Help a NOOB - A continuing saga

[ncpetersc]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

Hey, post some pictures of your whole truck so we can ooh and ahh over it!

I will get some more pictures up. Thanks for the encouragement and welcome.

Thanks all!

[panhead59]

Fuquay-Varina nc. Is just SW of Raleigh, nc. If anyone was wondering.

[ncpetersc]

Originally Posted by garyd1961

My "guess" would be you need new points, condenser, rotor button, distributor cap, fuel filter, and probably a new carb. I would get someone I could trust to take a look at it before spending any more money though. Sometimes you can just file the points and reset them to get by for a while but few mechanics know how to set points anymore.
The shop you went to was a rip off.

just saw your pictures, definitely points. Also looks like the motor was replaced with a GM crate engine.

Yep on the crate motor. Somewhere circa 2003 if memory serves. I'll look it up.
EDIT: Found the paper work in the manual the other day. It was early 2002.

Did some YouTube learning about points last night, might get into it tomorrow.

Thanks!

[WestButteTruck]

Be nice to get a timing light on that and see where you are at. For some reason it looks like it's severely retarded, the timing that is, or the dist is off a tooth.

[AussieinNC]

Sad to see a noob or anyone for that matter, seek professional help only to get ripped off....

The plugs pic tells me straight away the engine is too rich...way to black on the electrodes.

Overhauling a Quadrajet is always a risk...and $300 is a joke...new Edelbrock 1905 retails at $318...

I am in NC but west of Charlotte, but am more than willing to help you out via this board...

You will need the following tools...a compression test gauge, a timing light and if possible, a dwell meter.

Please remove the spark plugs and taking a compression test of each cylinder...post the results on here...

Go to your local auto parts store and purchase a new set of points and a condensor...AC Delco part # is ACDELCO D116 {#19106521}

I would also replace the distributor cap...but dont replace the cap just yet...

Post the results of the compression test here and we will get you right.

We need compression figures first to determine if there may be a blown head gasket or poor compression thru burned valves etc.

Stay cool dude...Aussie Bill

[AussieinNC]

Just noticed in your pic the distributor appears to be one post off on its installed position...someone has obviously had the dist out and been sloppy putting it back in...Cyl # 1 wire usually points direct at Cyl 1...drivers side front...yours points at Cyl 2...

Just post the compression readings and we will go from there...

[panhead59]

See post #1 for comp. Test results. Engine seems sound.

[custom10nut]

Welcome to the greatest web site on the Internet!
Man, I wish I was closer to you. Hate is a strong word, but I HATE when a shop takes advantage of a customer. It's painfully obvious to me that you took your truck to a shop that has "parts hangin monkeys" that rely on the ECM to tell them "what to fix", as opposed to ACTUALLY having the knowledge to DIAGNOSE.

[ncpetersc]

This is buried in my first (way too long) post.

Compression test seemed positive to me. Pretty much 120 PSI across the board, with an odd 115 or 125. Got 130 once, but retested and got 120. I'm hoping this tells me things aren't hopeless at least as far as rings and valves go.

Also, purchased points/condenser today. Wasn't AC Delco; BDC or something? Enough folks were suggesting ignition, and my youTube learning of points sounds like they WILL need replacing at some point even if not the problem now.

I have a timing light, I am just not sure I can keep it running long enough to use; I need a few more hands to apply some throttle maybe. But I can try.

Today's report:
So today I tried to start it when I got home. It took extra cranking but I did not press the accelerator pedal. I could hear it trying so cranked an extra ten seconds. It basically "chugs" to life, it does not fire right up. Under the hood if I slowly apply throttle to probably close to 2000rpm it smooths out and sounds like it could be okay. But if I let it back to idle, it's chug chug chug. After shutting it off I watched the carb for the leak. I will attach pic of area where fuel is leaking. Harder to see on passenger side, but driver side I could at least see the drip, even if it is sort of seeping through a gasket elsewhere.

In the first pic, there is actually a drop in it, it's dripping from right under the screw in the picture. On the drivers side it seems to be seeping out behind that choke mechanism.

[ncpetersc]

A few pics of the truck:

[ncpetersc]

Inside

[ncpetersc]

Originally Posted by AussieinNC

Just noticed in your pic the distributor appears to be one post off on its installed position...someone has obviously had the dist out and been sloppy putting it back in...Cyl # 1 wire usually points direct at Cyl 1...drivers side front...yours points at Cyl 2...

Just post the compression readings and we will go from there...

You may be on to something. Because of your post I thought that I'd go out and see how tight it is. With not too much effort I was able to twist it.

Going to try to line in up as you said, and tighten it down. It seemed to "bottom out" in the clock wise direction, direction of rotation I think. but could twist it back in the ccw direction. So engine itself could have turned the thing from the one good start I had to now maybe?

