hi ive got a 67 riviera 430 in england and was wondering if altering the length of the switch linkage attached to the carb alters when then pitch changes also whats the easiest way to check if its even working (not many experts around my way) cheers for any help stuart
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable I never had a switch pitch car, but if I remember well you will find two electrical connections on the side of the transmission. One is for the S/P operation, the other one is for the kick-down operation. :TU: Here is an online version of the 1967 Buick Chassis Service Manual, click here for the Super Turbine 400 transmission section :Comp: From an Oldsmobile website:
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable There is some adjustment, and the procedure is in the 67 Buick Chassis Manual. You should have high stall at closed throttle/idle, low stall off idle, and high stall at over 60% throttle. There are two switches, one on the throttle linkage near the carburetor, the other up near the firewall. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-Buick-...ash=item3ac774cf25:g:ljEAAOSwnFZXWE1l&vxp=mtr
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable I've had zero issue with my ST400 drivetrain. I had a diagnostic done 10k miles ago, not much wear at all after >130k miles. Does the Edelbrock carb have the correct linkage for the switch-pitch plunger?
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable I don't know if the linkage is right .I can here the solinoid click when ignition is switched on but when driving g you have to push your foot almost through the floor then it sort of kicks down but not instantly I thought it would push you in the seat and smoke the tyres but no .Gonna check timing on the weekend oil change new plugs then have another go cheers Stuart
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable That is typical of the switch pitch valve bodies. They lack a 3-2 valve, so it requires full throttle for a kick down. Buick intended the car to accelerate on the hi stall of the converter, so the tendency to kick down from 3-2 is diminished by the calibration. The converter should go to hi stall after 60% throttle. It may not be doing that, and that would seriously affect acceleration. Read this article by Mark Deconti. It explains shifting characteristics of the SP. http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/SPTrans.htm You may be missing both these controls.
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable There are two switches that should be on you car. One is a micro switch on the gas pedal linkage and another attached to the carburetor similar to the pic attached. The one on the carb has actually two electrical contacts. The first is the portion for the SP and is activated at just past 1/2 throttle. It will energize one solenoid to put the torque converter into high stall. This portion is also attached to the micro switch on the pedal linkage to activate high stall at idle to reduce load on the engine. The second part of the carb switch is the kick down portion. When the switch is pushed all the way in there will be a noticeable "click" and power is sent to the second solenoid in the trans to drop it into a lower gear. The main adjustment is to have the carb fully opened and the switch completely "bottomed" so that kick down will happen. There really is no other adjustment than that. Switch not bottomed and there is no kick down. Switch adjusted to bottom too early and the carb does not open all the way. In order to test all of this, you will need to use a test light at either the connections at the carb switch or at the plug end at the transmission. The plug at the trans forms a "T", with the horizontal prong being the SP and the vertical one being kick down. With the key on, there should be power at the top prong since the micro switch sends power at idle. Lightly step on the pedal and the light should go off as the micro switch will "open". Unplug the micro switch connector at the carb switch and disconnect the carb switch from the carb. Push the switch in to at least 1/2 or more and the top prong should have power again as the carb switch will make contact. Once that all checks out, push the carb switch in until it "clicks" and check for power at the vertical prong. The test light should go on. If all this works properly, the electrical switches are working properly. Next, take a wire from the positive side of the battery and test the plugs at the transmission and listen to hear if the solenoids are working. The vertical prong will be easier to hear than the horizontal one. Now the reality check. After almost 50 years, the switches could have issues. On my 67 GS400, the carb switch has been inconsistent. The ancient grease inside the switch has thickened and the electrical contacts have been sporadic. Vigorously moving the switch in and out has helped, but it will cake up from time to time. There are no "new" switches available and any new old stock ones could also have this issue. Depending on the condition of the trans solenoids, they may not function as well. Also check out this article. http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/SPTrans.htm Hopefully the guy who wrote this knows what he is talking about! :Brow: An original 67 valve body in the trans is not setup to kick down to 1st at greater than 15-20 mph. Follow the article and you will also see that the 3-2 kick down is limited as well. Hope this gives you a bit more to go on.
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable Other than the converter weight issue, why sometimes the negativity towards a switch pitch setup that iv'e seem to come across every now and then? My 66 GS SP300 didn't give me any issue's.
