WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[grumpin]

Dane - Those are pretty decent numbers with a C6! I can crowd 12 with Big Blue and the ZF5, so for you to get 11.3 is pretty good.

Good to know! I was driving my wife nuts on the way back she was in her Suburban. She asked me to go faster.

I said no without an overdrive, 65 is enough. I may try 70 next time I have it on the road.

[red1980F150]

How did the damper/spacer look?

Was the timing chain tight?

I was of two minds on this, to take the timing cover off or not.

I really need to use the truck for a few things so I wanted to keep the project to a single day, so I chose not to remove the timing cover. I could see a decent amount of buildup behind it though, so I think it's still factory sealed. I really would have liked to take it off, but I didn't, so I didn't check the timing chain. Another thought going into the calculus is the non-zero chance of building a new engine (probably another 302), which could combine with a zf swap.... I want to see how she's running after a few months and if the crank case pressure issues are in the past, and I'll probably do a compression test.

I thought the damper looked okay, though it's old enough to replace anyway so I was going to if a nearby parts store had one, but no one did.

I got my first real driving in since the repair today. The new main seal seems to be doing great, and no coolant leaks from elsewhere. I popped the hood right after a drive and had some oil smoking on the passenger side header, so maybe a valve cover gasket? That seems like it may match with a few drops of oil leaked on the driveway. Certainly better than the quart I'd get from a blown out main seal

[scbill]

I was of two minds on this, to take the timing cover off or not.

I really need to use the truck for a few things so I wanted to keep the project to a single day, so I chose not to remove the timing cover. I could see a decent amount of buildup behind it though, so I think it's still factory sealed. I really would have liked to take it off, but I didn't, so I didn't check the timing chain. Another thought going into the calculus is the non-zero chance of building a new engine (probably another 302), which could combine with a zf swap.... I want to see how she's running after a few months and if the crank case pressure issues are in the past, and I'll probably do a compression test.

I thought the damper looked okay, though it's old enough to replace anyway so I was going to if a nearby parts store had one, but no one did.

I got my first real driving in since the repair today. The new main seal seems to be doing great, and no coolant leaks from elsewhere. I popped the hood right after a drive and had some oil smoking on the passenger side header, so maybe a valve cover gasket? That seems like it may match with a few drops of oil leaked on the driveway. Certainly better than the quart I'd get from a blown out main seal

Red, If your engine is a carb engine, you can remove the fuel pump, and check the slack in the timing chain. Done that many times with a wrench on the damper bolt turning back and forth slightly while pressing on the chain with your finger through the pump opening.

Bill

[ArdWrknTrk]

Red, If your engine is a carb engine, you can remove the fuel pump, and check the slack in the timing chain. Done that many times with a wrench on the damper bolt turning back and forth slightly while pressing on the chain with your finger through the pump opening.

Bill

You can just remove the distributor cap and watch the rotor while rocking the crank back and forth with a breaker bar.

Yes, there is a little backlash in the distributor gear but it shouldn't amount to much. (Or it should be replaced)

[Rusty_S85]

Good to know! I was driving my wife nuts on the way back she was in her Suburban. She asked me to go faster.

I said no without an overdrive, 65 is enough. I may try 70 next time I have it on the road.

What rpm were you turning?

Im trying to set up my truck after I account for slippage in my worn out C6 to have 75 mph around 2,750 like it is currently but currently it should be around 2,300 rpm with 2.75:1 gears out back and the taller than stock 31x10.50-15 tires.

Goal is to off set the taller tires by having a new C6 built with some goodies and a E4OD planetary gear set for quicker first and second gear then if I can get slip in the new transmission to be between 3% and 5% I am going to throw 3.25:1 gears out back which would put me with tire correction around a 2.90:1 where I should turn right around 2,750 @ 75 mph. If more slip I will go with 3.00:1 which would put me around 2.70:1 which would put me around the same rpm @ 75 mph.

I know I probably should shoot for lower mph but where I live now the freeways I use are 60 and 65 mph marked and I have to go 70 and 75 mph just to go with the flow of traffic or I get ran down. Going to be a chore if I have to run down I10 where the posted limit is 75 mph and everyone is doing 80 to 90 mph. Like wise my cam has an ideal cruise rpm range between 2,400 and 3,000 rpm so ideally I am banking on 3% to 5% slip and 3.25:1 gears out back this would allow me to have 65 to 75 mph with in that rpm sweet spot making it ideal for local freeway driving as well as going on I10 in the right lane.

