My 78 K15 High Sierra build - Fish Tremble

[86454k30]

I fought the firing of my new crate 350, resetting TDC and distributor numerous times. Found my balancer for an 86 has timing mark set at 12 o'clock but the crate 350 timing tab is at 2 o'clock. Finally remarked the balancer and it lit off. Pulling my hair and concerned the whole time about ending up with a flat cam.

[rgunlock]

Hmm, bought a new balancer and pointer from Jegs at the same time as I was ordering the engine. I hope the guy helping me knew enough to put the correct parts on the order.

[7dee2]

If it will run you are close, advance or retard your timing a little whichever makes it run/start easier by ear. Look and see where your vacuum advance ends up you could be off a tooth or two. Once satisfied, break out the timing light, disconnect your vacuum advance and block off any vacuum leaks. Get the timing closer, this stage should tell you if your balancer and or mark are wonky because it’ll be off and run poorly if you try and adjust to spec.

After it’s been running and your cam is broken in look into adjusting the idle mixture (w/vacuum gauge or by ear) then retime it again (double check your settings), carb adjustments again. After a couple rounds of this, it should run pretty good for you.

[Greenlee]

Congrats on the new engine! I agree that it's too nice a truck for an old wore out motor.

I hope you have a heater in your shop so you can go out there today and get her tuned! I just went out to add some water to our pool and the line was frozen. I wasn't expecting it to get this cold.

[rgunlock]

Thanks for the pointers Brett! No heater in the shop Greenlee. It was 21 degrees when I got up this morning - I wasn't expecting it to be that cold either! I'm hoping to get back to it this weekend, but the wife's 2002 Tahoe won't crank with a brand new battery so have to figure that one out first. Working on that out in the driveway - just have to bundle up!

[7dee2]

No problem hope it helps, did you get your Tahoe going?

[rgunlock]

Well, I spent a lot of time figuring out how to troubleshoot the Tahoe's problem and decided it was a bad starter. Got voltage to it when the key was in START, but nothing happened, not even clicks. Then discovered that I couldn't get the starter out. I couldn't even back the nose out of the bell-housing. Started reading about what I'd have to remove to get some space and decided this was a job I was willing to pay someone else for.

Between that, taking down Christmas lights and mowing the yard (yes - mowing, the weeds never take a break down here) I only got a little time on my truck. Basically started over getting #1 to TDC, setting in the distributor etc. I can now get it to idle without feeding it throttle, with the distributor positioned around the center of its range for rotation so that's good. It isn't running smooth though and it is dumping a lot of unburned fuel out the tailpipes so I have a ways to go still. Minor timing adjustments don't help enough. I can imagine that I've fouled the plugs by now.

I think my next steps will be to research setting the carb to recommended starting points on adjustables, and cleaning the plugs again.

[7dee2]

Wow, from not enough fuel to too much fuel, CRAP! Sounds like a known good carb would have been helpful right about now.

Here is a link that might be helpful. http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/eng...ike-it-should/

[Greenlee]

What type of new carb did you buy? I hate to say it, but I've run brand new Edelbrock and Holley carbs before and could never get the truck running good until I switched back to a regular old rebuilt Quadrajet.

[rgunlock]

I got a rebuilt QuadraJet as well, so I should be good to go! Been watching a bunch of videos on rebuilding, troubleshooting and tuning Quadrajets done by a guy going by whosaidtyler this week so should be fully armed to go out this weekend and get this thing tuned in.

BTW, these are a very good series of videos. The guy obviously knows what he's talking about and does a very good (and thorough) job of explaining things.

[Bomp]

There are tons of great how vids on Youtube.
Will have to check it out.

[rgunlock]

Originally Posted by boynton

We want a video when it is running!

I'll obviously never make a living as a film director, but here it is!

https://youtu.be/hSFIUS7NR2o

Originally Posted by Bomp

There are tons of great how vids on Youtube.
Will have to check it out.

Yep, been watching a bunch of them and will likely watch a bunch more. Carb is tuned in reasonably close, but I still need to figure out how to really dial it in.