[rshaff]

a thought may be that your vacuum advance canister is either punctured or not operating properly. an easy way to see if the canister is working is to pull the vacuum line and suck on it, if it holds vacuum it is at least not punctured. another thing to do would be pull the distributor cap and observe the plate where the points are mounted moving as the vacuum canister is attached.

where you said that at 2000 rpm it seems to smooth out this may be your mechanical advance kicking in.

hope this helps, I ran into this on a '70 recently.

[ncpetersc]

Okay wait, I was thinking I could twist it into alignment. I thought you were talking about 3 instead of 1 (both on driver side). This is going to require me to pull the distributor up and realign isn't it?

Now I question my ability, because I sure now how to mess things up.

Two questions:
Does it make sense that it would run at all being this far off?

And what risk am I taking doing this. I know severe mis-timing could do some damage.

[geezer#99]

A loose distributor will rotate cw which is retarded timing. You need to advance it ccw.
Your mechanic who rebuilt the carb likely made a bad mistake when he hung the needle clip on the float. He likely hooked the clip into one of the holes. Yourcarb floods when that happens.
Info here on that.
http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...4MV_carburetor

[ncpetersc]

Okay thanks geezer. I may need to negotiate a free rebuild, or my money back on that carb rebuild. I'd probably rather the latter so someone else could do it.

Also is there any chance the flooding is due to horribly off timing, and not their fault. Or should it not flood even if timing is off? Just wondering if I have a solid case to ask for my money back or something. I'm sure they're not going to just agree with me.

Stupid question time. Which is post #1 relative to the adjustment door? If it's left of it looking from the front, I don't think I could aim it at cyl #1 due to the advance canister.

[huntznsam]

If you haven't already, download the manual and read carefully

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=5781194

[ncpetersc]

I got a copy in the garage, I'll go look it over.

Thanks!

[jocko]

Nice truck. By the way, just in case it hasn't been mentioned or you don't yet reealize it, you probably have a 72 Highlander trim truck. Throw a SPID pic up for us to drool on. May be a trim only or possibly a lower package truck.

[ncpetersc]

SPID = options sticker?

I'll get a pic.

So looking in the manual it looks like #1 is left of the window, and the installation position is roughly where a line from #1 post to #3 post are parallel to block if you drew a line. So I put it in that position and tightened it down. Building up the courage to turn the key.

[ncpetersc]

Well I have waiting for someone to yell "NO! STOP! WAIT!" but I guess I will try to start it.

Here is the diagram I am going by, and the options. Doesn't say Highlander, but custom deluxe?

sorry for the rotated diagram

[AussieinNC]

Just read posts since my last one before dinner...dont worry too much about location of #1 for time being...but, you should not be able to just twist the distributor...

The carb is flooding, most likely due to incorrect float level or junk under needle and seat...Is there an inline fuel filter between fuel pump and carb?

I would not suggest you pull the carb apart,,,way too many things can go wrong there...but perhaps you would be better off with an exchange carb from an auto parts store?

With the engine running, twist the distributor counter clockwise a little bit at a time...no more than 1/4" movement at the vacuum canister...you should notice an increase in engine speed...if it does increase speed,lock it down temporarily and put the timing light on it...HINT...Shut it off, clean the balancer and timing mark tab so you can see the lines...on the balancer, there is a slice mark across the outer ring,,,mark it with some white chalk or marker pen....makes it easier to see...remove and block off the vacuum lead to the advance canister on the dist...start the engine again and set the timing to 12 degrees...and lock the dist down...then reconnect the vacuum line to the canister.

Setting the timing this way will give you a baseline to at least start with.

Once the timing is set, the carb will be your biggest challenge.

If there is no inline fuel filter between pump and carb, make sure you put one on before you fit any replacement carb...lots of tiny rust particles in these old fuel systems.

Post your results...

Also, make sure firing order is set 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2 with drivers side engine from front being 1 3 5 7 and passenger side 2 4 6 8 .

Stay cool dude...

[AussieinNC]

The ign lead positions are relative to where the rotor is pointing when dist is installed...yours appears to be off a little, but I would not be moving the leads around right now...if you have you will most likely find it wont start at all now...put them back where they were and follow my most recent post.

[AussieinNC]

Re...white smoke, especially from drivers side...this is an auto truck...the trans uses a vacuum modulator that senses engine vacuum to determine shift quality...the vacuum line from the trans fits into a small rubber line that plugs into the rear of the manifold .....if the vacuum modulator splits and they do regularly...the engine vacuum will suck transmission fluid up into the manifold and with the result lots of white smoke....and I mean lots...

Remove the vacuum hose to the trans and plug the manifold port...then run the engine again...it will take some time to burn out the trans oil in the manifold if this has been leaking...

If it leaking, they are relatively easy to replace...but we will cross that bridge later.

[AussieinNC]

The trans vac hose on the manifold is directly in front of the dist adjust window, short rubber hose about 2" long...