What did you do to your truck today!

[tarafied1]

I have been disappointed with the power and fuel mileage with my 72 Cheyenne Super. I have only recently bought it. I like all cars/truck but I have been into Fords a long time. I really couldn't understand why this 350 was such a pooch. I know it's about 4,000 lbs. and only a 3.07:1 rear gear but come on! Then I calculated my gas mileage yesterday and it was 7.4 mpg! So I decided something had to be wrong. The PO had converted it to HEI and I put a Holley 600 vacuum secondary on it because the quadrajet was long gone when I bought it. Today I decided to check the timing. First, I noticed that the timing didn't change with the vacuum line unplugged, so I got the vacuum gauge out and had 18 inches at idle. So my vacuum advance does not work. Then I checked initial timing and it was about 7 degrees BTDC. I revved it and it didn't change. I pulled the cap and rotor and saw right away the weights were so sloppy that one was kind of on top of the other so they couldn't move. I jiggled them enough to get them freed up. Put it back together. Set initial timing at 12, winged the throttle and it went off the scale (I don't have a timing light with a dial). So I took it for a drive. WOW it is a new truck! I'm going to get the parts to fix the vacuum advance and bushings for the weights. I am sure the mileage will improve too.