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Access to engine: is the front cab removable or tilt open

BoyToys

BoyToys

Well-known member
Super Patron
Studied the diagrams for my 1404 Imp in the manual and it appears that the front portion of the cab is removable as a unit along with the windshield. I have a pivot/hinge on the right side but not the left, and no such thing shows in the diagrams. Only God knows what the previous owner did to it.
So...if a person wanted access to the front of the engine for such mundane things as checking ignition timing or changing belts, how in the world is that done?
 
redsqwrl said:
shoot a photo of your engine cover. timing on an imp could not be easier.
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A few picts this morning. Sorry for the quality - the sun kinda washed them out a bit. Even with taking the top and sides of the engine dog house off I can't get access to the crank pulley to see timing marks to point a strobe at. Maybe would have to go through and underneath the plate where the plow hydraulic hoses go through. Access hatch to the radiator isn't the ticket either.
Note the hinge installed on the drivers side lower corner. Don't see how that's even functional without unbolting the whole front end somehow.
This thing has had a rough life up front at one time, with some sheet metal repair and changes to accommodate the plow.
 

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Since I created this thread, I guess I can update it partially with regards to ignition timing access.
Looking down closely between the 1" gap behind the top of the radiator, I spied the crank pulley and timing reference marks. Didn't have the crank in the right position to see the notch in the pulley forTDC but that's ok for now. Just figuring things out in advance.
Still have no idea how to remove the front nose off the ol' Imp to gain full access to the front of the engine if needed.
And oh...also found the location of the hydraulic pump for the plow.
Making small progress.

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You got it. but first some sassy pants. that is the camshaft you are looking at. the crank doesn't come out of the engine on that end. be nice to that pulley it is a phenolic gear that drives it
I rub chalk on the marks, take the alternator cover off and jam my head in there to see it.

The cowl or the front of the cat is not overly hard to take off if i remember right the windshield frame rests on it as well
 
Here is a picture of what I did to re-plumb my air intake to the Weber carb. I had removed the spacer ring from the top of the Weber cab, and found a silicone elbow on eBay. With some trimming, it fit perfectly over the air intake. The other key was to properly route the valve cover vents Into the intake. To do this, I welded a pair of steel conduit stubs to a chunk of 2” steel tube I had In a tee manner. From there I used a piece of 2” Aircraft scad hose from Wick’s Aircraft Supply to connect the tee fitting to the Donaldson oil bath under the hood.
 

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Sassy? Nah, just educational....keep it up.
This is a weird motor in many ways. I believe I also spied an externally mounted water pump.

The photo is looking straight down the front of the engine behind the fan, to the bottom of the engine and the pulley directly above the oil pan...typically where you would find a crank pulley or harmonic balancer with a timing notch cut in it.
Yeah, I can see where taking off the alternator and peeking in there might work
 
Idaho IMP said:
Here is a picture of what I did to re-plumb my air intake to the Weber carb. I had removed the spacer ring from the top of the Weber cab, and found a silicone elbow on eBay. With some trimming, it fit perfectly over the air intake. The other key was to properly route the valve cover vents Into the intake. To do this, I welded a pair of steel conduit stubs to a chunk of 2” steel tube I had In a tee manner. From there I used a piece of 2” Aircraft scad hose from Wick’s Aircraft Supply to connect the tee fitting to the Donaldson oil bath under the hood.
Click to expand...
Silicone elbows are the way to go. At some point I can see myself going to a Weber and dump the old Solex. Is that a Weber 32 ICH you're using (somewhere I read that).
I ran and tuned Webers wayyyyy back in my early days playing with British cars. Good carbs, easily tuned as long as you have a pocket full of assorted jets.
 
Yes, it’s a ICH from Dan Gates. It was plug and play for the most part. I did put a larger jet in. It was missing a Welch plug tho so I hadda figure that out to get it to idle. Great carbs, very simple and easy to find parts for. Mine will start immediately warm or cold. I run an unregulated electric pump but I may go back to a mechanical pump for simplicity.
 
