WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[Rembrant]

I got a few small tasks completed on the old Bullnose today, but the most important of all was I finally installed my new Ford temp sender in the intake, and my gauge is back to reading perfectly in the middle like it supposed to!! Please ignore the filthy dash...I still haven't cleaned the interior since it left the body shop, and it needs it BAD.

Anyway, I had an aftermarket temp sender in there since last year, and it was driving me nuts. Previously, the needle was always on the "L" when the coolant temp was at 195F. Now, temp is exactly the same, and the gauge is in the middle. It is slightly right of middle in the picture above, but it was mostly running almost straight up and down. Love it.

I'm sorting out all kinds of aftermarket part issues this week!

I had been avoiding changing this sender because I didn't want to deal with coolant all over the place (no matter what I do, I always seem to end up with it all over everything, including the floor). Anyway, with the engine cold, I just popped the old one out and stuck the new one in while dealing with a minor coolant geyser coming out of the intake. No biggie, I was heading for the carwash to shampoo and wash the engine bay anyway.

All good in the hood now!!

[salans7]

I got a few small tasks completed on the old Bullnose today, but the most important of all was I finally installed my new Ford temp sender in the intake, and my gauge is back to reading perfectly in the middle like it supposed to!! Please ignore the filthy dash...I still haven't cleaned the interior since it left the body shop, and it needs it BAD.

Anyway, I had an aftermarket temp sender in there since last year, and it was driving me nuts. Previously, the needle was always on the "L" when the coolant temp was at 195F. Now, temp is exactly the same, and the gauge is in the middle. It is slightly right of middle in the picture above, but it was mostly running almost straight up and down. Love it.

I'm sorting out all kinds of aftermarket part issues this week!

I had been avoiding changing this sender because I didn't want to deal with coolant all over the place (no matter what I do, I always seem to end up with it all over everything, including the floor). Anyway, with the engine cold, I just popped the old one out and stuck the new one in while dealing with a minor coolant geyser coming out of the intake. No biggie, I was heading for the carwash to shampoo and wash the engine bay anyway.

All good in the hood now!!

Did nothing to my truck all weekend since I picked up an upper respiratory infection (my third this year ) that has put me down the last few days.

However, I did find something on Ebay that I just had to have. When everyone else is charging $20 for an individual piece that belongs to a set of 4 ($80 total ), but you find the set of 4 for $40 shipped, you kinda have to jump on it.

[ctubutis]

Chris - I doubt you can get enough vacuum drop in neutral to get the secondaries to come in, if that's what you are trying to do. With no load on the engine the vacuum won't go into the region needed to overcome the spring and open the secondaries.

There's a test using a paper clip to test how far the secondaries open under load. Here's one discussion thereof: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c1-and-c2-corvettes/760737-what-is-and-how-do-you-do-the-paper-clip-test-for-holley-s.html.

And Jim is correct, mechanical secondaries aren't what you want in a truck. You'll create a big bog when you give it too much throttle and the RPM isn't up there yet. Plus, if you think you have bad MPG now, you ain't seen nothing yet. Been there, done that, and turned the back bumper blue while I watched the fuel gauge move opposite to the tach.

Work up a deal with Jim for that 650 AVS. At least it'll determine if the carb is the problem. At best, you'll see a noticeable MPG improvement and you can bring the truck back for the show next year.

Jim - I know you aren't about MPG, but it would be interesting to see what difference there is between the two carbs.

Paul - Good luck in the autocross today. I really loved driving my Miata, so you'll have to report back on how much fun you have.

Gary & Jim & Bill & All - I will try and make a video tomorrow and put it on youtube; I think I can even embed it here? Yes, that's all I'm doing is hovering over it and opening the throttle with my hand. I can keep opening it up to a certain point, open it up past that and the thing wheezes out... it's kinda cool, I can hear the rotating mass still rotating but there's no ignition happening, and so it's quieter.

~~

Jim - Yeah, sure, if you've got a spare carb laying around, I can give that a shot, thanks! The throttle cable mounting on the intake manifold might need adjusting or changing for my application, I had to extend the OEM throttle cable mounting bracket a bit to get it to work with my Holley, I'm guessing an Edelbrock will need *something* non-conformative but I'll figure that out. I have never messed with one before, this will be a first. :)

It'll actually be mounting on an Edelbrock Performer 400, this could be interesting....

[Gary Lewis]

Gary & Jim & Bill & All - I will try and make a video tomorrow and put it on youtube; I think I can even embed it here? Yes, that's all I'm doing is hovering over it and opening the throttle with my hand. I can keep opening it up to a certain point, open it up past that and the thing wheezes out... it's kinda cool, I can hear the rotating mass still rotating but there's no ignition happening, and so it's quieter.

~~

Jim - Yeah, sure, if you've got a spare carb laying around, I can give that a shot, thanks! The throttle cable mounting on the intake manifold might need adjusting or changing for my application, I had to extend the OEM throttle cable mounting bracket a bit to get it to work with my Holley, I'm guessing an Edelbrock will need *something* non-conformative but I'll figure that out. I have never messed with one before, this will be a first. :)

It'll actually be mounting on an Edelbrock Performer 400, this could be interesting....

Hamm0ckjames - Many forums don't have the smarts to read the metadata embedded in pictures to rotate them properly, and that includes this one. But if you open the pic in an editing app and save it that usually orients it properly. Not always, but usually.

