79 350 overhaul

[vince1]

I hope my tool works for the RH side. The washer on the end is not needed.

It does. I had a stop off on my way home to try it out. 40-50 RPM with a speeder is all it takes. Grinding a groove around the EMT might get the oil to flow a little faster. That shiny stuff on the second pic is oil.

Get the Jeg's tool if it is easy for you. With freight, duty and exchange it wasn't worth it for me though and now I don't have to worry about storing it.

[YoungPup1977]

I have a place in my tool cabinet where I store all my engine tools. I even made the tool cabinet, so I didn't have to worry about storage....

[vince1]

I've been collecting tools and stuff for so many years that I have to think more about de-cluttering rather accumulating. Its an age thing.

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by vince1

I had a stop off on my way home to try it out. 40-50 RPM with a speeder is all it takes. Grinding a groove around the EMT might get the oil to flow a little faster. That shiny stuff on the second pic is oil.

Way to go! Innovative tool you have there.

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by vince1

I've been collecting tools and stuff for so many years that I have to think more about de-cluttering rather accumulating. Its an age thing.

Yeah, for whatever reason its easier to spend money on tools now that I'm retired. But at my age, I may not get much use out of some of them!

Most of the wall space in my 20x20 garage is full of tool cabinets, shelving units, and wall cabinets. And, oh yeah, refrigerator, bicycles, and garden tools. Amazing I still have a 11 X20 space for a vehicle!

[vince1]

I've had this thing running for a while now but don't like where the distributor sits. It seems to be the #1 wire either points straight ahead on the distributor cap or maybe at about 10 or 11 o'clock depending upon which gear tooth I line the distributor shaft with. Why can't I have #1 and #2 opposite each other perpendicular to the center line of the truck. Do they not grind the camshaft gear teeth in a particular location or is that just random. Otherwise I am quite happy with the cam. What I am saying is with the engine running nice I'd like the distributor to look symmetrical from one side to the other.

[cadillac_al]

It sounds like the distributor is simply a tooth or two off. You want #1 pointing at the number one cylinder so the #1 and #8 split in different directions behind the air filter housing. They do make a dist cap that sends the left side plug wires out the left side of the dist and vice versa. Looks cool but I have never bothered to try one.

[vince1]

That is probably the cap it has. I've tried it one tooth this way or that way. In either case one of the horizontal plug wires at the back of the cap rubs on the firewall. For that plug wire I think I will put one in that goes down vertically into the cap. Once the aircleaner is back on it should be well enough hidden.

I've got a little problem with the choke pot in that the short stub of steel line came out of it but by pushing it back in with some Loctite 380 green stuff and covering it with a bit of JB Weld it should be good.

The Panhard bar link needs new bushings too and they will get done on a nice clear day.

[garyd1961]

7

Originally Posted by vince1

I've had this thing running for a while now but don't like where the distributor sits. It seems to be the #1 wire either points straight ahead on the distributor cap or maybe at about 10 or 11 o'clock depending upon which gear tooth I line the distributor shaft with. Why can't I have #1 and #2 opposite each other perpendicular to the center line of the truck. Do they not grind the camshaft gear teeth in a particular location or is that just random. Otherwise I am quite happy with the cam. What I am saying is with the engine running nice I'd like the distributor to look symmetrical from one side to the other.

The centerline doesn't matter. With the # 1 piston top dead center on the "compression" stroke, put #1 terminal on distributor facing the #1 sparkplug and don't worry about where #2 is facing. The 1 sparkplug, the #1 on the cap and the rotor button should be in one line with each other. After adjusting the timing #1 terminal may not be directly facing the #1 plug either it's just a starting point.

[SmirchIs#1]

Originally Posted by GRX

Good thing you did not magnaflux those "scalloped" light duty twin cross over port heads to disappoint yourself. Cracks in the center exhaust seats at 1 and 11 o'clock positions were/are the norm raher than exception. Hopefully they won't worsen and result in burnt valves any time soon. And hope you removed all block plugs so as the clean lobe metal from all the oil galleys. Much work but will save your wallet later on as said.

GRX is correct.Those heads are extremely prone to cracking.I do a lot of engines.The ratio of those heads being cracked is so high,I won't waste my $ getting them magged anymore,I just scrap all of them

[vince1]

I had to pull the carb yesterday to get the two lever rods and repaired choke pot put back on. I noticed that the line on the choke adjustment was way to the right of the indicator lines. I moved it to the left overcoming some spring pressure and set it in the middle. After starting the truck I saw the pot move and the choke coming open somewhat. I took it for a ride and afterwards saw that the choke was fully open so it must be OK. How that works with the two levers and opening of the secondaries is still not entirely yet clear to me. Playing with jet sizes is also on the agenda.

