LUVTruck.com

llo from a new owner of a 1980 longbed 2wd 4spd 4cyl...I'm here in Des Moines Wa, USA...

The truck is in terrible condition but runs ok...it backfires something fierce in the cold .

One
of the previous posts I may be able to eliminate that problem...thanks

eliminating the smog stuff will also fix one of my oil leaks...leaks right out of the 2 front (#1 and 2 Cyl?) "tubes" that come out of the motor (head?) - they are on the drivers side-I'm sure you'll know more than I...

I'm going to keep (restore) the truck stock with just some minor paint and wheel changes so...
Couple of questions if you all don't mind:

#1) Oil leak from rocker cover... the cover gasket is cork...it leaks in only one place...is it posible that it is broken (I was told it was replaced...but....)...or is there a sealant or commercially availiable higher quality replacement part?

#2) I was told by another LUV owner that I could remove that "tube" that runs down the drivers side of the head and plug the "holes" with brass "soft plugs" ...Yes?

#3) I would like to replace the stock carb (with all of the auto choke and freewheel (?) accessories with a VERY basic carb (manual choke, no extra stuff - fuel, air, and spark...isn't that all we need?

Do you have recomendations on a carb? And are there conversion kits availiable to make use of other models?

I don't know anything about the stock motor but welcome to the site.

Welcome

#1) I have yet to find a non cork replacement gasket, but you can get another one just like it from most parts places. I tend to get stuff online from http://www.rockauto.com but you can probably get one from your local NAPA, autozone, or whatever store. (And likely beat the price online when you take shipping into account.)

#2) That tube is part of the Air Injection Reactor system. If you have to have the vehicle smog tested, you probably won't pass without that system installed and working. The air pump that should be hooked into that AIR manifold (the tube) is also part of the same system. If you're able to get tags without smog tests, you can take off the pump, the manifold, and a vacuum valve that controls the pump that you'll find in behind/next to it. I don't know the exact size of the holes, but you should be able to find some plugs or plain bolts with matching threads to plug things up with.

#3) The best, and pretty much only carb replacement would be a Weber 32/36 DGV. There is also the DGAV which is the same thing with an electric auto choke that I would recommend over the manual choke version. One wire or so and you don't have to mess with a dash control when the truck is cold. A good place to pick one up would be http://www.carbs.net and you can find more info at http://www.redlineweber.com if you want to research some more. The 32/36 should improve mileage and boost the power when you step on it. Another good upgrade to add to the weber carb is a header to free up the exhaust side of the equation. The carb and header work better together than either on their own. More air in from the carb is helped by getting more air out through the header. You can find them a few places online as well, http://www.jcwhitney.com has the Pacesetter header, and if you can find one there is also a header made by Thorley.

Welcome to the site.

1. What 800xl said.
2. The weber DGAV is a water choke. It can be converted to a one wire electric for about 10 bucks. Or go with the DGEV, same carb with electric choke. Any weber you get you'll need an adapter to mount it with the stock manifold. If you order a new one it'll come with the manifold adapter.

oh and you'll either have to get the linkage kit or make something up yourself.

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Resident lurker

welcome to the site. i agree with the previous posts. as far as plugging the emmision rail on the head, i used old spark plugs. they are the same thread and size. use some of the smaller 5/8 plugs. thats what i did. cheap and looks different. one guy asked why i had plug wires off. i told him it was a straight 8 and i was having problems with the engine and could only use 4 cylenders. he was like oh okay. then i started laughing and told him the truth.

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1980 chevy luv 4x4 1.8 liter
1979 luv long bed parts truck
1984 2wd isuzu pup parts truck

"A man who says it can't be done shouldn't interrupt a man doing it."

dude thats awsome! i should do that whith my luv, inline 8... thats rediculouse
Welcome aboard! If you have any questions, post em and they will be answered (like demonstraited already ). Good luck whith your luv.

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

doh, I did mean DGEV there. Thanks for catching that.

I'll have to look at the spark plugs idea. I need to take that rail off my 79 (I just plugged the hose to it) and the plugs would give me something to pack into the hardware store looking for smaller (less obvious) plugs. On my 77, I cut the fittings off the rail and brazed in a chunk of rod in them to plug the hole in the middle. It works, but finding something the right size is so much easier.

well about the leak if you put on a new gasket i use permatex aviation although its hard for the next guy to get off but its good stuff it about 3-4 dollars stinks too

Thanks for the help to all...removed the smog pump...left the rail...sounds cool...pulled the gasket off and reseated it with permatex (it did stink ) to the head side...no leakie...it's all gooooood....one other question: I've gotten the motor to run pretty well but it tends to die when I disengage the clutch and "brake" to a stop...almost like the clutch isn't totaly disengaged...other than that...it runs stronger than ever and I don't have the "billow" of smoke every time I get to a light...was getting pretty dirty looks...I'll get a pic up as soon as I get it primered all one color... lol...You guys are great!!!
Thanks to you, my hands are extremely dirty_my wife's gonna scream when she touches this keyboard gotta quit leaving my gas cap on the canopy
Peace, Guitarmaniam

pick up a haynes, they have everything in there. you may need to adjust your idle. if it idles real rough, then it is prolly idling to low.

