Questions on 62

[Jamie Carey]

I am in the process of working out the bugs on my 62 and I have a few questions:

1) I have a AFB 3269s carburetor. I noticed in the manuals/ books that the ABF 3269 has a hose coming off the right side (passenger) side of the carb in many pictures. I think the hose is part # 3813127 per page 333 in Noland Adams restoration guide. My carb does not have the hose, what is the purpose of the hose? Does it effect the performance?

2) What are the pros and cons of installing a battery disconnect switch?

3) To close the hood, I currently need to press down on the hood while at the same time, I push the hood release handle in the vette. How should it work?

Thanks for the help!

[Dale Pearman]

Re: Questions on 62

Page 333 shows a WCFB carburetor but the principle is the same.

Looking into the top of your AFB you should see a brass tube in the air horn on the passenger side at about a 45 degree angle to the rear. A rubber hose attaches to this fitting and runs to the bottom of the choke stove. This stove is a stainless tube through the exhaust manifold. A special bracket is attached to the forward center cap screw attaching the exhaust manifold to allow for the connection of this hose to the stove.

At the top of the manifold, a steel tube attaches to the top of the choke stove in a recess in the manifold. This tube runs to the center of the black bakelite choke cover on the carburetor. There is a vacuum passage in the carburetor that sucks heated air across a bimetallic element inside the choke.

In operation, the choke plate is closed on a cold engine due to the spring action of the bemetallic element inside the choke assembly. When started, FILTERED fresh air is drawn through the hose by engine vacuum and heated in the manifold stove. This hot air is then drawn across the choke element until it relaxes and the choke plate is opened via the plate linkage.

This hot air system is very reliable and works like a dream as long as the stainless stove tube is servicable. When this tube fails, engine exhaust gases are drawn across the choke assembly and back into the engine for recombustion. The choke assembly then fails.

Hope this helps,

Dale.

[Ed Jennings]

Re: Questions on 62

I'm not sure, but the hose is probably a PCV line. Some 61-62's that were originally delivered in CA had them. Does not affect performance if the engine is set up not to have one.
A battery disconnect is highly desireable. There are a lot of maintenance tasks that require the battery to be disconnected and it is much safer to store old vehicles wioth the battery disconnected. I believe NCRS gives points for having one.
Sounds like your hood latch release cable may not be returning properly. You should be able to drop the hood from a height of 8-10" and have it shut with ease. If you are trying to "baby" the hood by gently lowering and then pressing on it, try just dropping it from no more than 12". Should latch every time. Won't hurt it a bit. It's not that fragile. If you still have to press in on the cable handle, it either needs to be removed and lubed, or the cable stops are adjusted too tight to allow the latches to return to position. The latches should not touch the cable stops when the latch release is at rest.

[John H.]

Re: Questions on 62

Jamie -

That hose (connected to a nipple in the carb air horn) is the intake point for air that is drawn in by vacuum through the choke housing; the fresh air goes through the hose, into the lower hot air tube that fits into the drilled hole in the bottom of the exhaust manifold, through the tube in the manifold, then through the upper hot air tube from the hole in the top of the exhaust manifold to the fitting in the center of the choke thermostatic housing. This is done to minimize the dirt in the hot air drawn through the choke housing.

A battery disconnect switch is a good idea, as there is NO protection for the main power feed circuit from the starter stud to the rest of the car; a dead short in this circuit can cause a fire if the harness melts (which is a good reason to install a fusible link in this wire at the starter connection to protect the harness, as GM did starting in '67). I have the "green knob" variety on the negative cable terminal on all my old GM cars (and a fusible link).

Sounds like your hood release cables and the latch assemblies on the cowl need some lubrication - when you pull the release handle and the hood disengages, the handle should return to its normal position by itself (you shouldn't have to push it back to its seated position). The old wire-wound cable sheaths allow dirt to enter and rust to form (which is why they were changed to plastic-coated sheaths in later years); If you dribble penetrating oil along the length of the top of the cable sheaths under the dash, it will work its way into the cable and let them work smoothly again.

[Dale Pearman]

Re: Questions on 62

1962 Owner's manual says to avoid lubricating the hood latches. Penetrants cause rust thereby compounding a bowden cable problem. I like to use graphite on these cables.

Dale.

[Jamie Carey]

Thanks for the info (NM) *NM*

[John H.]

Re: Questions on 62

Should have been more specific about lubing the cable wrapping - I use "Lock-Ease" on the wrapped bowden cables, which is graphite lubricant in an alcohol carrier; the alcohol carries it through the outer winding to the interior steel wire, leaving the graphite when it evaporates. Flexing the cable sheath after applying the "Lock-Ease" speeds up the process.