First real test drive today, after V8 swap.

[DeCaff2007]

Well, no phone call today, although I had to go by that shop today and saw that it's on the lift. I hope for good news sometime tomorrow.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Unbelievably, the scrap pile passed inspection! . The guy that did the inspection said it looks in damn good shape for it's age.

Now the bad news. They did the wheel alignment, and it drives MUCH straighter, but it can't turn left. To get through a left hand turn, I have to go halfway through the turn, back up (while turning right), and go through the turn again.

For a right hand turn, however, I can make a hair pin turn. The truck did not have this problem before I tore into the steering. I'm guessing that the Pitman arm isn't installed on center.

Now more kinda bad news. When I went to go pick it up from the inspection station, is started RIGHT up. It ran a little sluggish and still had no real power. Then, I had to go uphill and there was one of Brandons Kids (an illegal immigrant driving less than half the speed limit) in front of me, so I FLOORED it. The engine fell flat on it's face and stalled out. I got it restarted, but barely made it up the hill. It nearly stalled out twice more on the way home and has near zero power. Then, I got a backfire at WOT.

This, my GMT400 listeners, is the advantage of building an engine yourself as opposed to buying one out of the box. I now have a couple working theories as to why this is happening, instead of sitting there staring at the engine like a deer in headlights, wondering what the problem could be.

1. One of the cylinders isn't getting spark for whatever reason (because to backfire like that, it HAS to have fuel).

2. Something messed up in the valve train again (better EFFING not have!)

3. The reviews on Summit Racing, for the new distributor I bought, said REPLACE the ignition control module that the distributor comes with, with an AC Delco or Screaming Demon ICM. The one it comes with just causes problems.

4. The oil pressure sending unit may be causing problems other than erratic oil pressure readings.

The only part that sucks about this now is that the Wife's Buick is the current resident in the garage. It's not leaving there until she drives it out under it's own power. That means any work I do on the RCSB will be outside. That's not such a bad thing sometimes. More room, occasional sunshine, less chance of thrown tools hitting something, etc...

But it now has a sticker! Two, actually! So, the most difficult part is over.

It's probably something simple causing the engine to not run right. Stay tuned.

 

[Schurkey]

They did the wheel alignment, and it drives MUCH straighter, but it can't turn left. To get through a left hand turn, I have to go halfway through the turn, back up (while turning right), and go through the turn again.

First Guess: Incorrectly adjusted tie rod sleeves, probably caused by a failure to center the steering gear before dicking with the toe. LOOK at the tie rods and sleeves to see if they're reasonably even side-to-side. If they're not...take the truck back to them.

MAYBE an actual fault in assembly of the Pitman arm. Center the steering gear, LOOK at the Pitman. If the Pitman is misaligned, you can pop the steering gear off the frame, realign the Pitman. I'm thinking that the toe still needs to be readjusted...but maybe I'm not thinking clearly.

Either way, this should have been caught by the alignment tech during his test-drive if not during the vehicle set-up on the alignment rack.

When I went to go pick it up from the inspection station, is started RIGHT up. It ran a little sluggish and still had no real power... ...I FLOORED it. The engine fell flat on it's face and stalled out. I got it restarted, but barely made it up the hill. It nearly stalled out twice more on the way home and has near zero power. Then, I got a backfire at WOT.

"Backfire" into the intake manifold, or "backfire" in the exhaust. Big difference.

What are the chances you've got a restricted exhaust system? Plugged catalyst, crushed pipe, that sort of thing?

This, my GMT400 listeners, is the advantage of building an engine yourself as opposed to buying one out of the box.

MAYBE this is due to the way the engine was assembled. I'd want a compression test of all eight, to verify evenness but also to verify reasonably normal compression pressure which is a quick 'n' dirty way to verify reasonably normal cam timing.

1. One of the cylinders isn't getting spark for whatever reason (because to backfire like that, it HAS to have fuel).

Possible. Not enormously common on TBI, though. You do have the plug wires for #5 and #7 well-separated...right?

2. Something messed up in the valve train again (betting EFFING not have!)

Sadly, also possible.

3. The reviews on Summit Racing, for the new distributor I bought, said REPLACE the ignition control module that the distributor comes with, with an AC Delco or Screaming Demon ICM. The one it comes with just causes problems.

I get my ignition modules at the Treasure Yard--usually but not always OEM and top-quality, and pennies on the dollar.

Screaming Demon? I think I'd pass.

4. The oil pressure sending unit may be causing problems other than erratic oil pressure readings.

Not at all likely. Closer to IMpossible.

any work I do on the RCSB will be outside. That's not such a bad thing sometimes. More room, occasional sunshine, less chance of thrown tools hitting something, etc.

A good attitude is a fine tool in itself. When the good attitude isn't getting the job done, flinging tools and harsh language often works wonders.

It's probably something simple causing the engine to not run right. Stay tuned.

Will do.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Unbelievably, the scrap pile passed inspection! . The guy that did the inspection said it looks in damn good shape for it's age.

Now the bad news. They did the wheel alignment, and it drives MUCH straighter, but it can't turn left. To get through a left hand turn, I have to go halfway through the turn, back up (while turning right), and go through the turn again.

