My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

For the first time in a long time, my truck decided to shut off at a traffic light. It just died. I rolled it down a hill (backwards) to safety, and got it towed home. Long story short, no spark. Apparently the $57 HEI distributer that the PO put in it wasn't up to the task. So... I ordered a $65 HEI distributer to replace it. However, I also bought this as backup. Let the fun begin.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

An LS swap over a bad ignition? Now I've heard everything

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

I have an old Ford daily driver that uses it's original points setup. I read topics from every make and model and quite a few people say they wanna switch to electric ignition for reliability and durability.

I don't know what they're talking about.

My setup has never failed me; 60k miles on the same points that I installed when the truck first got on the road in 2010, never reset the gap/dwell.



BTW, what was wrong with the HEI dist? It wasn't a simple module or specific part you could replace instead of the whole unit?

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

When it gets hot, it just turns off. No spark. I'm not sure if it's the coil or the module, but I would guess the module. It's cheap crap. I'd be mote likely to spend some time figuring out which failed, but there was oil under the cap when I pulled it. I'll throw another dizzy in it for now. I won't be ready to start the swap until fall at the earliest. I still have a lot of parts to gather, an engine to freshen up, and a lot to learn. Since it's such a common. Swap, all the I fo is readily available. I just need to go find it. I think I've now decided to go with an unlocked OEM ECU, and an aftermarket harness. I've stripped a harness for a merge once before. It was no fun. Besides, decent harnesses are $150 or so. I'm not spending a week to learn how, and a weekend pulling a harness apart, just to save $150.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

Yeah no reason to save $150 when you are already going to spend thousands to get rid of a junk distributor.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

LOL. I don't drive a 72 C10 because it makes sense. It's a fun truck, and a fun hobby. The engine in it currently runs great, but it runs like an old truck. Also, nothing about my driverrain belongs to the truck originally. It has a 75 350, a TH350 out of a car, and a rear end out of another C10. It has an Eddy 4bbl carb that is way too much for it, but I've got that pretty well tuned now. The PS leaks, the rear main seal drips a little bit, and it creaks and groans over bumps. And I love it for all these things.

However, I have a wife. I love this wife dearly. She supports my stupid ideas. But, she's used to a certain amount of comfort in her life. She drives a new Acura. She has nice handbags. She likes to be comfortable. She doesn't find being broken down in the middle of the road super comfortable. She doesn't think our garage smelling like gas is super comfortable either. She likes the idea of an old truck that runs like a new truck. (And really, I do too. I just use her as an excuse to make poor financial decisions.)

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

I was dead set against LS swap, but I had too many issues with carb and fuel pump etc. I finally got on board and it is excellent, it fires every time in 2 seconds or less even if it's been sitting for 3 weeks. I did minimum, shallow oil pan, valley gaskets and knock sensors, intake and valve cover gaskets, headers, o2 sensors wiring harness.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

This motor has 225k on it, so I was planning on a bit of a refresh. If nothing else, main and rod bearings. However, I may skip it. This was a known running engine/trans, and it's really clean inside. I am leaning toward new gaskets and a Craigslist rebuild.

Edit: what did you do about a radiator?

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

I used a Champion cc369....has a female fitting near the trans cooler I used for the steam port. Needs some adjustments with lower rubber mounts and 3 core mounting hold downs on top. I had 135k on mine didn't look that clean.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

Also heated exhaust manifold bolts with mapp gas torch for 10 seconds each, they come right out if your careful.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

I'm not gonna lie, you'd never see an old school SBC/BBC with 225k miles look anything nearly as clean as that.

It's hard to beat modern engineering(and computer control).

