Starting my engine build

[Mrturner1]

I'm going to get a 190 thermostat today because that's what the truck came with. I'm also going to get a 16lb radiator cap because mine is a 7lb and I think that'll help. How do I test the water pump to be sure it's working? Take a hose off somewhere and run it to see if water shoots out?

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by SnS C10

start with the basics. check bolts, timing, adjust carb. if it heats up, check, remove, or replace thermostat. If it still heats up, try a stock fan and shroud

Will definetly check timing today as well. Thanks for helpin out

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

I'm going to get a 190 thermostat today because that's what the truck came with. I'm also going to get a 16lb radiator cap because mine is a 7lb and I think that'll help. How do I test the water pump to be sure it's working? Take a hose off somewhere and run it to see if water shoots out?

Just do one thing at a time when you try to solve it. A 16lb cap seems like a lot, maybe not for an aluminum radiator, I'm not really sure. My radiator shop guy recommended a lighter cap when I had mine flushed. Probably a little easier on the heater core also. I'd start with timing... see what that does, then maybe the thermostat, see what that does, and so on.

Did you end up bypassing the heater core like you asked about? If you pump isn't working, your heater wouldn't really have any heat and the heater hoses would not get very warm.

When you know the engine is cool, open the cap and make sure the radiator is full. Once the thermostat opens up, you may be able to see water flowing through the radiator as it comes out of the top hose (or when its cool, try taking out the thermostat and running it) Can see water moving through with some, but not always.

Also, have you figured out your lower hose issue yet? Do a search on this site for that issue. It's been discussed many times already. If its getting pinched off, maybe the water pump isn't getting what it needs. That might actually be the first thing to start with.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by BrianG

Just do one thing at a time when you try to solve it. A 16lb cap seems like a lot, maybe not for an aluminum radiator, I'm not really sure. My radiator shop guy recommended a lighter cap when I had mine flushed. Probably a little easier on the heater core also. I'd start with timing... see what that does, then maybe the thermostat, see what that does, and so on.

Did you end up bypassing the heater core like you asked about? If you pump isn't working, your heater wouldn't really have any heat and the heater hoses would not get very warm.

When you know the engine is cool, open the cap and make sure the radiator is full. Once the thermostat opens up, you may be able to see water flowing through the radiator as it comes out of the top hose (or when its cool, try taking out the thermostat and running it) Can see water moving through with some, but not always.

Also, have you figured out your lower hose issue yet? Do a search on this site for that issue. It's been discussed many times already. If its getting pinched off, maybe the water pump isn't getting what it needs. That might actually be the first thing to start with.

I left the heater hose alone and the heater works great. I also got a new lower radiator hose, it took 3 different hoses to find the right one lol the one I got is kinked just a tiny bit right at the water pump side, but much less than the old hose I took off

[GASoline71]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

Is the temp more accurate in the driver side head? Cleaner would look better, I just need a plug for the intake

Sorry for the late response... but yes, you will get a more accurate temp reading at the cylinder head.

Plugs for the intake can be bought at any auto parts store.

Gary

[Mrturner1]

Well I decided to tinker with the truck some today and I pulled the 160° thermostat out and replaced it with a new 180° thermostat and it never got hot again, I think that 160 was getting stuck. Now it stays around 180 and jumps up sometimes to 190 and cools right back down to 180 again...mission accomplished.

HOWEVER, I almost had my first electrical fire. I got it running good and I was playing with timing a little and it started sputtering really bad, then died. Started it back up a couple times, died right away. Then I noticed smoke coming from the firewall behind the air cleaner. Pulled the wires out and they were hot to the touch. Hurried to take negative cable off of the battery, and then it stopped upon removing that.

I took a couple pics of the smoke and AMAZING wiring job the PO did. This makes THREE wiring shananigans I've found so far.

[Mrturner1]

The culprit (I would think anyway)

[Mrturner1]

Now about the tuning. I set the total timing when it was at 3000 RPM to 32° 34° and 36°, and each time the headers would start to glow. From what I've read the headers will glow if the timing is too much retarded correct? Would the octane of gas make the headers glow? Had premium with octane boost before, I ran out of that this morning and went and got 5 gallons of 91 but didn't buy any octane booster this time

[Mrturner1]

Ok!!! I got the timing dialed in and really got to learn the details and fine tuning aspect. My fiancé came outside and was my gas pedal and my tach watcher so I was able to stay under the hood and see what the whole curve looked like. I started with TOTAL (initial and mech, vacuum plugged) set at 34* and I set it at 3500 RPM's. Then I had her start at idle and sloooowly creep up to 3500 rpm so I could watch the curve the whole time. My initial timing is now 14* with vacuum plugged, my distributor has 20* of mechanical timing, and it's all in at 3300~3400 rpm.

If I let it run for a minute at high rpm (3000 or above) the headers start to glow a little. I know this isn't timing now because she's dialed, so I'm thinkin it's lean. Never jetted a carb before so this will be cool.

The engine temp never got past 195 degrees even running it hard a handful of times up to almost 4000 rpm. Actually had to turn the fans OFF so it would get to 190 so I could time it

So there's a ton of good news. I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park, but it pouring down rain so I'm SOL on driving it until probably Tuesday.

[Mrturner1]

I tried to upload some videos I took, but my phone won't do it. Says it needs wifi so I'll get some vids up asap

[Mrturner1]

Got some clear skies and took the truck out, bogged REALLY bad when under a load. Not driveable. Also sounds like there's an exhaust leak on the passenger side now, pretty bad one too

[Mrturner1]

Any ideas guys?

