I dunno couple issues

[Yupiamlo]

Hey, so I have been trying to make the driveability of my truck better its 85 c10, 2wd, 350/350. Currently it idles pretty goo in park, but when you put it in gear it dies, so you have to two pedal it everywhere. So we did cap, rotor, spark plugs, and egr gasket, its getting better but not there yet.

Ne way after doing the spark plugs, I dont think my alternator is charging, because the gauge is reading 9-10, and my running/headlights dont work. I swapped the switch out, but that wasnt it, so I stole power from another constant hot and got the lights working.

My question is why would my alternator suddenly stop? and on the light switch, their is two constant hot tabs, ones red and ones orange. Their is two orange wires, what do each do? and where do they run that they would suddenly stop working?

Thanks
-Adam

[tucsonjwt]

I am no electical expert, but check the wires to/from the alternator, and all of the wires around the spark plugs. You may have inadvertently yanked loose a wire when you were changing the plugs. If the gauge you are referring to is the voltmeter, it should read 13 volts (straight up) or a little more when idling or driving. Parts stores (Autozone, etc.) will do a quick check on your charging/starting system for free - so I would try that.
If you don't turn up any loose wires, I would replace the spark plug wires with Belden wires only (NAPA is one source for Belden, under their brand name), unless you know you have good plug wires already.
If you still have charging/driveability problems, I would call some local mechanics ask them how much they want to check out your truck. Find one with a good engine analyzer. They can track the problem down to a specific cylinder or component (like a voltage regulator, etc.) and save you throwing a lot of parts at the truck. You should be able to get an diagnosis for under $50, then you can decide it you want that mechanic to fix it or fix it yourself.

[tucsonjwt]

One more thing - check your alternator belt and make sure that it is tight. If you have a smog pump, you might have to get the belt really tight to make the alternator work correctly.

[Yupiamlo]

Alright Im gonna check for loose wires and hope I find something. Any one have any idea about the lights and their wiring

[Yupiamlo]

I went out and wiggled the wires going down to the starter and saw sparks, checked it further, and their was a wire cut in half, so I put that back togeather, ill let you know how it goes... cause now my battery is dead
-Adam

[CaliDude76]

You shouldn't have to "two pedal" it at all.. when in gear... you should first see about raising your idle speed.... make sure your timing is set right... that has some to do with your idle speed..., if that's set good... have someone put it in gear for you... hold the brakes and adjust the idle up till it stays on..

Im no expert.. but I do know that if you don't have the proper idle r.p.m's.. the alternator wont charge properly... this could help.. good luck

[Cue-Ball]

Check for vacuum leaks. Even a tiny vacuum leak will make the engine run lean and want to die at idle.

[Yupiamlo]

Yeah i replaced the egr valve gasket cause it was wasted and I have been checking and capping all the unnencessary vacuum stuff. As far as the idle goes, if I set it so it doesnt die in gear, when its in park it idles at like 1600rpm, like really high.

[78 Chevyrado]

Do you have a voltmeter and a vacuum gauge?

Check your battery voltage with the truck and everything else off. It should be 12.6v or higher. if it's lower than that it could be a bad battery or a bad alternator.

Then check the voltage again with the truck running and everything off. it should at minimum be 13.6v or higher. 14v or so is normal. If its lower then 13.6 the alternator is bad, more specifically it's usually the regulator inside went bad, or there could be bad grounds. check the connectio of the ground strap from the rear of the passenger side head to the cab, also check the negative battery cables and make sure the alternator body is making good ground. there are also grounds from the battery negative cable to the radiator support.


If you have your timing set correctly, but it still runs rough, try advancing it some and see if it goes away. just make sure you don't advance it so far it "pings". if it does back off a couple degrees till it quits. sometimes the outer ring on the balancer slips which makes the timing mark incorrect. for example, my trucks supposed to be set to 8 degrees but if i set it by the balancer, it's a total dog. so mines actually set to about 20 degrees runs like it should

The low idle in gear and super high idle in gear sounds like timing. mine did the exact same thing and it turned out the advance weights in the distributor had frozen up (they should be smooth and free with the springs loose) and the timing was way off (the distributor had moved some). also when i ran my ac the RPMS dipped like 300 rpm.

Now its all set the ac makes my idle dip about 50RPM and when I put it in gear the idle speed drops about 250RPM.

once you get the timing sorted, if it still doesn't run good at the stock specs, advance it some and see what happens. if you're not sure about your tach, the tachless way to set your idle is to set the idle at a speed ad put it in gear and quickly but deeply goose the engine. if it stalls your idle is too low. it doesn't have to run good when it dips, just so it doesn't stall, once that's set your at a good idle speed for that engine.

[Yupiamlo]

Thanks 78, yeah Im gonna check the weights my buddy mentioned them, I never thought a few degrees could make it do all that, like I understand it, but figured it would just make it run ****ty, not like at all. The outer ring thing could be part of it, no ones been able to time it right yet, if the rings off, I should still be able to spin the top of the distributor to do everything right?

Thanks, and I figured out the voltage/lights problem. When I work on my truck I sit on the rad support feet on the frame rails, and I stepped on a wire from the alternator down to the starter which was my charging, and somehow connected to the lights, fixed that wire and everything else works again.

