Alex & Keith 72 Monte

Sponsors Choice - for every 12 Chevelle’s at a show, maybe one Monte. Good Fun our MC’s are getting some loving

Thanks for the kind words on Cars and garage - good fun. I designed the garage to accodate the cars high enough to walk under. If the Monte is on top I’m limed to 5’-10 and Vette can go all the way to 6’-3” of clearance. I bought the backyard buddy high 7000 lb lift and next one coming this month will also be from Advantage lifts but going with their 5-10” clearance one with 9000 lb capacity (don’t need that much weight). I replaced the accelerator pump spring in the brawler and cured the hesitation. Have two Chevy’s with 350 SBC which are so different than the Bricklin’s 360 AMC…I learned a lot and appreciate the Chevy engine! Brlicklin was a mess and parked since 1977 with engine locked up. Love the photos of the Blue Monties - Beautiful! Keith

I moved to FL pan handle full time, built a garage, have first lift in and Monte is now running perfect…knock on wood. Ready to take her to cruise in shows. Never had a lift…I’m living the weekend mechanics dream world. Hope to see more first Gen Monte’s down here! Happy Motoring All!

I’ll definitely give that a try - stay tuned and love the feedback. My son Alex suggested lower and higher too so he will like to hear your suggestion. (Brawler Holley). best! Keith

Continue to fine tune her as hesitation coming off idle, other wise very strong through the rpm band. Putting in different vac advance and will adjust timing. At least very streetable. Love our First Gen Monte’s! Amazing I’m usually the only one at a show and always a dozen Chevelle.

I meant “caster” 3 or 5 or other

Hi Gents - completed my restoration and now need an alignment. I didn’t see the alignment specs in the article (3 pages of ?) of this chain. Do you all go with 3 or 5 degrees of positive camber? New front modern suspension (not dropped spindles) and 235 x70s and quick ration power steering. Sounds like A bodies migrated to the MC 73-77 spec but wasn’t sure what everyone recommends. Thanks, Keith.

Grant - I have a bad modulator - tool off the vent tube at trans and ATF came out. Tested it off for vacuum - zero…you nailed it along with others, Thanks and still working on tweaking some things. thanks all!!! Keith

Thanks so much Gents for feedback. I’ll track down a lot of these items and comeback with details in a nut shell - I bought this engine from a friend who did not build it. Briefly it has a cam with 0.45 lift and roller rockers and medium lopey cam. I remounted the intake and oil pan and went with a long water pump. Also y’all comments bring me to think that I did change the carb spacer. I had an aluminum one and swapped it out for the plastic one. Will check thickness of both. This engine ran fine in August with a little blow by. I added an external baffle to the valve cover as they are original 60 Corvette finned ones. My resto is all new front coil overs and calipers, booster etc and kept the rear drums and just redid everything. All new gas, brake and trans SS lines. Running the timing at 14/34 and played with several different ranges but tbis is where it was and also show chalk marks at these numbers. interesting on temp gauge aftermarket and probe - something to check out! StAy tuned as let me tinker with all your great thoughts!

So close but working out details and w8ll consult with our MC friends for expertise. brakes are weak - I believe rear drums need to be adjusted - fronts are new calipers on coil overs and tubular control arms. coming off idle engine hesitates - investigating Holly Accelerator adjustment after market voltage gauge does not work - will trace line and check ground after market temp gauge not working - same as above and already replaced temp probe (also have temp probes for electric radiator and factory temp probe on intake for idiot lights) engine runs great and then will smoke a heavy smoke for 20 seconds (not necessarily blue in color but not wispy like coolant) - need to drive her a bit and reconsidering remounting intake. Bought engine used from friend - ran well in August with just a little blow by. any comments always appreciated and have new buddy Ray of MC club coming over this week. thanks all, Keith IMG_3503.MOV

Bench tested starter and worked fine. Guess what, swapped out the new high torque starter for another new high torque starter and car turned over. They tested different too on the bench for conductivity (opposite on the two large posts). Even though I bench tested the first one with the battery and it was fine, still not sure exactly what was happening. On Monday, Will see if I can get initial time set, add gas to the Holley and crank her up and set total timing…so strange the symptoms on first starter…

God question. New Optima and I charged it. Appears to be good but will use it Friday with jumpers to bench test the orginal starter. Thanks for thinking outside the box Tom as I’m stumped….stay tuned

Thanks for additional feedback. I ran a few more grounding lines to over-do-it (4 gauge) to block, firewalls and frame and left the one at the alternator bracket. I was running HEI with the old style starter and just substituted the mini starter so didn’t change any of the distributor wiring (yellow was cut out prior). I did the same thing on my Vette with HEI and went to new high torque mini starter with no electrical changes. The brown wire ( heavier gauge) runs up through the in-line fuse and to firewall where it feeds to electric radiator, fuse box, etc. I have the smaller gauge brown wire and pink running to the HEI. Advise otherwise Kevin. let me know if all this is correct and anything else to try. Wasn’t successful on bench testing starter and was hesitant to do on the car with possible arching. When I ran extra-grounds and gear (which had been employed on the flex plate by myself and not released) was checked and I added another shim to starter, same results when starting. Everything goes dead and to regain any sign of voltage I have to disconnect both battery connections and reconnect. thanks again for all MC expertise!

Thanks for insight agents, I will check into the grounds as I looked at them all yesterday. Will move the one down from alternator bracket to the lower passenger side block. Also have a large one From battery to frame and to fender. Don’t believe I have one back of engine to firewall (a good add?) additional things I tried. Note The starter is new and I may bench test today. I did do this; I disconnected the battery positive from the starter and have it connected to the positive wire running to the firewall. I also disconnected the ignition S wire and it is not connected to anything. I can turn the key to on and everything works. The Idiot lights came on as is normal. I bump it to start and nothing happens and nothing Is shorted. Then I put a test light on he ignition wire and had it grounded, turned the key to start and light works so I am getting juice here with no shorts. Wiring appears to be correct as I double tripled checked… confused on why in-line fuse didn’t blow and why I need to disconnect battery and then reconnect (positive and negative) to see any juice again at lights, etc thanks Gents, Keith