Idaho IMP said:
Yes, it’s a ICH from Dan Gates. It was plug and play for the most part. I did put a larger jet in. It was missing a Welch plug tho so I hadda figure that out to get it to idle. Great carbs, very simple and easy to find parts for. Mine will start immediately warm or cold. I run an unregulated electric pump but I may go back to a mechanical pump for simplicity.
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Doing a little research: you are using a 34 ICH Weber. Do you have any knowledge of the jet sizes it came with as well as the venturi size (I'm guessing you have a 27 or 29 venturi). It's critical to be sized correctly for max torque at lower to mid rpm range, which is where these old V4 motors should run imo. Larger venturis shift the power band to the higher rpms.
Maybe Dan Gates set it up specific to these engines (who is he, btw?). Thanks,

Mark
 
BoyToys said:
Doing a little research: you are using a 34 ICH Weber. Do you have any knowledge of the jet sizes it came with as well as the venturi size (I'm guessing you have a 27 or 29 venturi). It's critical to be sized correctly for max torque at lower to mid rpm range, which is where these old V4 motors should run imo. Larger venturis shift the power band to the higher rpms.
Maybe Dan Gates set it up specific to these engines (who is he, btw?). Thanks,

Mark
Click to expand...
I swapped out the stock idle jet for a .60 for altitude. I dont know what size Venturi It has. I agree with you about maximizing torque at lower rpm’s. I dont like to run this over 2100 rpm’s. There’s no need. I typically run the rear end in 2nd and 2nd up front. Slow creeping or loading is 1-1 For me.
Dan Gates is Snowcat Service in Salt lake. He is a big thiokol guy and has all of the original shop drawings/build sheets for all units produced from Thiokol through to the end with Delorean.
 
Idaho IMP said:
I swapped out the stock idle jet for a .60 for altitude. I dont know what size Venturi It has. I agree with you about maximizing torque at lower rpm’s. I dont like to run this over 2100 rpm’s. There’s no need. I typically run the rear end in 2nd and 2nd up front. Slow creeping or loading is 1-1 For me.
Dan Gates is Snowcat Service in Salt lake. He is a big thiokol guy and has all of the original shop drawings/build sheets for all units produced from Thiokol through to the end with Delorean.
Click to expand...
Just resurrecting an old discussion. I think you're running a Weber 34ICH carb with a 29mm venturi. Per your comment of swapping to a .60 idle jet (vs the stock .50) to compensate for higher altitude. Higher altitude means less air and thus a proportionally richer mix. So if you go with a larger jet, you get even richer yet.
I'm no expert. My first thought would be to go with a smaller jet as altitude increases and there's less air. But then, air temperature may play a larger role than altitude. Cold air is really dense so in reality going with a larger jet might make sense after all.
What drove you to go with a larger idle jet?
 
My experience and methodology said to go larger with the jet to allow both more fuel, and more air at idle. At altitude, and at idle, air pressure is reduced, thus vacuum flow is reduced. The use of a larger jet allows an increase in both, allowing the mixture curve to behave better. In my case, at 6000’ ASF, it’s worked fine.
You’re also spot on with your thoughts. I think it depends on the carb and application. There is a lot of info on this subject on the web. I’m no genius when it comes to carbs. Not even close.
 
Idaho IMP said:
My experience and methodology said to go larger with the jet to allow both more fuel, and more air at idle. At altitude, and at idle, air pressure is reduced, thus vacuum flow is reduced. The use of a larger jet allows an increase in both, allowing the mixture curve to behave better. In my case, at 6000’ ASF, it’s worked fine.
You’re also spot on with your thoughts. I think it depends on the carb and application. There is a lot of info on this subject on the web. I’m no genius when it comes to carbs. Not even close.
Click to expand...
Man my head is spinning now. Lower air pressure and its affect on vacuum is something I have not considered. So at altitude we have to deal with less vacuum through the venturi thus pulling less fuel through the jet, and colder dense air further leaning things out.
So whenever I switch to a Weber I guess I'll just buy a handful of main and pilot jets on both sides of the spectrum from stock. Been corresponding with a dude from Eurocarbs across the ocean, selling Webers, and he's thinking I may need to go richer in the main jet just due to the colder/denser air...and we haven't even talked about the idle jet which is where most of the running is managed in the lower rpms. The definition of trial and error. Thanks for your real world experience...gives me a benchmark of sorts, though I'll not be at 6000 feet, only 3500.
 
I’ve only ever rebuilt one carb in my 51 years, and that was a 1920 Holly on an Industrial slant 6 on my dinosaur forklift. Carbs are black magic to me. I understand the basics, and that’s about all. I will tell you that the Weber carb is amazing in its function and simplicity. I think the most difficult aspect is figuring out the linkages if you don’t have them already. Like I said in one of my earlier posts, it barks off instantly, even after sitting all summer. I also run a mechanical fuel pump. It had a janky electric mounted right over the exhaust collector with crappy rubber lines. I’ve redone with copper lines running BELOW the exhaust stuff to the factory pump. It hasn’t let me down…..
 
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