For a right hand turn, however, I can make a hair pin turn. The truck did not have this problem before I tore into the steering. I'm guessing that the Pitman arm isn't installed on center.

Now more kinda bad news. When I went to go pick it up from the inspection station, is started RIGHT up. It ran a little sluggish and still had no real power. Then, I had to go uphill and there was one of Brandons Kids (an illegal immigrant driving less than half the speed limit) in front of me, so I FLOORED it. The engine fell flat on it's face and stalled out. I got it restarted, but barely made it up the hill. It nearly stalled out twice more on the way home and has near zero power. Then, I got a backfire at WOT.

This, my GMT400 listeners, is the advantage of building an engine yourself as opposed to buying one out of the box. I now have a couple working theories as to why this is happening, instead of sitting there staring at the engine like a deer in headlights, wondering what the problem could be.

1. One of the cylinders isn't getting spark for whatever reason (because to backfire like that, it HAS to have fuel).

2. Something messed up in the valve train again (betting EFFING not have!)

3. The reviews on Summit Racing, for the new distributor I bought, said REPLACE the ignition control module that the distributor comes with, with an AC Delco or Screaming Demon ICM. The one it comes with just causes problems.

4. The oil pressure sending unit may be causing problems other than erratic oil pressure readings.

The only part that sucks about this now is that the Wife's Buick is the current resident in the garage. It's not leaving there until she drives it out under it's own power. That means any work I do on the RCSB will be outside. That's not such a bad thing sometimes. More room, occasional sunshine, less chance of thrown tools hitting something, etc...

But it now has a sticker! Two, actually! So, the most difficult part is over.

It's probably something simple causing the engine to not run right. Stay tuned.

Given symptoms, ignition timing, fuel pressure, compression from rocker arm adjustment. Too tight on a rocker arm will not make noise but will hang the valve open effectively killing that cylinders compression and power. Lack od spark on one cylinder would about have to be a bad cap, wire or broken/defective plug.

Did you use a 350 ECM and injectors? 350 knock sensor and knock module? Atleast 13 psi fuel pressure under full load at RPM. Timing should be TDC or 0* with the EST Bypass connector disconnected to start with. Might need to play with it a bit from there, but that setting should atleast get it running the way GM intended it to. Finally if this still has a catalytic converter it could be plugged. Also mufflers have been known to break the baffling apart internally, restricting exhaust flow. I like to see less than 5 psi backpressure at WOT in the top of 2nd gear on a stock TBI exhaust system. For best performance I want to see less than 2 psi, but will never see that with an OE exhaust system.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Ok so I plan to dig into this mess sometime tomorrow morning. With that, I have but one question. Even though I have an HEI spark tester, I was planning on using a timing light to check for spark. I used a timing light to check for spark on my 97 Firebird and SURE ENOUGH, it found a bad coil pack (distributorless ignition system), which caused a horrendous miss and a flashing CEL.

Why SHOULDN'T I use that same method here?

 

[Orpedcrow]

Now the bad news. They did the wheel alignment, and it drives MUCH straighter, but it can't turn left. To get through a left hand turn, I have to go halfway through the turn, back up (while turning right), and go through the turn again.

Take it back and bunch someone in the dick. Regardless of who’s/what’s at fault for the misalignment, it should have never left their shop.

Either way, this should have been caught by the alignment tech during his test-drive if not during the vehicle set-up on the alignment rack.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Take it back and bunch someone in the dick. Regardless of who’s/what’s at fault for the misalignment, it should have never left their shop.

My apologies. I think there's been a serious miscommunication, here.

The truck drove straight and turned normally BEFORE I put on all the new steering components. After I replaced everything under the sun, THAT'S when the turning issued started. While an alignment fixed the problem with the steering wheel being upside down and the front tires fighting each other, it didn't fix the turning problem.

I think, from the way I worded it before, may have sounded like the alignment shop caused the turning problem.

 

[Orpedcrow]

My apologies. I think there's been a serious miscommunication, here.

The truck drove straight and turned normally BEFORE I put on all the new steering components. After I replaced everything under the sun, THAT'S when the turning issued started. While an alignment fixed the problem with the steering wheel being upside down and the front tires fighting each other, it didn't fix the turning problem.

I think, from the way I worded it before, may have sounded like the alignment shop caused the turning problem.

I also apologize. I understand now. Don’t punch people in the dick.

 

[termite]

My apologies. I think there's been a serious miscommunication, here.

The truck drove straight and turned normally BEFORE I put on all the new steering components. After I replaced everything under the sun, THAT'S when the turning issued started. While an alignment fixed the problem with the steering wheel being upside down and the front tires fighting each other, it didn't fix the turning problem.

I think, from the way I worded it before, may have sounded like the alignment shop caused the turning problem.

Maybe not punch them but they certainly should have noticed the lack of turning radius during the test drive and noted it. Upon returning from said drive, they should have brought it to your attention and offered diagnosis/corrective measures.

If they didn't test drive it following alignment, barring it being discussed as with you, I'd hesitate to take it back to the same shop again.

 

[DeCaff2007]

So about that timing light to check for spark....

Why SHOULDN'T I use it?