Restoring Rusty

[Titomars]

Originally Posted by Gregski

Thanks, and yeah, this is one of the few design flaws of our beloved trucks, that silly lip in the bottom of the radiator core support catches water, dirt, and of course battery acid drippings. The other terrible design flaw is the taco hood. Another one would be the dumb always on blower fan in the cabin, so annoying. Then there's the lame fuel tank filler neck that you have to squat and hold the gas pump nozzle just right or it will run on the side of the truck, LOL. There may be one more, but I forget.

In GM's defense, I would argue over some of those said design flaws.
when the fuel filler location were designed the filler nozzles of the day were of the old type (like a diesel nozzle) they were not problem like the vapor recovery nozzles are.

The "taco" hood was a DOT mandate to all manufacturers. before the event of the folding hood, In a front end collision the hoods had a better than average chance of entering the passenger compartment and under enough cases decapitating occupants.
due to their flat design, the real cause of the hoods bending over time is lack of lube to the hinges.

The blower on always was not a defect this was GM wide feature of their "Flow-Through" ventilation system. A lame idea in my book, but........

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by Titomars

The blower on always was not a defect this was GM wide feature of their "Flow-Through" ventilation system. A lame idea in my book, but........

I don't know if its true or not but read somewhere it was to create positive cabin pressure to keep exhaust fumes out of the passenger area.

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by Titomars

In GM's defense, I would argue over some of those said design flaws.
when the fuel filler location were designed the filler nozzles of the day were of the old type (like a diesel nozzle) they were not problem like the vapor recovery nozzles are.

The "taco" hood was a DOT mandate to all manufacturers. before the event of the folding hood, In a front end collision the hoods had a better than average chance of entering the passenger compartment and under enough cases decapitating occupants.
due to their flat design, the real cause of the hoods bending over time is lack of lube to the hinges.

The blower on always was not a defect this was GM wide feature of their "Flow-Through" ventilation system. A lame idea in my book, but........

If you have one that hasn't been modified there are hooks and tabs to catch the back of the hood in a collision so the A-pillars aren't getting the brunt of the impact.
I've had four of these 73-80 trucks that had hinges that were properly lubed by the owner. All of them had zero bends in the hood.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

The lower built in nut is missing.

yup, good eye, and since you have a '79 also you mind checking what yours looks like, if you have not put the front end back together already that is, did GM get lazy and say why use 4 bolts when 3 will work, LOL

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

Family first

true

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

Oh my...

I am kicking myself for not buying a second set of these Vortec heads I just saw recently already pulled at a junkyard, just laying there in the back of some Suburban

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

California weather is so good you don't need the heater core...What's gives?

yup, pretty much, plus The Greg don't like cluttered engine bays

[Jake Wade]

If you have a set of factory Vortec wire retainers, by all means use them. I have used them many times with headers, they are great. All it takes is some minor clearancing of the header flange where the looms bolt to the head.

You can buy air cleaner spacers for cheap available in various heights if you didn't want to go the carb spacer route.

Did you set the valves?

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Jake Wade

Did you set the valves?

Did you mean adjust the valves, if so than yes, no wiggle plus a 1/4 turn. That's a starting point anyway, if they chatter they can be readjusted.

[Jake Wade]

Originally Posted by Gregski

Did you mean adjust the valves, if so than yes, no wiggle plus a 1/4 turn. That's a starting point anyway, if they chatter they can be readjusted.

As long as each lobe was on the base circle when you did it.

I use the EO/IC method. Never have to pull the covers back off.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Jake Wade

If you have a set of factory Vortec wire retainers, by all means use them. I have used them many times with headers, they are great. All it takes is some minor clearancing of the header flange where the looms bolt to the head.

Thanks Jake, motivated by your comments, I fandangled with the passenger side (the easier side in my case) using the stock Vortec head retainers and clips, and though I used them in an unconventional way by attaching them using the valve cover bolts, this might could work, after I get the proper wire lengths sorted out, also being a perfectionist I may trim off that piece of each bracket with the hole punch hole in it, not sure what that was for anyways, probably will find out as soon as I cut them off, lol

now gentlemen, please don't t think I am obsessing over this, though it may seem that way, all The Greg is trying to do is put off the cleaning of the engine bay, ha ha

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

Hey I realize you're on to other things. However, can you coach me on the order in which the parts go back on as far as the grill and core support? My core support is already in place with the finders and headlight harness. Now I'm stuck.

