Shifting mystery, and incidental whacky noise

[71superbug]

I haven't seen mention of this in prior posts, so thought I'd ask. I am having a bit of an issue with  "engagement" when it is hot out. When I take the car to work in the very earl AM it is only about 68 degrees and everything works picture perfect. When I get out of work it is usually around 85 degrees or so, and when first driving all is well. After 15 minutes or so, the clutch starts engaging much more slowly, almost, but not completely to the embarassement level (oh, come on..). If I give a bit 'O gas, she goes right in and off we go lickety split. Any ideas on an underlying cause? Hope it sounds familiar to someone.
One other thing I was wondering about, as this my one and only autostick... When you shut the car off, is it normal to hear an air escaping noise? Let me explain. If you have ever seen the movie "The Princess Bride", when Billy Crystal is describing the sound coming out of (dead blond guy, don't remember name) as "to blave". That second part, blaaaavve, my car does that when shut down. For about a second and a half or so, just like Billy says it, Blaaaaaave. Very odd to me, but maybe normal?? Has done it the last 4 years, but I seem more aware of it lately. I know it isn't the hoses since all are replaced and I have rechecked the clamps. 
Cheers from the steamy south.

[volkenstein]

'71,
    Your weird noise? I wouldn't call that normal. The vac tank is good for maybe 4 or more shifts after shutdown.
If you've done the hoses with Belmetric stuff, I suspect the intake flapper valve has been "flipped" and isn't working like it should.

Remove the hose at the CV coming from the manifold. Get a VERY bright torch and have a look in the CV pipe. You should see a small spring holding down the flapper valve valve. How is yours?

It also may explain your selection issues. I'll ponder some more, but I first thought of "expansion" cracks/leaks...


HTH
Volkenstein

[71superbug]

Well, I'll be damned, didn't even know that one existed. Are you speaking of the connection below the carb?  There is a spring in there?? Will pull off that connection and look... Have been futzing fot the last couple years, first I heard of this issue.
I notice you said Expansion/leaks. Have had a sneaking feeling about the vacume tank for a while now. Rusty spots that make me go Hmmmmm. Don't know if they are surface or an actual hole. Could that make the Blaaaavve sound, if a pinhole there?. Can fix that easy enough. Will do that anyway just for the heck... A conundrum.

[Bookwus]

Hiya 71,

Are you speaking of the connection below the carb? 

I believe what Sean means is to take a look at the other end.  Specifically into the control valve body where that 12 mm hose hooks up to the control valve.

There is a spring in there??

Not in the intake manifold.

Rusty spots that make me go Hmmmmm. Don't know if they are surface or an actual hole. Could that make the Blaaaavve sound, if a pinhole there?.

Well, they are already making you hum  , so it's entirely possible they could also be making the noise you're hearing.

[71superbug]

I know the connection you are speaking of, funny, have been wiggling on that before! Will look again and see if something is amiss there. Am off from work tomorrow so will putz with the vacume tank and see what I find. The whole thing is really a "search and destroy" mission isn't it? Not so different from the Huey's and such from the same era. It may be simple, but still gotta track it down....