Round tops: Update and questions!

[70 Cam Guy]

Thanks! I just finished watching the "Just Su's" dvd, and Scott mentioned using lawnmower throttle cable for choke cables. I might look into that as well.

Interesting idea! I do know that your stock cables will work fairly easily and cheaply based on what I've already done. I am not a big fan of using zip ties in this fashion but it is a good temporary solution. When I did all the work a month and a half ago, I was expecting to install triple Weber's and didn't feel it was necessary to go too crazy making it work. It has taken longer to get through all the projects I had lined up for the car and it still doesn't have the Weber's. The clutch cables still work just fine and I have driven the car to work, to a couple shows, and they haven't failed me yet.

...my points failed me but that's a separate issue... today I swapped to the ZX dizzy

[g9m3c]

Figured out how to make my air horns!

Picked these up at work tonight. They're 1 3/4" I.D. to 2" O.D. exhaust pipe adapters. The carbs measure 44mm throat diameter, and these measure 45mm. By the time they are primed and painted, they'll be perfect!

I plan on cutting them where the red line is in the pic above, then smoothing the flare out a little more with a body hammer. According to several sources, including Ztherapy, the factory air horns have yet to be improved upon, and these will end up being almost exact replicas of those.

This is a pic from sleepyzzz's setup. He cut the factory air horns out and reused them. You can see that they are straight until the very end where they have a small flare.

That should be fairly easy to duplicate.

Edited August 3, 2009 by g9m3c

[70 Cam Guy]

I'm not sure if these will help you but I snapped some pictures with my iphone today. You can see the hoop I was referring to in the pics with the choke cables.

For the carb's I secured the tie around the cable sheath and then threaded the other one through the loop and around the cable on the underside. Like I said, not ideal, but it will get you there while you work on a better solution. I also had to snip off the little clamped end on the cable so it would slide through mount and the rubber accordion as well. Not sure if modifying them like that will bother you. Do not cut the crimp on the cable sheath if you want this to work.

When I swap to headers, I'll clean the engine bay a little more, I have an earlier balance tube without the EGR to use with an N36 intake manifold.

hope this helps!

Edited August 3, 2009 by 70 Cam Guy

[g9m3c]

That does help, thanks! I was about to ask a couple of questions, but now I see what you're saying. I hadn't even looked at them that closely yet. For some reason, I was thinking that clamped thing on the cable was part of the sheath for some reason. I'll probably call Scott tomorrow and see what he suggests; possibly the same thing as you.

[70 Cam Guy]

I am curious what he recommends. In all the searching I've done I never saw anyone mention a solution to this. I was thinking I was going to need earlier cables but I believe they are a different length. The earlier cars had the cables pass through somewhere in the middle of the firewall, closer to the valve cover.

I had never seen zip ties like this before, and I can't believe how useful they are. I found them at the local Car Quest for about 3-4 dollars/pack

[g9m3c]

I am curious what he recommends. In all the searching I've done I never saw anyone mention a solution to this. I was thinking I was going to need earlier cables but I believe they are a different length. The earlier cars had the cables pass through somewhere in the middle of the firewall, closer to the valve cover.

I had never seen zip ties like this before, and I can't believe how useful they are. I found them at the local Car Quest for about 3-4 dollars/pack

Definitely. I have a few packs in the garage right now.

Here's where I'm at with the air horns. Still have some smoothing to do, then cut them to length and bondo/paint. You can see my "jig" in the background made of 2x4's. I had to make that to keep the exhaust adapter in place with the flare hanging over the edge of the wood to bend it outwards.

Look familiar?

[g9m3c]

I'm about to weld the air horn onto it's flange, and then start on the second one. I had to snap a quick pic though.

I still have to make notches for the air bleed holes in the flange. Yep, I forgot em.

[g9m3c]

Sorry for the crappy pics, guys. Stupid auto focus on my phone.

I didn't get as much done today as I would have liked to, but oh well. It's lookin good.

EDIT: Notice my choke cables. I talked with Steve at Ztherapy today and he told me to just take the boots and both clamps off the end of both cables. Then you simply slide them in the sleeves on the carb bodies and hook the cables up. It works fine without clamping them to the sleeves or anything.

Edited August 5, 2009 by g9m3c

[70 Cam Guy]

Excellent!! That is so much cleaner!

I don't know that I've ever seen really good close-up images of the Ztherapy carbs. Those look like jewels with the shiny linkage! They definitely look like they're worth every penny

[g9m3c]

Excellent!! That is so much cleaner!

I don't know that I've ever seen really good close-up images of the Ztherapy carbs. Those look like jewels with the shiny linkage! They definitely look like they're worth every penny

They are for sure. In case you needed further evidence.......

The first one is about 10 or 15 to 60, and the second one is from a dig to 60.

[g9m3c]

Anyone care to tell me what my ignition timing should be set at? I could lookup the factory specs, but I figured someone might have further insight.

[g9m3c]

Alright, a little update here. A collaboration of ideas, if you will.

I used Alan O's brilliant idea for the throttle return springs. It worked excellently. Just remember to hook the front spring back onto the throttle shaft arm and not onto the center linkage.

You can also see my choke cables with all the crap on the ends removed and slid down into the sleeves on the body of the carbs. Steve at Ztherapy told me to do this. Again, worked excellently.

I'm almost finished with the first air horn. Still have to enlarge those notches a tad and smooth it a little with body filler. They're not bad as-is though.