LOL, you give me too much credit, mine is only held on by the two big bottom bolts with the rubber bushings and maybe one bolt on each side on top to each fender, just enuff to mount the radiator to run the engine

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

100 pages...

huh? do you mean on this thread? cause I show 160? are our view preferences set different?

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by chaplain

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[68Timber]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

So I really want to understand but can somebody explain to me what I'm supposed to be learning here.

Well, here's how I'd describe it. Think of the vacuum advance as a radio volume knob, under what conditions do we turn it up (timing) and how do we go about it (under what engine conditions - specifically vacuum and rpm). Not to mention mechanical advance (weights and springs).

I don't know much at all about it, but enough to recognize that Rich has done his homework and I'd be comfortable trying his recommendations. And that's not a slam against Greg, he's obviously following manufacturer's directions given for the combo he's running. But even on a stock motor you can bump the timing up from the factory recommended number for a little more get up and go, the question is how much. I think Rich may have studied that question a long time and has some good input.

At least I think that's what we're talking about.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

So I really want to understand but can somebody explain to me what I'm supposed to be learning here.

the way I learn and what I look for is some guidelines or heuristics (ie rules of thumb) I think I picked up a few, I call these my book ends, in other words imagine a bookshelf of distributor knowledge on the left we have the #1 bookend dealing with initial timing, and on the right we have the #2 book end ie total timing

1. mechanical advance should not kick in at idle RPM, be it 600 RPM or 750 RPM, if it does it's a waste. this is when you are setting initial timing and you disconnect the vacuum canister on your distributor and plug the vacuum nipple on your carburetor (be it up top aka ported, or on the base, aka manifold) you don't want vacuum advance during this procedure

2. total advance (a misnomer for sure is really initial plus mechanical, but we call it total, ok what ever, total to me would be initial plus vacuum plus mechanical, but lets not go there, I call that one All In Timing) so anyway total advance for a small block chevy is 36* so that's our upper max, still with the vacuum advance can disconnected you get this reading whilst reving up the engine way high in RPMs like 3500 until the advance no longer advances. (when you connect the vacuum advance you can have as much as 54* of advance and that's ok, but thats a whole other discussion)

so there two points to add to your toolbox of know how, this only scratches the surface but I think I am right at least on these two issues

[Jake Wade]

Yes, obviously that was far an auto, it slipped my mind you had a manual.

If you like your curve the way it is, then leave it. I like all in somewhere around 3000 and the blue springs with those weights and center plate provide that.

[rich weyand]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

Rich just keep that knowledge flowing. I'm a few weeks from my own timing exercise.

Start a thread about it and I'll hang out on it while you get it together. I don't follow every thread.

First is to check what advance can you have. It is probably poorly suited. Get an AR23 equivalent (see my post about 20 posts up), or you can get an adjustable one and spend a lot of time to tinker with it, but you're just going to end up in the same place.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

I wonder if that door has a crack in the jam where the hinge bolts on. I discovered that situation on my sagging door...after I did all of the same things you are doing.

you're saying look for a crack in the door or in the cab?

and I am still trying to wrap my mind around those square holes in the hinges are they supposed to give us some manuverability in door alignment, I tried pushing the door all the way outward from the cab and didn't know what the hewk that did, than I did the opposite and pulled the door in tight inward towards the cab in those square holes and again had no idea what that did, LOL

how risky is it to remove the hinges from the cab and start all over from scratch, would removing the front fender be the proper way to align these doors, if my grandpa was a car guy I'm sure that's how he would have taught me to do it, start from the B pillar aka an imovable object and work my way forward to the front of the truck

[twcoley]

Those strikers you are looking at from Classic Parts are Stainless and are show grade pieces

[peabobble]

Mine was cracked on the door side also. Welded it with a crackerbox and small rod. Would have been better with a decent welder (machine and operator) Not pretty since I hadn't welded in a few years, but passable with a little grinding and paint.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

50 series Flows dumping to the ground...Thanks for the lesson on uploading pics. I'm practicing on your thread.

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very nice I forgit what year is your truck so do you got a cat on it or no, cause the newerer rigs that must have cats may be drone free cause of that extra can in the exhaust system, just a thought