What did you do to your C-body today....

After a week (or so it seemed) we brought Red home for what I hope is a long weekend. No threats of severe weather in the immediate future.
Friday: New tires Saturday: Dinner and cruise
 
I went to the garage and started looking at my distributor specs. It seems the mechanical advance is kicking in around 600 rpm making it difficult to set the timing and idle. When I get it close to about 600 the idle drops to about 485 and the timing retards. Based on the specs the mechanical advance shouldn’t kick in until around 950 engine rpm (475 distributor rpm). There’s a local shop recommended to me that many classic guys take their car to, that has a distributor machine. I may have him run it up and check and reset the advance curves.
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Put rear wheel cylinders in the car, now I have no fluid going to the rear? Ugh. And one of the drums is tight, very toight! Won't need fluid with the friction there. :BangHead:
 
Took it to a local cruise night with a parking lot for about 75-80 cars.
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When I got home I looked at my timing a little more. My mechanical advance is definitely kicking in around 620 rpm. I set the timing at 7-1/2 degrees at 480 rpm, no mechanical advance at that rpm. Then slowly brought up the rpm at about 550 rpm it jumps up to 650 rpm and advances to about 20 degrees. Full mechanical advance seems to be just a little higher. Is shouldn’t have any mechanical advance until around 950 rpm and max mechanical at 4500. I called the shop that does classic repairs. He said to call in about 3 weeks and he can run it on his distributor machine. It’s not really causing me problems, but bugs me because it isn’t quite perfect yet. Carb restoration this winter when I am done driving.
 
Turned boost up to 9.3psi per the computer. That additional back pressure immediately caused a new exhaust leak.
But logs indicate the engine is happy about it.
 
Turned boost up to 9.3psi per the computer. That additional back pressure immediately caused a new exhaust leak.
But logs indicate the engine is happy about it.
What were you running before for boost?
 
5
Looks like I have a little more room with my current injectors. Running water injection and 11.5:1 right now, should be able to lean that out a bit
 
5
Looks like I have a little more room with my current injectors. Running water injection and 11.5:1 right now, should be able to lean that out a bit
That's a jump, wish I would have gotten to Volo earlier, never got to chat with you about your car, looks like fun. Next year.
 
^^^^Wow, that's a serious amount of work on a beater. I'm glad my truck is as rust free as a 19 year old truck can be.

I took Red to Pep boys and got the Hankooks installed. Ride and handling improved immensely!
 
Turned boost up to 9.3psi per the computer. That additional back pressure immediately caused a new exhaust leak.
But logs indicate the engine is happy about it.

Not familiar with your set up. Turbo or supercharged?
 
^^^^Wow, that's a serious amount of work on a beater. I'm glad my truck is as rust free as a 19 year old truck can be.

I took Red to Pep boys and got the Hankooks installed. Ride and handling improved immensely!

I wouldn't call my truck a beater....but anywho....

This truck has earned every right to receive some maintenance as I bought it for $400 off a customer of mine who bought it new and used it as his personal truck for its first 5 years before putting a plow on it and giving it to his guys to use at his golf course....

Despite pushing snow for 10 years it has been the most reliable truck I've had to date, having never once left me stranded. I've put over 55k on it in 2 years and it's never missed a beat.

I'm just now replacing the original front end at 187k.



Damn! I got rid of a truck ('94) that had rust similar to that, all the way down the sides. Kudos to you and another example of why I need a welder.

When I bought this truck I just wanted something for the winter and to haul my trailer. I first replaced the wheel lips on the box and the rear bumper. Then tacked new door bottoms on. I drove it for 2 years like that. Now I have rust free fenders painted and ready for it. I'm working on these doors and my buddy will paint them, and I also have another better front bumper and and new cab corners for it.

At the end of the day the truck owes me nothing and takes any and all abuse I give it.


At this point it has new tires (2 months ago), new pads and rotors (3 months ago), new shoes and I machined the drums (4 months ago),

New intake gaskets, rad hoses, thermostat, thermostat water neck, bypass hose, water pump, cap, rotor, plugs, wires (5 months ago)

New Pinion seal and rear service, new front service, new rear u-joints (6 months ago)

New-used T case (upgraded to a 3/4 ton 241D), new sway bar links, new-used exhaust manifolds, new-used steering box, new pitman arm, new-used steering shaft, Rancho shocks, skyjacker dual steering stablizer kit, both front hub/bearings (8 months ago)

New-used 46 RE (bought used, but turned out to be a rebuilt), new Cupro-nickel trans lines, trans service.