Makes me wonder if those guys who use it pass a drug test.

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More LUV than one man could ever need - Spread the LUV!
- 1976 Chevy Longbed - Daily Driver
- 1981 Chevy Shortbed 4X4 - Needs Help!
- 1981 Chevy Luv 4X4 - Newly put together

a bad dashpot is what is causing it to die. the dashpot is a round thing with a stem sticking out, it is on the side of the intake manifold bellow the carb, by the carb linkage. it should be kinda springy. basically what it does is when you let off the gas it keeps the throttle from returning too quick and making the engine die. it should rest up against the throttle linkage. i've seen them froze up before which makes them useless. it should move freely.

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1980 chevy luv 4x4 1.8 liter
1979 luv long bed parts truck
1984 2wd isuzu pup parts truck

"A man who says it can't be done shouldn't interrupt a man doing it."

You should be able to feel any clutch drag sitting with the clutch in and the truck in gear. If you feel a little lurch when you rev it, the clutch needs adjusting. If it engages right off the floor, that would be another clue. You should have a little bit of pedal travel off the floor before the clutch starts to engage.

I think only one of my LUVs even had the dash pot still on it, and it never worked. According to the book, it is for emissions so that the throttle will not close quickly and cause a short over rich condition. Extra gas was going in, and suddenly there isn't enough air to burn it, or something like that. It sounds more like a low idle problem, maybe idle mixture is off. It could also be a vacuum leak as well. The brake booster bleeds a little vac off when you hit the brakes so it could either be the source of the leak, or just enough extra "leak" to make it stumble and die. Standard vac leak check is to spray carb cleaner around the intake port/head joints and the base of the carb. If the engine changes speed, you've found the leak. All those vac hoses and other emissions bits can leak as well. A good leak detector is a chunk of vac line stuck in your ear, use the other end to listen around the carb and stuff like a stethescope.

Welcome to the site. If these knuckleheads, myself included, can't help you fix it, it aint gettin fixed. Again, Welcome aboard, pull up a stump, and grab a cold one.

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Hammer to fit, paint to match.
If it aint broke, don't fix it.
There's always room for duct tape and bailing wire.

WATCH YOUR PIEHOLE!!!!!!

still no leak, how cool is that...not surprised about the vaccum bleed from the brakes...I'll check out the thing next to the carb...I have a Haynes (was given it with the truck...I also have the carb rebuild kit but after I saw how many parts are involved, imagine my trepidation at pulling the carb apart
The clutch is ok...it is probably the brake vaccum bleed off...
Peace...

not to tough to rebuild the carb....just put it all out on a nice big bench and dont forget where stuff goes!!! And if you have parts left over when ur done, well...take it back apart...

well the only time the dashpot is crucial is when your luv is idleing real low. if your dashpot is bad you can idle it up a little and it won't die.( my friend had to do this to keep his from dying) and we plugged all the vaccuum lines on his. mine has a perfectly working dashpot plus all the vaccum lines plugged in and it will idle real low with no problems.

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1980 chevy luv 4x4 1.8 liter
1979 luv long bed parts truck
1984 2wd isuzu pup parts truck

"A man who says it can't be done shouldn't interrupt a man doing it."

Once warmed up my 79 will idle smooth clear down to about 3-400 RPM if I adjust it there. Mind you from a cold start its another story, but warm it idles great. At the moment the dashpot from it is sitting in a box of parts and the only vac lines plugged in at all are the brake booster, distributor vacuum advance and the PCV hose. Not to pick a fight there 81luv4x4, but I think that dashpot is only crucial when the smog man says "where is your dashpot?"

That dashpot is supposed to keep the carb from clamping closed too quick and causing a sudden drop in air flow when there is still fuel moving through the intake. Without enough air to burn it, that fuel dumps out the exhaust as excess hydrocarbon emissions.

i'm not claiming that thats not why its there. i just know from experience that thats the 1 thing we eliminated the problem (my friends luv dying) to. its very possible that it wasn't the cause of the problems, or that something else was actually wrong and the dashpot was helping to solve it. like maybe the throttle was closing to much and the dashpot was keeping it open enough to run. i did check my manual and you are right about its purpose being for emmisions. i did think of another thing (which i doubt is the cause). i know that my ignition switch is worn really bad and every once in a while my luv will start to die, and if i hurry and wiggle the key it won't die. you might also check and make sure all the selenoids on the carb are plugged in. 1 more thing, my hitachi carb sometimes gets loose at the base, where the top of the carb bolts on to the base( where the butterfly valves are and the throttle linkage) this creates a major vacuum leak. and it starts running bad and doesn't like to idle. this has happened a couple times. i just tighten it back down and it starts running fine. i can't wait till i get it inspected so i can put my weber on.

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1980 chevy luv 4x4 1.8 liter
1979 luv long bed parts truck
1984 2wd isuzu pup parts truck

"A man who says it can't be done shouldn't interrupt a man doing it."