-Adam

[dammitmitchell]

i would start be setting the truck in the absolute bone stock placements for all adjustments.
timing, and make sure your gap is correct for the distro you have an HEI gap is .045.
timing should be 10 degrees, 12 degrees if you want a little more performance.
what has been done to your motor? do you have an aftermarket carb? or tbi?
what condition is your intake gasket?(do yo know how to check for a leak?)
set your idle a little higher there will be an adjustment screw on the linkage itself. when looking look for the one screw that can physically move the link that your throttle cable is attached to. stock idle is 6-800 rpm.

is the distro connected to the correct nipple for the vaccum advance?
remove the line from the vaccum advance and plug it with a golf tee or something not agressive (try to avoid wood screws etc)
now set your timing..
get a chiltons manual. if you dont have one allready.

if those first things dont work then spray wd40 while your truck is idling , spray it with the tube attached directly onto the edges of your intake manifold. go slowly. see if your idle changes if it does your intake is leaking.
if nothing happens mist the sides of your carb, do not go over the top of your carb because this will cause the idle to change and confuse you a bit... (i still screw it up)

that's checking for bad gaskets and vaccum leaks.

[Yupiamlo]

Yeah the carb is a fresh reman quadrajet, so its nothing crazy. The intake manifold gasket is new, and i have vacuum caps for the advance. Im gonna check the weights tommorow, and Ill keep you guys posted, thanks for the help

-Adam

[dammitmitchell]

are you saying the vac advance is capped?
and when setting the timing cap the carb side =-)

[Yupiamlo]

Alright so I stopped past the speed shop yesterday to grab distributor weights and he came out and bsed with me for a few and was helping me with the truck. We ballparked the timing a lil more and he said the weights are fine, and I dont have a miss sooo.... he said its prolly in the carb and I should adjust AFR so I got it good an hot where it should be and played with it for two hours I did what your supposed to for a quadrajet and

Bottomed both AFR screws out and than turned out 1.5

Adjusted front drivers side to highest rpm
readjust idle

Adjust passenger side
readjust idle

and test drive... nothing

It still wont idle in gear... Ne help? I have them both set at 1.5 right now cause I know that should be close, but nothing im doing seems to really matter

-Adam

[dammitmitchell]

well whats your exhaust like?
does the idle change as you adjust the idle mixture screws.
to me it really sounds like a intake leak...

[Yupiamlo]

It has a "mild" cam from what the guy who built the motor says he had it in his vette. So I couldnt hear much of a difference at all when I was adjusting the idle mixture screws, how drastic of a change is it normally?
-Adam

[Yupiamlo]

Exhaust wise right now its manifolds, y pipe, and glass pack because the old exhaust fell off on the highway and I just threw it togeather real quick, but it didnt idle in gear with that exhaust either soo I dunno
-Adam

[PRattenbury]

Typically if it won't idle in gear there is a pretty bad vacuum leak somewhere. I'm lazy and I haven't read this whole thread. But I would go through the vacuum lines one by one plugging them off at the intake or carburetor. If that doesn't help, I'd check the carburetor base gasket. If there's nothing wrong there, I'd rip the intake off and replace that gasket set.

[dammitmitchell]

if you dont hear a difference it' ecause there's a vaccum leak...

[Cue-Ball]

Why not just do this the easy way? Plug a vacuum gauge off a t-fitting on the carb. If you're getting less than 18-20 Hg at idle, you've got a vacuum leak. Vacuum leaks have got to be one of the easiest, cheapest problems to diagnose. Just make it easy on yourself and get a $5 gauge from Harbor Freight and know once and for all. Once you know if you have a leak, the same gauge can easily help you find it (and a can of starting fluid helps too).

[Yupiamlo]

Yeah I dont think I found it all yet but their was a huge one at the base of the carb, so I put a new carb base gasket it on and definatley got it closer. I have the idle a little high in park, but itll stay idling in gear for like 1:30 so its getting closer. Yeah we sprayed the base of the carb and it was like I was pumpin the gas.

Cue-ball with the gauge like alright cool I know I have a vacuum leak, how will it help me find out where it is? Sorry if that sounds dumb

Nd Im retarded I just re read that thread and was so stuck on ignition I mustve ignored all the vacuum leak stuff, cause everyone mentioned it like 8 times

Thanks Again,
Adam

[dammitmitchell]

hey it takes time. that's why we kept saying it.

good luck.. just start one line at a time dude.

[Corts60]

Another vacuum situation to try:

Hook your advance vacuum line from your distributor to a "manifold vacuum" connection, either on the intake or the carb. This will advance your weights at idle and fix your timing issue.

You'll know it is manifold vacuum when you pull the hose or cap and the engine speed changes. If it is hook to a "ported" connection, your weights will not advance until you step on the gas.

Hope this helps.

-Cort

[Yupiamlo]

Yeah Im gonna keep checking all the caps and stuff for leaks and go over everything again.

Corts60 Ill try that, and I want my vacuum advance working at idle? I get that it advances timing by moving the little rod inside the distributor through the diaphragm and stuff, and that while cruising I want all my advance, but I do at idle too?

Thanks,
-Adam

[dammitmitchell]

your vehicle without the advance hooked up and line capped should idle "low"
the idle will speed up when it's reconnected.
can we get a picture of your carb minus the aircleaner so we can see if the lines are connected.
and! WHEN IN THE CAB opps capps. do you hear hissing when the brakes are applied?
if so that's the booster with a vaccum leak