I've also changed the oil every 2k kms or 2 months since the day I bought it.

And I'm just finishing replacing the following; wheel cylinders, calipers, brake lines, brake hoses, front differential u-joints, all 4 tie-rods, sway bar bushings, Track bar, brake adjuster kits, brake hardware, parking brake cables. And I'll put the new fenders on too.

Nick
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That truck got out away wet a lot! I got 244,000 out of my front end before I quit fighting the drunken effect steering, I had been putting it off for a year or three (it only hauled tree branches to the dump) but Laura got a 27.5' fifth wheel camper, so it went to the shop to get complete front end steering, steering box, hubs, brakes front and rear, front seals axle u joint, rear seals and bearings. Still need to rebuild my transmission and swap the case to my spare that isn't cracked. Tires last fall.

My truck has also loved me and given me no real trouble. It's from Montana, so it has very little rust, just the one box side behind the wheel. I love the truck and will drive it til I can't drive no more. I'd love to get it painted, but it's not there yet. I only wish it was a diesel for the towing capacity and to be able to go about my self imposed 60mph limit, the mileage sucks with the camper.
 
Took the 'Vert out to pickup my Friday night pizza. Hot out this way...hotter tomorrow.

Researching the misc parts I need for my disc conversion.
 
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That truck got out away wet a lot! I got 244,000 out of my front end before I quit fighting the drunken effect steering, I had been putting it off for a year or three (it only hauled tree branches to the dump) but Laura got a 27.5' fifth wheel camper, so it went to the shop to get complete front end steering, steering box, hubs, brakes front and rear, front seals axle u joint, rear seals and bearings. Still need to rebuild my transmission and swap the case to my spare that isn't cracked. Tires last fall.

My truck has also loved me and given me no real trouble. It's from Montana, so it has very little rust, just the one box side behind the wheel. I love the truck and will drive it til I can't drive no more. I'd love to get it painted, but it's not there yet. I only wish it was a diesel for the towing capacity and to be able to go about my self imposed 60mph limit, the mileage sucks with the camper.
That's my only real gripe with mine is the mileage under load. I had a hard time finding ok be with the 5.9 Magnum and 4WD that had low mileage.

I'd love to pickup a Cummins D series, but for now until I buy my farm, the half ton is built like a 3/4 ton enough to keep it in its safe working limits. The front coils I just swapped in are from a 1 ton 4x4. I added 3 leafs out back also.

I figure that in 2.5 years of ownership its cost me less than $5k and I couldn't have had a more reliable truck for the same money. Plus this one I'm never afraid to use like a truck.

Few weeks ago when I took the picture with the rapids in the background was up an old logging road. My buddy wanted to walk up there, I said "why, we have my Ram", I popped it in 4 Hi and it climbed right through the soft ground without even batting an eye.

Scratches, scrapes, dents, dings, all badges of honor.

Nick

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Didn't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers. South of the Mason Dixon, we'd sure call that ol' truck a beater. That's not usually a put down, but a bestowing honor on a well worked truck.
Never seen a broken front spring before...I have seen broken rear springs...sure hope you fixed yours.
 
Polished and waxed for about five hours yesterday and decided to hit up a local cruise night. That part was fun, headed home, not so much. Heater core finally let go n puked coolant all over the carpet... also gave me a nice 65 mph acid steam bath. Anyway, limped her the rest of the way home... couldn’t really tell what the temp got up to but it was definitely up... didn’t hear anything bad when I shut her down but...

Bypassed the heater core today, dropped it a new t stat, pulled the kick panel and sill plate on the passenger side to try and get the carpet dry... got a feeling I’m gonna need to pull the seat as well and park it outside for a bit.

We’ll see what happens. I plan on yanking the drive train and interior in the fall anyway, I’d just like to drive it this summer.

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I went to the garage and started looking at my distributor specs. It seems the mechanical advance is kicking in around 600 rpm making it difficult to set the timing and idle. When I get it close to about 600 the idle drops to about 485 and the timing retards. Based on the specs the mechanical advance shouldn’t kick in until around 950 engine rpm (475 distributor rpm). There’s a local shop recommended to me that many classic guys take their car to, that has a distributor machine. I may have him run it up and check and reset the advance curves.
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Sounds like the springs on the weights are getting weak, or maybe one of them has come off it's mounting point?
 
Wiped it down, dropped the top, took the wife to breakfast at the local Tastee Treat, now getting ready to go to the BBQ place to meet up with Dsertdog and mopar group for dinner.
Good day all the way around!
 
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