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

Got some clear skies and took the truck out, bogged REALLY bad when under a load. Not driveable. Also sounds like there's an exhaust leak on the passenger side now, pretty bad one too

20 degress of timing all coming in a such a short rpm range sounds off to me. I thought it to be a graduated system.

Initial on mine is about 10. Runs great

Adjustable vac advance from pertronix. Its a great little unit for taking detonation out. Also for drive-ability and fine tuning.

On my mechanical springs I used a lighter set that would let the weights fly out quicker as my engine is mostly stock.

Bogging sounds like not enough timing around the 2500-3300 range if my problems solving is correct.

Thats all a part of the fun in these trucks, once you completely learn the systems, its a piece of cake. (sometimes)

[68c10owner]

Every engine is going to be different. Performance engines like timing. You could bring it in sooner but it doesnt sound bad.

The bog sounds like carb adjustment. You will need to readjust the mixture since you messed with the timing. You may need to change the position on the accelerator pump. Im not a fan of edelbrock carbs so I cant help with any tining tricks on them.

[68c10owner]

Do you have the vacuum advance hooked up? You will want to run it especially for a street cruiser.

[toolboxchev]

One positive thing about Edelbrocks, once they are dialed, they stay set for the most part.

I would focus on either a cleaning first, then look at dialing it in.

I have had mine on for 8 years since new, I have had to adjust it only due to an increase in knowledge. ON Ethanol!

[swamp rat]

Keep in mind the lighter springs only let the distributor go to maximum advance sooner, heaver springs later in the rpm range, they will still reach the same maximum advance eventually, but if the springs are too light the engine can advance too soon, if the engine advances too soon it can place added load on the engine (bogg) and also create and pre ignition

The vacuum canister is changeable and is what controls total vacuum, most are adjustable via an Allen wrench screw inside the vacuum tube port to fine tune total advance.

If you went for a drive before and it wasn't bogging (post 705) but now with timing changes its now its bogging and possibly has pre ignition which sounds like an exhaust leak at times then maybe its not the carb, maybe its too much advance per a given rpm range and/or also too much total advance. A step heaver on the springs Or reduce your total advance down to 28-30 or try a heavyer set of springs.

I want you to understand where I'm coming from, the more powerful the engine the less total advance it needs, I have this page stashed away in my faves, give it a read:

http://www.badasscars.com/index.cfm/...d=76/prd76.htm

Now with all this lets look at the carb issue, on post 705 i'm going to quote you as saying the following...

"When I drove it out onto the main road it was running great and felt very very powerful much more power and torque than before. I drove it for about 25 minutes so I can watch the trans temp gauge and engine temp gauge and everything stayed nice and cool no matter how I drove it. The throttle response was pretty good and even when I was in third gear at low speed I could stomp it and it would pick up and go pretty good"

If the carb was this close before the changes you made in the timing are not going to affect the carb that much!

If the carb is too lean its going to surge not bogg, if its too rich your gonna see some black smoke out the exhaust, you have a bigger engine which may require more fuel on the top end (mains) it is possible that the primary's may need to go a size larger or the metering rods adjusted or changed. but without doing any plug readings or having it dyno tuned with an exhaust sniffer your just taking pot shots at it.

Yea i still think its about the timing.

[Mrturner1]

I totally agree because that post you quoted me on, I remember that drive and it was awesome (except that that the distributor wasn't tight lol) I stomped it from a dead stop and it blew the tires in all three gears. Now if I could just get back to that timing

[Mrturner1]

Well here's another funny story. When I drove yesterday the throttle linkage pulled one of the spark plug wires off the distributor. So that was the exhaust leak noise and the bogging lol

I just drove it and it screams, runs cool, and has much more than it used to. It still needs a little tuning though, but I think the carb is fine as is. Here's what it does that I'd like to tune out of it. Idle drops way down when you put it in gear from Park, and it wasn't a great sounding idle either, kind of a steady cu-chunk ca-chunk ca-chunk instead of the nice big cam idle. No load throttle response is real good. And it did some deiseling when I shut it down. Never had it do that before, but this stuff seems relatively easy to fix

[Mrturner1]

Now that I can use the info I've been reading about timing and tuning, the fun factor is really back again. It was so frustrating having wires grounding out and smoking and the distributor hold-down being crooked, and the other crap that was happening. I was starting to think I went crazy because everything I read, I applied, and I was just making things worse.

[cadillac_al]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

Idle drops way down when you put it in gear from Park, and it wasn't a great sounding idle either, kind of a steady cu-chunk ca-chunk ca-chunk instead of the nice big cam idle. No load throttle response is real good. And it did some deiseling when I shut it down. Never had it do that before, but this stuff seems relatively easy to fix

That sounds exactly like a vacuum leak. I had those same exact symptoms until I found the leak. Then it went into gear with a smooth strong idle.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by cadillac_al

That sounds exactly like a vacuum leak. I had those same exact symptoms until I found the leak. Then it went into gear with a smooth strong idle.

I was thinking it needs a little more initial timing, that way I could crank the idle screw down a bunch.

[Mrturner1]

What's the most basic way to check for a vacuum leak? Would that have to be a cracked vacuum line or is there the possibility of an intake manifold gasket leak or carb gasket?

I'm almost afraid to check for what's wrong lol you guys have been such a big help and I'm juggling with different diagnosis just to find a spark plug knocked off the distributor

[Tynee]

With the truck idling, Spray a little carb cleaner around areas that are prone to vacuum leaking. When the idle goes up, you found your leak.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by Tynee

With the truck idling, Spray a little carb cleaner around areas that are prone to vacuum leaking. When the idle goes up, you found your leak.

Is carb cleaner going to eat the new paint off the engine?