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Avanti Edelbrock installation- pros and cons

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  • Fuel System: Avanti Edelbrock installation- pros and cons

    OK, I think I have finally completed the installation of an Edelbrock on my '64 R-1 Avanti. It took me longer than I expected due to little things I didn't expect.

    First decision- on an AFB the stock R-1 air cleaner presses against the hood pad. Thinking the Edelbrock would do the same, I opted not to use a thick spacer between the carb and the intake manifold. Instead I cut off the bottom tab of the throttle lever arm. This allowed the throttle arm to clear the intake manifold and I didn't have to change the studs holding the carburetor to the intake manifold- working well at this point. Before I bolted the carb in place I preset the idle speed, the cold idle and the two idle air screws. I planned to fine tune them with the air cleaner on and the engine was warmed up. However, the adapter plate and air cleaner virtually hide the whole carb to where I can't even see the air idle screws. I must have them pretty close though so I'm not going to worry about them for now.

    Second dilemma- how to fasten the throttle linkage into the huge hole on the Edelbrock throttle arm. Found the RayLin website that addressed that problem and the solution was simple- Use a properly sized washer on each side of the hole, place the throttle rod pivot firmly in the center of the hole and tighten it down. Worked like a charm.

    Third, plumbing. Just about everything had to be changed, rerouted and such, but nothing major. I found a generic PCV valve and placed it in line to plug in the lower front of the carb instead of the lower rear like on the AFB. Per the Edelbrock video, I plugged the hole in the lower rear. Everything else was pretty easy though I was reluctant to bend the old choke heater pipes put of the way (had to do it anyhow).

    Fourth, electric hookup for the electric choke. The ground wire was very short and the video showed hooking it to one of the screws on the choke heater so I did that. Edelbrock advised using a fused ignition connection in the fuse box inside the car and definitely not hook up to the coil. The wire on the choke was too short and I didn't want to splice it or look for a longer wire so I fastened on to the hot side on the relay for the power windows which was conveniently under the hood and was ignition switched. Maybe that wasn't smart, but it worked.

    Everything had gone well to this point. Now for the unexpected aggravations.

    Fifth, air cleaner installation. I wanted to use my beautiful Jerry Forrestor chromed original air cleaner. So, I ordered the SI Edelbrock adapter and got it in a couple days. When I placed the adapter on the carb and the air cleaner on the adapter and fastened it down I found that the throttle linkage wouldn't move. I finally carefully rotated the plate so that one of the recessed areas in the adapter lined up with the throttle linkage which partially solved the problem, but the linkage was still hitting the adapter. So, I added another thick gasket between the carb and the adapter. Still not quite right. Went to NAPA and got another gasket and all was fine. However, the next day when I went to start the car the choke wouldn't close. It was hitting the bottom of the center stamping of the air cleaner which sat about 3/16" lower in the adapter than in the original AFB plate. I loosened the air cleaner and the choke snapped shut the way it should. However, with tightening the air cleaner again, then the choke was stuck shut and the engine flooded and died. Finally today I made a shim out of 3/16" tubing and placed it between the air filter and the adapter. It's working OK now, but I need to find an air filter that is about a quarter inch thicker.

    Now for the good. I really like the way the electric choke works and starting is so easy now. It seems to start on only a couple turns of the engine. Just don't pump the accelerator pedal on starting. Press only enough the close the choke (and you can hear ot snap shut). And, it's so nice not to have the hesitation that seems to haunt AFBs.
    Thumbnails show the differences between the AFB plate and the Edelbrock adapter.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by 53k; 11-07-2016, 02:47 PM.
    Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.
    '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Avanti R-1, Museum R-4 engine, '72 Gravely Model 430 with Onan engine

  • #2
    Thanks for the info as I have been thinking of going this route. Did you go with the 1403 Edlebrock? The spacers that you refer to on the throttle linkage, what or where did you get them? And what PCV did you use?

    Thanks
    Jim K.
    Jim Kaufman
    Kearney NE

    1952 2R10
    1953 Champion (sold it and still kicking myself)
    1962 GT Hawk
    1963 R3984 Avanti R1

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    • #3
      There are a number of discussions here about this. In short... having done several myself, ALL pros and no cons, though a few minor fitment adjustments are needed. All very worthwhile, imho!!! Go for it.

      Just one detail I don't recall others mentioning as to using the original R-1 air-cleaner... I bought a new air/cleaner with stock outside diameter but with hole to fit the larger new carb, I arranged some pieces of 2X4 on the floor so that I could lay the new air-cleaner base on the boards and stand on the base and ever so slightly bend it with my weight so that the outer edge fit a bit lower over the carb, and I used the original R-1, chrome cover... worked perfectly. Just bend the base a little at a time if you do this, or it will interfere with the linkage as I recall, though it can always be bent back some if necessary. It is hardly heavy-duty steel, or at least that was the case with the new air-cleaner I bought off-the-shelf somewhere locally. Btw, the adapter pictured above fits way lower than is necessary. One only needs it to duplicate, or closely so, that of the original Stude base.
      Last edited by Xcalibur; 11-10-2016, 10:35 PM.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Never Enough Studebakers View Post
        Thanks for the info as I have been thinking of going this route. Did you go with the 1403 Edlebrock? The spacers that you refer to on the throttle linkage, what or where did you get them? And what PCV did you use?

        Thanks
        Jim K.
        Yes, I went with the 1403 with eletric choke. Edelbrock recommends the 1403 for smaller displacement engines including 289s and 327s. I couldn't see a need for 600 cfm in my driving.

        If you aren't putting one on an Avanti, much of what I did would be unnecessary. I wanted to keep my original R-1 air cleaner and I was worried about hood clearance. Using a spacer would save you from needing to cut off the tab on the bottom of the throttle arm (and that isn't easy).

        Regarding the spacers, I mentioned finding the RayLin website where he addressed the problem of a large hole being where the throttle linkage had to attach. He said to simply place a large enough washer on each side of the Edelbrock throttle arm(?) then insert the pivot from the stock linkage and install and tighten the original nut on the carburetor side. I'm a pack rat when it comes to old hardware. I just dug in to my bucket of old washers and came up with two thin ones about 3/4-inch in diameter with 1/4-inch holes. The threaded connector on the linkage pivot was long enough to allow installing and tightening the original nut as well.

        For the pcv valve I checked several parts stores and no one knew of a generic valve. At either Autozone or Advanced (I can'r ever remember which is which), they had a large section with many pvc valves that you could see, but none had hose nipples on each end. I decided that if worse came to worse I would buy one with one end with a hose nipple and one threaded end that would go over a 3/8-inch ID hose. I checked the CarQuest website and found a picture of one I thought would work. I went to CarQuest and asked for a generic pcv valve. Again they didn't kow of one so my helped just started opening boxes. Rather than wasting his time I gave him the part number of the one I thought would work and he brought it out. It did work for me as an inline valve. Cost me something over $6. Unfortunately I didn't save my invoice and I can't remember the number. If you have Autozone or Advanced close by, just go take one that looks like it would work with the vacuum line. However, there is a tapped hole on the back side of the Edelbrock at the same location and same size as on an AFB. Someone on the Forum suggested that there would be very little if any difference in vacuum in either the front or rear. So, I would be tempted to just screw in the pvc valve that screwed in to the AFB. Use the plug that came with the Edelbrock kit in the front hole instead of the back one as the Edelbrock instructions say.
        Attached Files
        Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.
        '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Avanti R-1, Museum R-4 engine, '72 Gravely Model 430 with Onan engine

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