What did you do with your truck today, Part 3

[evilokc]

been trying to tune a couple of performance issues out of my carburetor. a few days back I set my mixture with a vacuum gauge. when I started it was at 14hg and when I was done it was at 20hg. I was thrilled. I set the idle with n optical tach. it was running smooth and happy. today I drove it to the store and nothing felt right. the idle felt weak and it didn't feel like it was making its normal power. when I got home I got out the tach and vacuum gauge again just to check. the vacuum was back down to 14hg and the idle was way down as well. I adjusted the ide and the mixture until I got the vacuum back up but the vacuum gauge still bounced around a little. I sprayed a little brake clean around the carb base and rpm jumped a little. so looks like I have a vacuum leak. i tightened the base bolts that were a little loose and if that doesn't help then I guess new gaskets are coming this weekend. I also have a leak in my power brake check valve which may be contributing. I'm also ordering a new squirter. I'm just not getting any squirt at very light throttle. so many tiny issues. should be able to knock them all out n a couple of hours.

[gmoney38]

Finished removing front sheet metal and engine/granny. Now putting a game plan together, on how to reconfigure my Camaro frame screw up. I bought it this way, and am reconstructing attachment to chassis.

[evilokc]

okay I got my vacuum leaks corrected but its caused another problem. first I want to say it fixed a problem too. the truck drives really well. stumble is gone and driving is very pleasant. however I discovered my fuel pressure is too high. quick fuel claims 6.5psi is perfect and anything over7.5psi will cause flooding. my pressure is running 8.5psi and its flooding. so I'm adding that to the list of what's being done this week. it was a great drive though. finally felt like I had my truck back..ya know until it flooded. also the insurance appraisal guy came out this morning to assess the damage from that lady backing into me. he said I will et a call in a day or so with the results.

[bennylava]

87 Silverado: (Saturday)

Put new brake pedal rubber on.

Changed out door locks on both sides.

Replaced dead power door lock on driver's side.

Replaced dead power window regulator and motor on passenger side.

Installed rebuilt altnernator.

Installed new battery.

Replaced fuel lines running to the TBI unit.

Next weekend:

Replace switch key.

Replace passenger side fuel pump.

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by evilokc

okay I got my vacuum leaks corrected but its caused another problem. first I want to say it fixed a problem too. the truck drives really well. stumble is gone and driving is very pleasant. however I discovered my fuel pressure is too high. quick fuel claims 6.5psi is perfect and anything over7.5psi will cause flooding. my pressure is running 8.5psi and its flooding. so I'm adding that to the list of what's being done this week. it was a great drive though. finally felt like I had my truck back..ya know until it flooded. also the insurance appraisal guy came out this morning to assess the damage from that lady backing into me. he said I will et a call in a day or so with the results.

Insurance guy coming by in a few days. Here's hoping.

[evilokc]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

Insurance guy coming by in a few days. Here's hoping.

they offered an insultingly low settlement. I told them there is no way that will fox it. they said to take it to a shop and if its more they will cover it. that's what I'm going to do. what happened to your truck?

[vintovka]

Low first offers are SOP. They make many necks and backs hurt all of sudden. I have always found the most expensive high end repair shop and gone with them. The issue of shops using water based paints may be of interest to you.

[handyhands]

I started on the exhaust last week(5.3 duel exhaust with glass packs 2.5") first time for me. It as been fun on off on off. My welds are still ugly but getting better. No one will see these but me. I thought I had been getting a lot done lately so I pulled down my list to mark off some things. But I couldn't. Forgot I marked them when I bought the parts.

[Black_Sheep]

This weekend’s garage goal is to set the cab back on the frame. There were several small jobs completed in preparation. The brake system was filled with DOT 5 brake fluid and bled. I also made a set of battery cables with 1 gauge fine strand copper cable, crimped copper lugs and mil-spec terminal ends. The cables are covered with a protective spiral wrap So they should be darn near bulletproof. Both of these tasks were far easier to perform before the cab goes back on.

[Black_Sheep]

Got the cab set back on the frame and finished putting on the Fatmat Rattletrap sound deadener...

[evilokc]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep

Got the cab set back on the frame and finished putting on the Fatmat Rattletrap sound deadener...

what was your opinion on the quality of that product? wasit as expensive as dynamat?

[Black_Sheep]

Originally Posted by evilokc

what was your opinion on the quality of that product? wasit as expensive as dynamat?

I have used Fatmat products before with great success. For a 25 square foot kit I paid $60 shipped. When comparing cost per square foot the Fatmat is about half the price of comparable Dynamat products. I used 2 kits to cover the floor, firewall and trans cover with a double layer on the upper firewall and trans cover. Based on previous experience, it is very effective in reducing road noise, resonance, etc... and to a lesser degree it also reduces heat. In my opinion the benefit is well worth the expense and the effort...

[mud.man.rj]

That firewall is sooo smooth, beauty man.
Mudman.

