My '79 V8 HZ Ute :)

[383 hatch]

I'm just speaking from experience, though my utes alignment was miles out. I've heard it alot though.

I understand that, i'm speaking from experience aswell. You've heard it a lot because most people don't understand the difference between a non power and a power steer wheel alignment. People just put power steer on and expect it to be all happy days, but it's not. I love my power steer on the ute, on my Torana on the other hand, i wouldn't have power steer on it (it's a big operation anyway) i love manual steer on it. That's also got enough power to use the rear to steer the car, the ute doesn't.

My other half also drives the ute, so it had to have power steer on it.

 

[VZImpulseSS]

Timings tretty easy, al you need is a timing light and a spanner, mines just set up by ear. Also what carby is on it, some carbies are easier than others to tune, a speaking from experience again, the Holden eights don't like the Holley the most. No matter what I do or who tunes it, I can't get it perfect, I can get it close though. Unless it's standard and all you really can do is adjust idle speed as they fuel air mixture was set from factory for adr regs from 1976. Apparently they hammer with a quady up top too but I haven't tried it yet, I plan to.

Make sure your rocker cover bolts are tight as they leak pretty quickly there and the rear main usually let's go, if you've got access to a crane or block and tackle, it makes your job 100x easier.


Just read it's a Holley, if it's got no flat spots on acceleration then don't touch it. I've read that if you give the accelerator pump on the carby a quick push and it does nothing, then air fuel is correct, and from memory, if it speeds up idle then it's too lean and if it stumbles and tries to stall it's too rich. Seems to be on the Money too

Also if you get hesitation on take off, the float level is too high,

After i start it and warm it up a little, sometimes on take off it takes off pretty quick, with minor throttle given, but then sometimes splutters a little. After a few minutes its fine, but it is a little hit and miss after start up.

 

[VZImpulseSS]

After i start it and warm it up a little, sometimes on take off it takes off pretty quick, with minor throttle given, but then sometimes splutters a little. After a few minutes its fine, but it is a little hit and miss after start up.

Hence why i wanted to get it checked out. Also im told it could help with start up a little? Got a new battery and planning on the new dizzy soon, but if i don't have my foot on the accelerator for a while it'll turn back off. I can't just let it idle until a minute or so of soft throttle. Anything else i can do to get it warmer quicker?

 

[Hangman]

Got a choke on it?

 

[VZImpulseSS]

Nope haha. Have a mate who had a WB ute, 350 chev etc, reasonably powerful, and done up, and i spoke to him about getting a choke and he said his never had one and always started absolutely fine...

 

[Hangman]

Honestly what your mate had doesn't mean much as it's a different engine/carb/whatever. I had no choke on the 253 in my LH and it would idle after a couple of revs cold, yet the 308 in my old hatch would need some light throttle for a minute or 2 before it would idle.

Remeber it's carbied, not injected. Carbies don't like the cold.

 

[VZImpulseSS]

Yeah i know they don't. But is there anything i can do to sorta help it?

 

[Hangman]

Making sure the timing is right and the carb is in tune will help, but only as far as they're out to start with.

 

[383 hatch]

Meh, chokes are over rated. Just let it warm up for a minute or two before driving it if you need to, no big deal. Not much you can really do about it. You'll get used to it, i can drive most carbed engines straight after start up, you just learn to drive around it.

 

[Hangman]

Good point, you do learn to drive around it haha