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

don't sweat the negativity because there's always a few of "those folks" in every crowd. they've done it all, seen it all, know it all and if you don't believe it just ask them. ;)

your truck, your rules.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

I was looking around, and it looks like I probably have at least 1 broken bolt as it sits. It helps that they're aluminum heads, though. I have everything from propane to oxy-acetaline to a welder at my disposal, so it will come out one way or another

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

I got lucky when I did my swap. A buddy had this 5.7 with 6 speed from a 02 Firebird , 40,000 miles. Sold it to me for $2500 with flashed computer
Fit like a dream. I Love it. Check my signature for all other upgrades

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

On one hand it's sad that the Firebird met its demise; on the other hand it's nice that in a funny way, it lives again. And it doesn't hurt that you seem to be happy.
:metal:

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

Very Happy, next project I’m wanting is up the HP to 500+. Time will tell

[QUOTE=jgrote;9201078]LOL. I don't drive a 72 C10 because it makes sense. It's a fun truck, and a fun hobby. The engine in it currently runs great, but it runs like an old truck. Also, nothing about my driverrain belongs to the truck originally. It has a 75 350, a TH350 out of a car, and a rear end out of another C10. It has an Eddy 4bbl carb that is way too much for it, but I've got that pretty well tuned now. The PS leaks, the rear main seal drips a little bit, and it creaks and groans over bumps. And I love it for all these things.

However, I have a wife. I love this wife dearly. She supports my stupid ideas. But, she's used to a certain amount of comfort in her life. She drives a new Acura. She has nice handbags. She likes to be comfortable. She doesn't find being broken down in the middle of the road super comfortable. She doesn't think our garage smelling like gas is super comfortable either. She likes the idea of an old truck that runs like a new truck. (And really, I do too. I just use her as an excuse to make poor financial decisions.)[/QUOTE

Lol I actually read this post to my wife…Sounds like a mirror image of our life!. She loves the nice rides we see at the cars shows, hates the smell of gas coming from our attached garage (even if I pull it slightly outside sometimes lol). She’s lost patience with my ‘but it’s an investment ‘ and ‘it’s almost done’ lines : ). But overall she supports my stupid ideas. Glad I’m not the only one in this situation lol
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

There is a bunch of videos on the TicToks with guys showing how to get those broken exhaust manifold bolts out. Most involve building a weld up from the broken bolt to a nut. The heat from the weld also helps release the broken bolt.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

I was able to spend a few minutes in the garage yesterday, I got 1 manifold off. I've got 2 broken bolts to deal with. I didn't break any of the ones I took out. These 2 are compliments of the guy I bought it from. I'll get the other side off today. I want to know just how much work I have ahead of me before I get started.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

Got a big grin when I read this. My wife drives a fancy Jeep. She has a couple of Dooney purses (apparently the Snap-On of purses). She supports all my ideas whether stupid or not. Heck, she helped me remove the hood the other day on the 70 without a scratch.
But jgrote I've got to ask this question, does your wife get a big ol grin like this when she mashes the throttle on the Acura? :lol:

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

:lol: My wife cringes when I punch it. But she has an eye issue and gets vertigo, so I don't do it with her in the truck.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

Yes, yes she does! The Acura has 280hp, a turbo, and AWD. The thing is a little rocketship. It makes me laugh at myself for doing all this stuff. I'm going to spend all the money, and go though all the work, just to install a used (more) modern V8 into my old ass truck, and it will still have less HP than her 2.0L four banger. I'm an idiot.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

There are few better feelings in this hobby than this! 5 tries to get out 2 bolts. For my first time extracting bolts this way, I call that a win. A huge thank you to @notsolo for the heating idea. I was able to remove eery bolt that the P.O. didn't break without much fanfare. And an even bigger thank you to my wife, who bought me a little mig welder for Valentines Day in 2006. She was 5 months pregnant at the time.

Re: My Truck Left Me Stranded
 

Sometimes I remember useful stuff and pass it on. Glad you got them out. I think the LS upgrade is worth every penny, I read thru a lot of posts on the swap...it takes some skill and home schooled engineering to get all things set up. Runs Great, Runs on regular gas.
Getting too old for my wife and I to be lifting a hood off, I loosened the right fender, inner and outer pulled the grille and radiator support out, put some sticks to support the hood.and the rt fender...Pulled engine and trans together, same going back in just clears the hood with a low grab on engine, I also had the floor Jack under the tail of the transmission at this point...blue tape on all the body seams try to keep from buggering up the paint.