First Drive

[doctrouble]

Went and got it registered and insured today. Got to it and the frellin thing wouldn't even start with starting fluid.. I was relaxed and just thought to myself naa... its just my varnished gas.. (completely rebuilt/dipped the Qjet a week ago). No idea why it stopped today.. lol but tore apart that thing maybe 4-5 times. the last time i opened it i found the valve that hangs in the float arm to stop the gas flow was out of its guide hole, so fixed that and it started right up.. >

was AWESOME!.. 3-4 years been very slowly trying to get this running.. passed 2 cop cars on the way home.. . smokes like KRAZY!!.. just glad i was coasting down a hill when passing those cops.. huge smoke signals everywhere i was going.

Question tho... Its had a rumored trany prob (sitting for 16yrs) and i do know its a stock 3speed with a 402 engine. only reason i ask is because of the high shifting speed and a slight kick when it does shift. what sounds a good speed to shift out of first? 25-35mph? I know you guys are going to ask what kind of transmission but.. i've never looked to figure it out.

WOOHOO!! Thanks

[Shyguy]

Glad to hear that you got to take it on its first drive. It is a great feeling.

Your bumper looks just like the one that came on my '71 when I bought it years ago.

Sorry I can not help you with the transmission question since all I have ever owned are Sm-420 or SM-465 manuals. I am sure some one will chime in though.

[trapperjack]

Congrats on getting it legal. On the transmission....This happened to me years ago with a Bronco I had. Bought it for cheap after only going around the block. Noticed on the way home with it that it seemed to rev a little high before shifting, then would bang into gear hard, just like the powerglide in my great uncle's (now mine) 68 panel. I drove back to the guy I got it from. Turns out he had installed a shift kit in it, and I drove the doors off that bronco for years, never missed a lick. Just a thought.

[doctrouble]

HA...so my smoke signals were because i forgot to plug in a spark plug...

On the way home from work,, when it started, it was smoking more than usual and only on the left. Slightly worried about my starter because it turns over couple times then stops for a split second and keeps going, but usually starts after the pause.

Couple other things i've noticed is that, ITS AWESOME TO DRIVE!!.. but.. also when it was starting it had a knocking noise in the very beginning went away shortly after it was running though.

Very frequently it will stall sitting in drive at a red light, it'll start right back up but only after 2-3 mins. If i instantly try to restart it, it'll just keep turning over.

Noticed the head turners already.. was test driving after i found the spark plug wire and drove past this guy that did a complete 180 with his head twice at his house as i drove past

Originally Posted by trapperjack

. Noticed on the way home with it that it seemed to rev a little high before shifting, then would bang into gear hard, just like the powerglide in my great uncle's (now mine) 68 panel. I drove back to the guy I got it from. Turns out he had installed a shift kit in it, and I drove the doors off that bronco for years, never missed a lick. Just a thought.

Not sure what a "shift kit" is. If that's what was causing your shifting to kick or taking it off gave it the kick.

Tomorrow i'll recheck the oil and gap my spark plugs. (friend keeps saying he's getting a massage sitting in it..)

But any ideas about the starter pause and the restarting after it stalls?

I LOVE this site.. I would be honored to meet any one of you

[Daves70]

If it has a th350 transmission it probably shifts high because your kickdown cable is adjusted too tight.On the passenger side of the carb is a cable going to your trans.There is a plunger type thing there so you can adjust it.Loosen it off one notch and try it.It may need more but keep adjusting until it shifts right.

[webfoot]

I would guess you don't have your vac module hooked up on the th 350, or the line is pinched somewhere. Follow the vac line on the pass side down to the vac module.

[doctrouble]

Thanks for the replies. The only 2 hosing tubes i could see coming out of the Qjet was one going to a vacuum gauge in the cab and one going to the distributor. The red circled goes to the distributor and the green goes to my gauge.

[webfoot]

The vac fitting going to your gauge (green circle) is what would normally run the vacuum modulator on the transmission.

[doctrouble]

Ahh.. So to properly hose a vacuum gauge, would be to "T" hose it off to the gauge and one to the modulator on the transmission?

[bigbadchev72]

Your high rpm shifting and smoke could very well be a ruptured diaphram on your vacumme modulator, it is sucking tranny fluid into your intake and burning it. Pull the vacuum line off the modulator on the side of the tranny and see if any fluid dribbles out. If so that is your problem.

Edit: The new modulators are adjustable, there is a small screw inside the nipple turning it clockwise or counter clockwise will raise or lower your shift points