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable Really? I never noticed that. I used a switch pitch set up for 14 years, and I loved it especially when I installed the modified 12" converter from Jim Weise. The only downside for me was once I changed engines to my current 470, hi stall was a bit too high, and lo stall, a bit too low. Switching to a fixed pitch 10" made improvements in drive ability around town where I do most of my driving.
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable hi thanks for all the information it looks like a weekend testing then hopefully ill get to light up the tires at the end of the day cheers stuart
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable In your other post you said that the car has no power, so you think this is transmission related and not engine (ignition/timing/fuel) related? When you have the transmission in park, does the engine rev up like it should, instant throttle response?
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable I can't remember the specific complaints or threads or if it was even on this forum. Some seemed to say just toss the switch pitch and go with a fixed stall. I believe also it was about a street driven car. I guess everyone has their own opinion but I found it strange as it seems its the perfect setup to have for some as it could be the best of both worlds. Like you in 10 years on a stock 66 GS no issue's. To get the high stall, down shift to 1st gear as it was a SP300 and all 4 barrels kicking in from a 30 mph roll was quite nice. I guess as long as we were happy Sweet cars by the way Larry!
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable Agreed, but the further away from stock you get, the better off you are with a fixed pitch. When I was in the 13's and 12's, the switch pitch was the ultimate. With this motor, the fixed pitch is so much better.
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable Hi to clarify 1 Engine revs nicely and sound sweet at stand still 2Living in England this is my first v8 and auto in 25 years 3To me it feels a bit sluggish it drives nice but doesn't throw you in the seat 4 I've never heard of switch pitch until I wondered what the switch on the carb was for 5Most importantly I must be quicker than my brothers Ford Capri UK model 2.8i
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable I don't know what year your brother's Capri is, but here is a comparison between a model year 1982 2.8 L. V6 Capri and the 1967 Riviera: Click here for loads of data :Comp: (HP and torque numbers are SAE Gross for the Buick and DIN for the Capri) 0 to 100 KPH / 62.13 MPH: For our North American board members, maybe wondering what a Ford Capri looks like: A model year 1985 Capri III in Berkley, Michigan on Bring a Trailer :Comp: The earlier models were sold in the North America as a Mercury Capri, I'm not sure if the Capri III (German version with LHD) was also officially exported to that continent. The 1979-1986 Mercury Capri was in fact a Ford Mustang.
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable Here's a picture of my '67 Riviera that I believe is all stock if it will help at all. Let me know if you need any others.
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable Finished early today so i decided to check all the switches i followed dcm442 instructions and this is what i found The top of T had power with the key on applied light throttle and the current stayed on all the way to full throttle i then checked the micro switch it wasnt switching so removed it checked it and then refitted it with a small shim to stop it fouling on the linkage checked it again and now its working as dcm422 explained Then checked the signal at the carb end and the signal was intermittent stripped and cleaned the valve body reassembled and check again Everything back together got under car and heard both clicks Went for test drive and the acceleration is definitely better and the kickdown is more noticeable Now waiting for delivery of a new timing light so i can check that next Thanks again for the help stuart
67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable Just driving around, that switch pitch converter is going to be tighter than a fixed converter, good for mileage but bad for intermediate performance. When the throttle is mashed you will get the performance of a much looser converter, the engine getting into its power rpm range sooner. The trouble with that mechanical linkage control, is it only gives you the high stall performance mode at idle or near full throttle. You can get the additional performance and smoothness of a switch pitch converter in all driving modes, by using an electronic switch pitch controller. Do check the condition of your timing chain. The plastic ages and falls off the cam sprocket; you need an all steel set by now. Bruce Roe
Re: 67 riviera switch pitch is it ajustable I just love it when all the advice comes together and works out:beers2: stu430 i'm curious to what gears you have in the back or if its a posi? I'm sure your car is running a bit sluggish but it's also a 5000lb car that you have to take into consideration. My 73 Riv non stage 455 just boggled me on how well it moved, it just didn't seem right that it should move that well considering the mileage and weight and that non posi highway gearing but like I mentioned it was a heavy car. Have you reached that throw you back in the seat feeling yet with the work youv'e done so far?