Im also hopeful this new more powerful engine with a new non slipping C6 and better gears to offset the taller tires with EFI will net me better than the 16 to 17 mpg on the highway I currently get with my carb. Im hopeful to get it around what my 351W gets with its 2V carb which is 18 city and 25 highway but I dont know if I can achieve that so id be happy with 15 city and 20 highway which would be way better than the 12 city I get now in the summer time and 10 city I get in the winter time.

[red1980F150]

You can just remove the distributor cap and watch the rotor while rocking the crank back and forth with a breaker bar.

Yes, there is a little backlash in the distributor gear but it shouldn't amount to much. (Or it should be replaced)

Thanks Jim, and Bill, good ideas. Makes sense. Happy to keep learning! Maybe I can get around to looking at it this coming weekend.

[grumpin]

Good to know! I was driving my wife nuts on the way back she was in her Suburban. She asked me to go faster.

I said no without an overdrive, 65 is enough. I may try 70 next time I have it on the road.

What rpm were you turning?

Im trying to set up my truck after I account for slippage in my worn out C6 to have 75 mph around 2,750 like it is currently but currently it should be around 2,300 rpm with 2.75:1 gears out back and the taller than stock 31x10.50-15 tires.

Goal is to off set the taller tires by having a new C6 built with some goodies and a E4OD planetary gear set for quicker first and second gear then if I can get slip in the new transmission to be between 3% and 5% I am going to throw 3.25:1 gears out back which would put me with tire correction around a 2.90:1 where I should turn right around 2,750 @ 75 mph. If more slip I will go with 3.00:1 which would put me around 2.70:1 which would put me around the same rpm @ 75 mph.

I know I probably should shoot for lower mph but where I live now the freeways I use are 60 and 65 mph marked and I have to go 70 and 75 mph just to go with the flow of traffic or I get ran down. Going to be a chore if I have to run down I10 where the posted limit is 75 mph and everyone is doing 80 to 90 mph. Like wise my cam has an ideal cruise rpm range between 2,400 and 3,000 rpm so ideally I am banking on 3% to 5% slip and 3.25:1 gears out back this would allow me to have 65 to 75 mph with in that rpm sweet spot making it ideal for local freeway driving as well as going on I10 in the right lane.

Im also hopeful this new more powerful engine with a new non slipping C6 and better gears to offset the taller tires with EFI will net me better than the 16 to 17 mpg on the highway I currently get with my carb. Im hopeful to get it around what my 351W gets with its 2V carb which is 18 city and 25 highway but I dont know if I can achieve that so id be happy with 15 city and 20 highway which would be way better than the 12 city I get now in the summer time and 10 city I get in the winter time.

Rusty, it was turning around 2600, it has stock 3.55 gears in it. And iirc, 265/75-16 tires.

I may have mentioned, every truck I’ve owned but this and my Bronco, have had 4.10 gears. I really like the 3.55’s. Good enough to pull and much better on the freeway.

I recalculated the two segments of my trip. It was 10.88 and 11.58 MPG. As Gary mentioned, good for a C6.

And I am surprised.

[Gary Lewis]

Rusty, it was turning around 2600, it has stock 3.55 gears in it. And iirc, 265/75-16 tires.

I may have mentioned, every truck I’ve owned but this and my Bronco, have had 4.10 gears. I really like the 3.55’s. Good enough to pull and much better on the freeway.

I recalculated the two segments of my trip. It was 10.88 and 11.58 MPG. As Gary mentioned, good for a C6.

And I am surprised.

With the T-19 Big Blue's old engine was turning 2400 at 65 and it would get that 11.58. With the ZF5 the new engine is turning 1800 at 65 and I'm still getting about the same MPG. So if you are doing that with a C6 you are doing very well.

[ArdWrknTrk]

With the T-19 Big Blue's old engine was turning 2400 at 65 and it would get that 11.58. With the ZF5 the new engine is turning 1800 at 65 and I'm still getting about the same MPG. So if you are doing that with a C6 you are doing very well.

I imagine the cam in your new engine is not close to optimized for 1,800 rpm.

Lugging an engine below its design is really bad for fuel mileage.

Simple math for a simple pump would tell you how much less mixture you are pumping through it, and with everything else being the same (drag, rolling resistance, etc.) in theory there would be a direct relationship to rpm.

[grumpin]

With the T-19 Big Blue's old engine was turning 2400 at 65 and it would get that 11.58. With the ZF5 the new engine is turning 1800 at 65 and I'm still getting about the same MPG. So if you are doing that with a C6 you are doing very well.

Makes me wonder if everything thing is correct with gallons and mileage. I pumped what I pumped and my odometer is close per mile markers.

The original owner, I’m told towed RV’s with it. And it has the old Torklift tiedowns for a truck camper, had a fifth wheel hitch in it, and a hitch for conventional trailers.

Wondering if they put a different torque converter in it.