Aside from adjusting the choke to force it to stay open (I don't have the choke stove stuff to hook up the hot air choke), I think the carb shop just put all the adjustment screws in far enough to catch a few threads. Idle and mixture screws all needed to go in at least a dozen turns to get close. Then some back and forth fiddling between carb and timing got it running pretty well.

I LOVE the sound of this exhaust, and so stoked to know I'm just a few steps from being able to drive this thing

[7dee2]

Oh yeah, sahweet! You are da man!

[swamp rat]

I think it sounds great too! Your on your way to be driving it real soon!

[rgunlock]

Originally Posted by 7dee2

Oh yeah, sahweet! You are da man!

Originally Posted by swamp rat

I think it sounds great too! Your on your way to be driving it real soon!

Thanks! I actually completed another major (to me) milestone on the truck this weekend. I think that I am finally, finally done sanding on this truck. Over the last few weeks I've sanded off my 1st attempt at touch up paint which didn't work out and redone the touchups using a different method. Came out better the second time but had to sand the clear to blend. Finally got that done. Just need to buff the front fenders and hood and I should be able to get the exterior done. My goal is to finish that over the next 2 weeks.

[mjensen]

How sweet! Listening to that baby run makes me want to get out and get working on mine! I will be working on some small items today, so hopefully by the end of the month I can attempt to fire.

[boynton]

Looking great. Truck sounds good!

[rgunlock]

Originally Posted by mjensen

How sweet! Listening to that baby run makes me want to get out and get working on mine! I will be working on some small items today, so hopefully by the end of the month I can attempt to fire.

Glad this is helping to motivate you Mike. Good to see progress updates on your build. You'll be firing up in no time.

Originally Posted by boynton

Looking great. Truck sounds good!

Thanks!

I've finally finished the cut & buff on the front fenders and hood after having done it once. I had touchups to do on the fenders and repainted the hood. Any case, the front end is finally going back together.

I'm not sure what this grille is from. It might be an old aftermarket one. Not crazy about it but haven't found one I like better for a price I can swallow. I'd have mounted the hood but my help (2 of my grown kids) didn't show up until right at dinner time - impeccable timing as usual

[y5mgisi]

You know you need to be proud of yourself right? You have done an amazing job on this truck!

[boynton]

Originally Posted by y5mgisi

You know you need to be proud of yourself right? You have done an amazing job on this truck!

I second this...Rick has done an amazing job. It almost looks like driving time!

[rgunlock]

Originally Posted by y5mgisi

You know you need to be proud of yourself right? You have done an amazing job on this truck!

Originally Posted by boynton

I second this...Rick has done an amazing job. It almost looks like driving time!

Thank you so much guys! I am rather pleased. Only 3 things keeping me from driving this now.
1) Still haven't bled the brakes, but I have bench bled the master
2) Haven't figured out why it won't start from the key - have to use the remote start switch
3) Have to find a suitable bucket to sit on until I get the bench in

[7dee2]

Congrats on the DONE stamp for paint, looks great Rick!

[y5mgisi]

Neutral safety switch wired right?

[rgunlock]

Originally Posted by 7dee2

Congrats on the DONE stamp for paint, looks great Rick!

Thanks Brett! Got to admit I had a little celebration when I realized I was DONE sanding on this truck. Between body work, block sanding, sanding parts back down for repaint, sanding the clear, sanding the clear again after repaint, etc. I don't even want to imagine the hours I put in on that

Originally Posted by y5mgisi

Neutral safety switch wired right?

I'm thinking it might be that, or else I didn't get the ignition gear cam(?) positioned right when I had the column apart. I did buy a NOS neutral safety switch off ebay but didn't test it before putting it in. I'll get it figured out, but my priority has been to get the exterior finished.

[boynton]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

Thanks Brett! Got to admit I had a little celebration when I realized I was DONE sanding on this truck. Between body work, block sanding, sanding parts back down for repaint, sanding the clear, sanding the clear again after repaint, etc. I don't even want to imagine the hours I put in on that


I'm thinking it might be that, or else I didn't get the ignition gear cam(?) positioned right when I had the column apart. I did buy a NOS neutral safety switch off ebay but didn't test it before putting it in. I'll get it figured out, but my priority has been to get the exterior finished.

I thought you had a manual? Do you still run a neutral safety switch on the column?