Re: IML: Lean Burn (was: 440 compression??)

[Tim Durrer <tdkd99@xxxxxxxxx>]

Great explanation Chris!

I remember my days in the auto parts business that was
exactly what happened. Mechanics would blame the ELB
because they could not figure out what was wrong with
the car.

My Grandmother had a 78 Dodge Monaco 318 ELB that ran
flawlessly for many years. I wonder what those
mechanics are doing now with today's cars?

Tim Durrer
73 LeBaron

--- Christopher H <imperial67@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Not all Lean Burn cars have the label on the air
> cleaner. Only 440s so
> equipped have a ³pie pan² insert label proclaiming
> ³ELECTRONIC LEAN BURN.²
> However, all ELB cars do have a rectangular ³box²
> protruding from the side
> of the air cleaner, and the box came with a silver
> metal plate on top with
> orange and black lettering reading ³Spark Control
> Computer² or something to
> that effect. If you have a plain round air cleaner
> cover with only a snorkel
> on it, you do not have ELB.
> 
> ELB was a decent and fairly simple system and
> allowed Chryslers to pass
> emissions on regular gas through 1977 (all 1978 cars
> use unleaded). I feel
> it¹s been unfairly maligned by mechanics too lazy to
> figure out how it
> should work, or who found it easiest to blame it for
> every drivability
> problem an owner encountered. It¹s not really an
> engine management computer
> (in the modern sense) but really just an electronic
> substitution for the
> timing advance mechanism common to most
> distributors. It alters spark timing
> (nothing else) based on input from various sensors
> (I believe a total of
> six) such as coolant temperature, engine rpm, etc.,
> and allows essentially
> an infinite number of profiles to the spark advance
> curves based on actual
> driving conditions at the moment. A conventional
> distributor only has one
> curve (the curve is the shape of the graph when you
> plot the number of
> degrees of timing advance versus rpm), so it¹s a
> compromise. The ability to
> adjust timing so precisely allows the engine to run
> well on a leaner
> carburetor mixture under certain circumstances than
> would be possible with a
> single timing curve.
> 
> My ?78 NYB has its original system 100% intact and
> it is 100% functional.
> The car even passes California¹s biennial Smog Check
> like a new car, even
> though the 400 V8 in my car was not available new in
> CA because it failed to
> meet emissions standards. I¹m a believer.
> 
> ELB was less common in Canada, but if the car was
> born with it, removing it
> is neither the only solution nor necessarily the
> best solution. It¹s most
> often just an easy scapegoat for other problems or
> just insufficient
> diagnosis, which is spelled out very well in the
> Electrical Section of the
> FSM.
> 
> Chris in LA
> 78 NYB Salon
> 67 Crown
> 
> 
> On 11/29/06 2:41 PM, sosmi@xxxxxxxxxxx at
> sosmi@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> > Andrew,A lean-burn motor has a engine management
> computer, mounted on the air
> > cleaner assembly, (with lots of wires) and
> Chrysler Proudly announced it on
> > the top of the filter housing.I think this GEM
> came around 74-75. I had one on
> > my 78 NYB. I removed it, and used a 74 NY engine
> harness, distributor, and
> > coil and ballast resistor. As far as headers go, I
> would never put headers on
> > something like an Imp, or NY'er. That's my
> opinion, however the dual exhaust
> > works great.You may find the manifold(s) are
> cracked, about in the center,
> > (been there had that), in which case headers are
> an option Although I don't
> > know what would fit, without the HEAT TO BEAT TO
> FIT procedure.Ya'll have a
> > nice day, Dave.
> >  
> >> -------------- Original message --------------
> >> From: "Andrew A." <canafornia@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> I'm not planning to touch the internals of my
> engine for a while as it runs
> >> super smooth, is low mileage, and I just have way
> too many more pressing
> >> projects to warrant having still another motor
> sitting on an engine stand in
> >> the garage...This winter it willl be bodywork and
> paint which includes
> >> redoing the vinyl top..I have to take the exhaust
> manifolds off as it does
> >> have a major exhaust gasket leak on the left side
> and so am planning to go to
> >> dual exhaust and flowmasters at the same time..I
> figure I'm paying for the
> >> gas so I wanna hear it burn! ;-)...Are there any
> headers available for this
> >> year or should I just leave the manifolds as they
> are?..
> >> What exactly was a LEAN BURN car? how can you
> tell?  and how do you remove
> >> it?...I have a Canadian car, so I don't know if
> that was an option up here or
> >> not
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: sosmi@xxxxxxxxxxx
> >>> To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 11:22 AM
> >>> Subject: Re: IML: 440 compression??
> >>> 
> >>> It sounds like you have a healthy engine, but as
> far as raising compression,
> >>> I think you can get the performance
> improvements, without messing with the
> >>> engine too much.I'm not sure if you have
> a"LEAN-BURN" motor, but if you do,
> >>> that goes first. Next a dual exhaust system, I
> had a78 NYB, I used 69 440
> >>> RoadRunner mufflers with 21/4 inch tail
> pipes.Then a little carb mods.We
> >>> went 1 step further, and changed the rear axle
> ratio to 3.55 .It wasn't a
> >>> rocket-ship,but it sure ran good, and could
> still get 13-15 mpg.Raising the
> >>> compression on your engine won't help much,
> unless you change the cam, carb,
> >>> and do the above. Don't forget what your
> driving.Ya'll have a nice day,
> >>> Dave.
> >>>> -------------- Original message --------------
> >>>> From: "Andrew A." <canafornia@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >>>> great thanks!..I figured it was about normal as
> all cylinders are within
> >>>> 5PSI of each other and the motor runs smooth as
> silk but I just figured I
> >>>> would check with those "in the know".....What
> needs to be done to raise the
> >>>> compresion to the level of the high perf.
> 440's?..is it just the heads that
> >>>> are different or are the pistons also different
> from my 1975  as compared
> >>>> to the late 60's 440's?....Also how much more
> power should that give me?...
> >>>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>>> From: DR CHALLENGER
> <mailto:drchallenger@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> >>>>> To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 12:14 AM
> >>>>> Subject: Re: IML: 440 compression??
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> compession ratio was rated a 8.2 to 1, but its
> more like 7.7 or so. 125
> >>>>> PSI 
> >>>>> sounds normal.
> >>>>> .
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>>> >From: "Andrew A." <canafornia@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >>>>>>> >>Just wondering if anyone knows off hand
> what the normal good cylinder
> >>>>>>> >>compression PSI is for a 1975
> 440?...Usually I'm used to V8's being in
> >>>>>>> the 
> >>>>>>> >>145-160 range, but all my cylinders in my
> 1975 440 are between
> >>>>>>> 122-128..I 
> >>>>>>> >>understand that these are low compression
> engines but have no idea
> >>>>>>> what is 
> >>>>>>> >>considered "low compression"...Is that
> normal for these engines?
> >>>>>> >
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> 
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