Cory - I don't like the coolant geysers either, so understand your reluctance. But you got it done! Boy, that truck is coming together.

Shaun - That's a shame on the illness. But, you expect us to hang around waiting for you to tell us what you bought????

Chris - Yes, you can embed a Youtube on here. Tick the "Message is in HTML Format" box and paste in the embed code. You may want to play with the width and height values to get it bigger as they usually give you really small windows.

And, if you are going to tell us anything in writing, remember that in HTML format the carriage returns don't get you a line feed. But click Formatting/Line Feed to paste one in.

But it sounds like the AFR is going way, WAY lean. Like you have a large vacuum leak. Maybe a hose off? Or the brake booster failed?

[ctubutis]

Hamm0ckjames - Many forums don't have the smarts to read the metadata embedded in pictures to rotate them properly, and that includes this one. But if you open the pic in an editing app and save it that usually orients it properly. Not always, but usually.

Cory - I don't like the coolant geysers either, so understand your reluctance. But you got it done! Boy, that truck is coming together.

Shaun - That's a shame on the illness. But, you expect us to hang around waiting for you to tell us what you bought????

Chris - Yes, you can embed a Youtube on here. Tick the "Message is in HTML Format" box and paste in the embed code. You may want to play with the width and height values to get it bigger as they usually give you really small windows.

And, if you are going to tell us anything in writing, remember that in HTML format the carriage returns don't get you a line feed. But click Formatting/Line Feed to paste one in.

But it sounds like the AFR is going way, WAY lean. Like you have a large vacuum leak. Maybe a hose off? Or the brake booster failed?

That has happened to me before, a huge vacuum leak when one of the larger rubber caps blew off (or otherwise disappeared). When that happens, the thing won't idle - which it's doing fine right now and I don't recall anything with the brakes. Even the choke works correctly.

[Gary Lewis]

That has happened to me before, a huge vacuum leak when one of the larger rubber caps blew off (or otherwise disappeared). When that happens, the thing won't idle - which it's doing fine right now and I don't recall anything with the brakes. Even the choke works correctly.

True, if it is idling fine then is probably isn't a vacuum leak. In that case it is either running out of gas, which is unlikely in neutral as it doesn't take much to spin to 2500, or it is losing ignition.

Do you remember a few years ago when Eli/Smokenchoken brought his truck to the GTG and it would die if he connected the vacuum advance. Paul quickly said "It is the wires on the pickup in the dizzy", and sure enough it was. The insulation had fallen off the wires to the pickup and when the vacuum advance moved the wires shorted and the truck died.

Pull the cap and check the wires.

[ArdWrknTrk]

True, if it is idling fine then is probably isn't a vacuum leak. In that case it is either running out of gas, which is unlikely in neutral as it doesn't take much to spin to 2500, or it is losing ignition.

Do you remember a few years ago when Eli/Smokenchoken brought his truck to the GTG and it would die if he connected the vacuum advance. Paul quickly said "It is the wires on the pickup in the dizzy", and sure enough it was. The insulation had fallen off the wires to the pickup and when the vacuum advance moved the wires shorted and the truck died.

Pull the cap and check the wires.

Gary,

Spot on advice for those symptoms.

Another thing to check in there is the black ground wire.

Is the brass tab screwed down securely?

Do you have continuity to ground from the dizzy connector, or the DS connector throughout the advance range of motion?

Sometimes the wire breaks inside the insulation from flexing.

Remember, this is the only ignition ground for the whole system.

Chris, if you have a tach, you'll see it go to zero (like you shut the key off, if this happens) even though the engine is still turning.

[Rembrant]

Cory - I don't like the coolant geysers either, so understand your reluctance. But you got it done! Boy, that truck is coming together.

Gary...when it comes to coolant (and brake fluid) systems, I have some of the best procrastination skills going...I hate working on either system...lol. I'm fine once I start it, it's just that I will avoid starting it.

Swapping out this temp sender...once I finished it, which took all of 10 minutes including disconnecting wires, etc...I was wondering why I was fussing about it in the first place.

Once I get all of these bugs sorted out and dealt with, I want to come back to this thread and have the pleasure of saying I did nothing but wax my truck today!!

 

[Danny G]

Cory - I don't like the coolant geysers either, so understand your reluctance. But you got it done! Boy, that truck is coming together.

Gary...when it comes to coolant (and brake fluid) systems, I have some of the best procrastination skills going...I hate working on either system...lol. I'm fine once I start it, it's just that I will avoid starting it.

Swapping out this temp sender...once I finished it, which took all of 10 minutes including disconnecting wires, etc...I was wondering why I was fussing about it in the first place.

Once I get all of these bugs sorted out and dealt with, I want to come back to this thread and have the pleasure of saying I did nothing but wax my truck today!!

Interior is pretty much back together less the seat.

Need to install the intermittent wiper unit pull it out of the garage today if it is not raining and slide the bench back in.

Then I am going to need y'all's help... To put my doors back on...

[Gary Lewis]

Interior is pretty much back together less the seat.

Need to install the intermittent wiper unit pull it out of the garage today if it is not raining and slide the bench back in.

Then I am going to need y'all's help... To put my doors back on...

Cory - That'll be the day! As for procrastination skills, I have to paint BB's front frame, powder coat all of the suspension components, order and install ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, and u-joints to get BB back on the ground. And I'm playing webmeister instead.

TheScatch - I'll hold the door while you tighten the bolts.