My '85 MGM, "Maisa"

[sly]

The set screw on the tip tends to back out and the cable slips causing you to lose the go pedal. Seems to be the most common issue with the Lokar cable that's I've heard. That and you gotta be gentile with the cable nuts as the threads strip easy if you try to tighten them down hard since they're aluminum. I figure if anything, a little JB Weld (steel epoxy) in the right place and stuff won't come apart. Might not even come apart when trying to fix stuff either, so there's that.

[Arquemann]

Test drive #2:
Yesterday the trans was too mushy, today I cranked the TV pressure up a bit too much, and then down a bit.
As it is now, WOT upshifts are a bit late, like they were on the CFI, but otherwise the trans feels pretty great. Nice and firm upshifts, good kickdown reaction and downshifts on decel nicely.

Onto the carb; cruising at 45mph in 3rd, the AFR is around 13 and on WOT acceleration it goes pretty rich and stays there. Doesn't really bog or stutter and pulls pretty evenly.
I'll start with getting the main jets a bit smaller to get the cruising AFR correct, then to play around with the WOT.

[Tiggie]

I'm ready for this thing to be on the road again! Got any 0-60 data to compare between the CFI and new setup, once it gets setup?

[Arquemann]

I'm ready for this thing to be on the road again! Got any 0-60 data to compare between the CFI and new setup, once it gets setup?

I did 0-60 a couple times last year and it was around 18-19 seconds. Not really brake boosting. Obviously those numbers are pretty far from what they should even be from the factory. I'll put that up to the rich-running CFI and lack of brake boosting.
Dunno if I dare say this already feels a bit peppier.

[Arquemann]

I was going to loosen up the TV pressure a bit and instead of using the threaded fine adjustment, I loosened the cable stop like an idiot. And I got to start over on the TV adjustment...
TV adjustment is a fiddly little fucker and I got lucky the first time.

Anyways, I changed the main jets from 65s to 62s and secondaries from 68s to the 65s. Cruising AFR is pretty close to ideal, WOT is still rich, but haven't had time to ogle too much at the AFR gauge during pulls, since I'm focusing on the shift timing and firmness and trying to not hit anyone.

[sly]

Yes... TV pressure is touchy AF. But once you get it set... you'll be good until the cable stretches or something comes loose.

[Brown_Muscle]

I've been meaning to comment here! Those gold valve covers look fantastic... Yeah I'm one of the few people stubborn (dumb?) enough to fabricate the TV Rod bracketery and throttle cable bracket to make it all work. I think with the modifications others suggested the lokar can be made to work just fine...but i have no experience there.

Tuning with a wideband is great isn't it? No more guessing, or reading plugs. I tuned my carb lean on cruise (like 15:1 or so) and got great mileage. What are you targeting AFR wise in idle, cruise, WOT?

[Arquemann]

I've been meaning to comment here! Those gold valve covers look fantastic... Yeah I'm one of the few people stubborn (dumb?) enough to fabricate the TV Rod bracketery and throttle cable bracket to make it all work. I think with the modifications others suggested the lokar can be made to work just fine...but i have no experience there.

Tuning with a wideband is great isn't it? No more guessing, or reading plugs. I tuned my carb lean on cruise (like 15:1 or so) and got great mileage. What are you targeting AFR wise in idle, cruise, WOT?

Thanks! I think the gold turned out great aswell.
I bought the wideband without much hesitation since most (reputable) carb tuners around here are already booked for the summer. Also tuning with is simple as can be. I havent even used a vacuum gauge, even though it might be helpful with power valve tuning.

For tuning, I'll try to get this thing somewhat fuel efficient, not a racer and fuel being 9+ usd a gallon... Idle is pretty happy around 14,5-15 so far and maybe I should try the lean cruise aswell.
WOT will hopefully settle at 13 AFR or leaner, since I've heard that's about the limit for catalytic converters longevity.

Lokar cable is fine, I don't have a problem modifying a custom part, especially since the flaws are very minor. The fine adjustment is a bitch but that's just my car since the low intake puts the cable so close to the valve cover. Looking at the hood clearance I might have a chance to fit a 1" carb spacer.

[Arquemann]

And she throws another curveball at me!

TV adjustment is getting there, but after a WOT pull I start to hear squeaking, coming from the belt drive. The AC belt had shifted a couple ribs backwards and was nicely sawing a groove into the compressor clutch connector...



I got the belt back on correctly, tightened and off I go again. Soon enough I'm getting a squeaking sound and it's done the same... I fix it again and now it's squeaking all the time, with the belt on correctly and tight.
I noticed that the idler / tensioner pulley is crooked and that's what's it causing the squeak. The belt is touching the side of the pulley on one side.

One side of the pulley is shiny:



Got the belt off and verified it's not anything else squeaking. The idler pulley bearings are shot, but not so shot it would cause the pulley to go crooked.
The tensioner looks a bit bent by eye and doesn't sit flat on a table:



I took a look at RockAuto, and they only show the newer auto-tensioners and spare pulleys...
If the bracket is bent and the pulley doesn't seem serviceable, where the hell do I find a new one?


Obviously this isn't anything terrible, but I want my AC!

[friskyfrankie]

I know you have a '85 but what year would be comparable to the tensioner and pulley you are looking for?

[matth825]

A Hayden 5942 from Rock Auto looks to be the correct replacement. There is an upgraded assembly, Motorcraft YS-173, but those are difficult to find.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Arquemann]

A Hayden 5942 from Rock Auto looks to be the correct replacement. There is an upgraded assembly, Motorcraft YS-173, but those are difficult to find.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, those don't show up for '85 it seems. Found the Hayden and a Four Seasons equivalent on RA for '88 MGM.
I guess I'll order either one, those stamped pulleys looks like garbage though.

[sly]

The plastic pulleys are actually not bad. Getting the original pully off is the hard part. Gotta pry the dust cap off (I used a dremel to grind the cap off) to get at the snap ring to remove the pulley.

[Arquemann]

I inquired a local store about the tensioner, if they have it, I'll drop by on friday. If they don't I'll order it off of RA.
My tensioner is not flat, be that correct or bent:

My thumb is pointing at the bolt hole which is used to tighten the adjustment, and the bracket seems bent outwards above it. Which would correspond to the way it's crooked on the engine. Either way the bearings are toast and I'll replace the whole thing. The massive AC-smog pump-idler-accessory bracket is seemingly not bent, flat atleast by checking with a straightedge.

I continued the TV adjustment some more, I think it's in a pretty good spot now. Shifts firm but doesn't rev out too long on WOT shifts.
-Cruising AFR is good, but it could be better, currently it's about ~14. Probably one jet size down (from 62) and be done with it.
-WOT is still rich, goes to about 9,5-10 AFR and stays there through the whole pull. I think I'll go another 3 sizes down, which got me from ~8 AFR to what it's now.


I attended an engineers' union luncheon today and another attendee remarked my bruised and scratched hands during some small talk, assuming I had a cat. It was along the lines of "having trouble with your cat?" I just had to answer that no, I don't have a cat, but a PANTHER! Bwah! Wrestling with this panther is what got my hands scratched. A quick explanation of the Panther-platform was in order

[sly]

yeah... that bolt holding the pulley looks to be a little off perpendicular as well due to the warping of the plate. Might need to massage that back into shape unless you can get an entire replacement without hassle.

Also, wrestling with the panther... nice.