

Lots of blow by, more than the PCV valve can handle and Kato makes a super fine Crime Fighting Smoke screen. Short of a new motor or overhaul, I don't think we'll be driving anytime soon!

[_Ogre]

i like chevy IIs more doors the better
my 1st chevy II was a yellow 63 that got me thru college, 6 guys and a case of beer. it doesn't get any better than that

sold my 2nd chevy II a couple yrs ago
rust free as they get

[Sharps40]

Yep, thats it Thats IT THATS IT!!!

Very cool. Thanks for a bit of memory refreshing and inspiration.

[Zoomin]

LOL @ Buzzin Half Dozen!

Cool lil project.
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[Sharps40]

So, I titled Kato today. $150 she says. Huh? I said. Why so much?

Well, it lists as a value of $9000 for a 1963 Chevy II 4 Door. she says.

Well hells bells. I says. Lemmie have that title. For $9000 I'm gonna advertise and sell it as is!!!!