I took my wife for a drive in the new family member, a '68 Barracuda (225, most likely rebuilt but possibly by someone with even poorer mechanical skills than me) and after about 25 miles of highway, advancing at a stop sign, it suddenly felt like the throttle got stuck halfway open. Luckily the little slant six didn't overpower the brakes. Anyway, I pulled over and towed her home but now it's time to try to figure out what happened. Here's what I know:
1) I don't know very much about slant six engines.
2) The carb that came with the car was a weird Holley 2209 from an AMC so...
3) I replaced it with a Holley 2280, as I saw recommended as on the Slant Six forum. No choke.
4) The throttle linkage is not exactly straight but after some tinkering, got it to work fine
5) There was no stud for the air filter so I fashioned one with a piece of 1/4 20 and a few nuts and a washer. (I've driven this car a few hundred miles with no problems)
6) After today's episode, when I popped the hood at the side of the road, the nuts and bolt holding the air cleaner had disappeared. The throttle is in idle position.
7) If I start the car, she jumps up to what sounds like 2000+ rpm, and I hear something like an intermittent clatter (but shut it off pretty quick, fearing the worst)
Before I remove the intake and look for carnage:
What might make this happen?
Is it possible that the washer (or nut, or stud) could have gotten sucked into the intake?
Also... totally embarrassing when some dudes are admiring your car in a parking lot and a tow truck shows up.