If the heads crack so be it. I'll keep an eye out for others but it is not a priority at this time. There is so much more to do on this pile of junk such as change steering column to the van type with auto shifter and put in the TH400. There is nothing covering the bare floor and lots of body work to do. It is just a hobby to occasionally work on and use as necessary and when I do take it out people sure comment on it.

[vince1]

This quadrajet has #72 primary jets and the pipes look a little black. Any suggestions on what size I should use to get it to run leaner?

[geezer#99]

Got a pic of your carb.

[vince1]

I think I have this figured out with the distributor but have yet to try it. There are 13 teeth on the distributor gear. The one I looked at today has the hole drilled on one side right at a tooth and the other side between the teeth. I figure if I pull the distributor and turn the gear 180 I will get it to offset 13.85 degrees and that will be right where I want it. 360/13 =27.7 degrees and divide that by 2 gives the 13 degrees I am looking for. Make sense?

[garyd1961]

You are way overthinking this.

[vince1]

The large cap is so close to the firewall that if it can't be repositioned a bit then one of the wires will have to be replaced with one that comes in from the top.

I will rotate the distributor drive gear 180 and hopefully get the rotor to move 13.85 degrees. I will report back as to whether it worked or not. It's snowing again and the beast remains outside so just waiting for another warm day.

[garyd1961]

You need to fix the problem with your cap being too close the firewall and not worry about the distributor gear.
Either reposition the motor mounts, modify the firewall, or get a distributor with a smaller cap.

[vince1]

Fixed. The distributor gear has an extra mark on one side and that side should line up with the rotor. By rotating the gear 180 degrees now the distributor is pretty well lined up perfectly with the engine and there is room around the plug wires to the firewall. After all, who likes riding their bicycle down the road with the handlebars cocked to one side or the other?

[garyd1961]

Originally Posted by vince1

Fixed. The distributor gear has an extra mark on one side and that side should line up with the rotor. By rotating the gear 180 degrees now the distributor is pretty well lined up perfectly with the engine and there is room around the plug wires to the firewall. After all, who likes riding their bicycle down the road with the handlebars cocked to one side or the other?

What are you going to do if you need to adjust the timing? What you did was a waist of time.

[vince1]

Timing is still adjustable just like it always was but this way 5 & 6 are draped off each side evenly rather than one or the other right at the back. It is the way the 79 HEI wires plug into the cap. If there was another 1/4" it would be OK but I didn't like one wire pressing the firewall. Now nothing touches. When I had the gear off while rebuilding the HEI I had a fifty/fifty chance of getting it right and I lost. I know I am right on this. Others will verify.

[garyd1961]

Originally Posted by vince1

Timing is still adjustable just like it always was but this way 5 & 6 are draped off each side evenly rather than one or the other right at the back. It is the way the 79 HEI wires plug into the cap. If there was another 1/4" it would be OK but I didn't like one wire pressing the firewall. Now nothing touches. When I had the gear off while rebuilding the HEI I had a fifty/fifty chance of getting it right and I lost. I know I am right on this. Others will verify.

You keep changing why you were doing all this. You said earlier that you wanted the #1 and #2 wire evenly spaced with the centerline of the motor. Then you say the wire in back is hitting the firewall. Either way you will still need to move the distributor to adjust the timing. I hardly believe you got the timing just right when you installed the distributor, you have a better chance of winning the lottery. So when you adjust the timing it's going to put you right back where you were.

[vince1]

Nope. My new distributor position for correct timing is 1 across from 8 and 5 across from 6. If the gear had an equal number of teeth you would be right but it doesn't. Rotating the gear 180 changes the rotor tip location. It doesn't point to the same place any more.

Change the gear 180 and I guarantee that you won't get it to run right with the distributor where it was.

Edit: Actually, don't do that. If they are running good leave well enough alone.

Edit: 13 teeth. Rotor moves 1/2 tooth or 1/26 of a turn. 360/26=13.85 degrees. The distributor has to move that much to keep the same timing.

[MikeB]

Funny. I like to have the "line" between #1 and #8 parallel to the firewall, too. It was important when I had a full-size HEI in a 55 Chevy car with very little clearance to the firewall. In fact, when I got the car the #5 wire was intermittently arcing thru its boot to the firewall. Not so important now in my 82 C10, but why not make it perfect?

[vince1]

Thanks MIke for confirmation. With it sitting like that there is just enough clearance without a wire touching the firewall.

Sorry Gary. You are right that I was misleading in #56 referring to 1 and 2 rather than 1 and 8. The takeaway from this though is that there is a right and wrong position to put that gear on the shaft. The index mark should be on the same side as the rotor tip.

Unless this engine destructs in the next while I am going to let my 79 OH fade into history. If it does I'll let you guys know. I've got over 300 miles on it now. The last MPG was 12US (15 imp) and that included some warming up time melting ice off the windshield, some time dragging a float across mole infested ground as well as some tinkering and some hauling. All in all so far I am happy with it.

[garyd1961]

Nevermind