[evilokc]

this weekend was pretty good truck wise. not great but its in these early stages that we work out all the gremlins that allow us thousands of trouble free miles. put in a pressure regulator to solve my flooding problem and run some new hard line for that. that went about as you would expect. I did what I could to have all of my parts and supplies on hand and of course it didn't work that way. had to go to the store 3 times. this morning I tested for leaks and tightened up a couple of things. I set the fuel pressure where ot should be for a holley and took a drive. the truck was responsive and seemed pretty happy running through the neighborhood. I stopped at a stop sign and jumped out to look at my floats and fuel pressure. the truck died. I looked and the front float looked empty. tried to start it and it dragged. pulled the air cleaner off and fuel was dripping out of the front bowl into the carb. I opened the blades a little to relieve the pressure. the. front bowl wasn't too low it was so full that I couldn't see the line. I was only a few blocks from home and though I could start it back and get it home. I started it and pushed the gas pedal and it popped and went tot the floor. I knew right away my throttle cable was the issue. I looked and it had come out of the bracket. when it broke the end frayed and I wasn't able to get it back in that tiny hole. i thought i would start it and it could idle home. i started it and put in it reverse and only got about 50 ft before it flooded again. i didn't want to chance it catching fire so i walked the few blocks home to get some tools for a roadside fix. i got back and drained the front bowl and lowered the fuel level. i then turned my attention to the throttle cable. i wasn't able to get the frayed end twisted small enough to fit into the bracket again. i had no choice but to snip the end off. i got it back in and all was right with the world. took it back home and let it run while i checked the fuel level and fuel pressure. i noticed the idle was pretty high. i pulled out my tach light and it was idling at 1435rpm. that didn't make sense to me. i tried to lower the idle with the idle screw and it had no affect. the idle didn't lower. that's when i noticed how tight the throttle cable was. i used the adjuster to loosen it as much as i could but there wasn't enough adjustment to get the idle back. i removed the throttle cable and the idle dropped right away. i had to screw with the idle screw again to get my idle back but it came right back and was happy to idle. it looks like the frayed end i cut off made the throttle cable a fraction of an inch too short. my fault for not leaving enough in the adjuster when i installed it but honestly i assumed it would stretch but not that it would get shorter. when i bought the cable i started to buy a holley cable but they are like $50. i found this Chinese knock off for $15. i wasn't happy with it right away. the "braided" cable was a plastic tube with something to look like braid on the outside. it was really rough too. i oiled it up really well and that helped. now that i need another one I'm going to order a real one. I'm close on this guys. starts well, idles well, fuel pressure is right,felt like it was driving well. the stumble was about gone. peels out well. i need to make a couple of adjustments on the floats to get them right. progress is not going as fast as i would like but it is going.

[MARTINSR]

LOL, thanks so much but I am not doing crap out in the garage, my "five minutes" is about it. I like sitting in my warm house and helping the newbes more these days the older I get.

Thanks so much for the kind words.

Brian

[MiraclePieCo]

Installing an SBC in my '51 panel, things were getting pretty congested on the driver's side with exhaust, steering shaft and motor mounts all competing for the same space. So rather than use conventional mounts off the frame rails, I decided to fabricate some vertical motor mounts upward from my OEM MII crossmember. They solved my interference problem, they're well triangulated for strength, and I think they're kinda graceful-looking too! Will finish weld them after the motor comes back out from its trial fit.

[b-mac]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Installing an SBC in my '51 panel, things were getting pretty congested on the driver's side with exhaust, steering shaft and motor mounts all competing for the same space. So rather than use conventional mounts off the frame rails, I decided to fabricate some vertical motor mounts upward from my OEM MII crossmember. They solved my interference problem, they're well triangulated for strength, and I think they're kinda graceful-looking too! Will finish weld them after the motor comes back out from its trial fit.

Awesome work! But no rubber or urethane? Think it will rattle your teeth?

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by b-mac

Awesome work! But no rubber or urethane? Think it will rattle your teeth?

Stock Chevy rubber isolators bolt on the round tubes at the top - I just removed them for the photo to show the entire mount.

I pulled the engine today so here's a better photo of the mounts:

[Black_Sheep]

I managed to get the freshly painted column, u-joint and DD shaft installed without harming the finish on anything. I want to use stainless nylocks to couple the shaft to the rag joint but nobody local has fine thread stainless lock nuts. Go figure! I had to do a Bolt Depot order anyway, so I've got some coming. I also spent an hour looking for the stud plates for the lower inner fender brackets, they have to be around here somewhere...

[MARTINSR]

DAMN that's purty!

Brian

[crossfire84]

what he said^^^^

[OrrieG]

I have order from Fastenal to get had to find hardware.

https://www.fastenal.com/products;js...rm=nylock+nuts

Interior looks killer.

[Black_Sheep]

Check out boltdepot.com OrrieG, no minimum quantities and reasonable prices...

[evilokc]

got a needle & seat and a new throttle cable to install. supposed to be beautiful tomorroe. hope it will be a fruitful day

[Black_Sheep]

Got a good start on the floor plate and stumbled across the stud plates for the inner fender brackets when I was looking for something else...