Improve mileage 350 with Quadrajet

[kikkegek]

Originally Posted by INSIDIOUS '86

The problem in finding your timing tab might be a simple fix lol I think everybody us thinking of the timing tab on the side were as it may be the type. That has the tube in the middle of the timing chain cover look down the back of the water pump and the timing tab should be there
Posted via Mobile Device

he man! thanks. I'll check that. Kinda hard for me, because I need to crawl under the car, but I'll do. I guess you mean under the engine behind the waterpump? or do I need to look from above?

@gchemist: no! I am sorry, I did not crank it. I'll try 2nite!

[motornut]

from above

[kikkegek]

Originally Posted by motornut

from above

shouldnt you be asleep right now?

and any tips on how I (I am not a professional mechanic) could crank the engine? what do I grip to crank it? or better yet/ what do I use?

[motornut]

yea kinda, but da police came a knockin some drunk hit my truck .....can't sleep now

[kikkegek]

he man! I am really sorry for you!

hit and run? man! thats not cool!

look pretty bad! good luck! and thanks for helping so far.

I'll check in again 2nite after I looked at my truck again!

[motornut]

take something to mark ,draw a line around the dampener ,chalk?to be sure you check all sides? lol
in the pic a small black line is actually a groove
bumping you may have missed your mark
chalk mark will be sure no miss

[motornut]

no they got him,impared

[gchemist]

Wow! Glad they caught him!

Most of the damage is on the fender. Easy to replace. The may be saved but it's hard to tell. If the running board is damaged, you will probably have to remove them. Those are hard to find now. Paint scheme is hard to match.

[motornut]

the doors are shifted/buckled all around

[kikkegek]

Originally Posted by motornut

no they got him,impared

good for you! make him pay! that A@#$-hole

[motornut]

from labourday weekend ...sept 6

[motornut]

well i can turn it holding/turning the pully and pulling the belt,
from the top
like if you have a bad tooth on the flywheel and/or starters stuck out

[kikkegek]

Originally Posted by motornut

well i can turn it holding/turning the pully and pulling the belt,
from the top
like if you have a bad tooth on the flywheel and/or starters stuck out

He Motornut. thanks! which pully do you pull? the balancer? or what? and can this be done with the car in P or should it be in N?

[motornut]

yup the pullys it's on,in Park

[kikkegek]

Originally Posted by motornut

yup the pullys it's on,in Park

I am probably gonna need to try this from the bottom, because there is no way (I think) I can reach the dampener or its pullys from above.

well...as I said! I check back in 2nite and bring you guys an update! Hope I can talk my girlfriend into letting me try this before its dark!

this is what it looks like from the top! No way I can reach the pully's on the dampener from above!


My best bet is from the bottom. This is what it looks like from the bottom:

[geezer#99]

No need for moving that stuff by hand. Get a helper to bump the starter with the key. Just a click at a time.
Put some white paint on the mark when you find it. Touch up paint works or white out.
Fill the groove.

[lindstromjd]

If you can't move it by hand by pulling on the belts, or if you can't find a helper to bump the starter, there's a nut on the alternator that you can use. Just find a socket big enough to fit it and start turning it as if you were tightening the nut. The engine will move that way.

[kikkegek]

FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hahahaha...I am a happy puppy!

what an impossible place! I can not find any reading on it in the dark 2nite. But at least its there.

Now I need to find out if the scale on these indexes is universal or if it is different from plate to plate? Anyone knows?

I am trying to get me a timing lamp. So this weekend I should be able to check the timing!

[kikkegek]

ok,
already found this picture. which must be the same:





the wide cut must be 0. And the side with the three points must the BEFORE and vise versa.

[geezer#99]

The big V is Zero. At the bottom of the V. The first high point to your right is 4*. Each point is 4*. The small lines are 2* each. Don't forget to unplug your vacuum advance when you check your timing.

[lindstromjd]

Yup. That's it. And if you look closely enough, you can just barely make out the numbers for the timing marks. Clean it up real good with some carb cleaner; it works better than engine degreaser, but don't use it anywhere near paint that you want to keep on the engine.

[kikkegek]

I bought an Equus 3568 timing light. Tomorrow it will be here. Then I can start doing some serious check sin the engine ignition timing!

[kikkegek]

I am back!

and indeed, the setting was off.

pulled the vacuum loose and closed it off, had the motor running at idle, about 700 rpm

Timing was at 0 to +1....


loosened the distributor and turned it counterclockwise. I could hear the engine rev up. NICE!

Put the timing light back on it again and it is now set a about -10 to -11. Which is just fine on LPG I heard. went for a ride.



first connected the vacuum again, and no difference. No vacum advance. strange.

the vacuum hose is connected like the red line in the picture. disconnecting it does not change the rpm or anything. The hose can not be bad, cause that would mean I would be running a constant vacuum leak. and the engine seems to run OK. I wanna check later on using the other connection at the arrow. Would that be OK?




so...to be continued!..another step closer to better mileage!

[geezer#99]

Your vacuum is probably hooked to ported source. Ported means vacuum from above the throttle plate. Zero at idle but starts to supply vacuum once throttle opens. Try hooking to a full time manifold vacuum source to check your vacuum advance. You have a spot behind your carb that has a line with a screw in it.
Lpg likes lots of timing. You might need to turn your idle down since it's running faster now. Idle adjustment screw is on linkage on drivers side of carb.

[TheWhiteElephant]

I don't subscribe to the "trash the Quadrajet and get something else" idea because a finely tuned Qjet will likely get you better gas mileage than the other brands. Don't overlook the importance of a carburetor rebuild. I'm not saying to start here, but a rebuild will definitely help.