Turt13
Full Access Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2020
- Posts
- 62
- Reaction score
- 58
- Location
- Wyoming
- First Name
- Travis
- Truck Year
- 1981
- Truck Model
- K20
- Engine Size
- 350
Ok, so here's what she is:
81k20 4x4
350 w/ 1406 eldelbrock carb, some off brand or homemade headers, t400, np208 case
Here's what she's doing:
Starts right up, usually. If not, she will with a little throttle.
She's got a rough-ish idle. Can't tell if it's the idle for sure though, motor might just be shaking.
She will drop idle when put into gear, not without a large metallic clank when shifting from park to reverse, bigger clank when going from r-n-d, or d-n-r.
When put into gear, the shake gets worse. When under load, she's at the worst. We have to park on a hill, and to leave for work my lady has to put it in reverse, up the hill, and Vickie (truck) does not like it, at all. once in a while if she's not warm she will try dying.
Other times under load, like trying to speed up, especially on an incline, and at speeds of >45mph, don't know much about higher speeds, she just doesn't want to go and you can feel her 'shaking' all the way through the janky ass seat, floor boards, etc.
When deceleration is occurring, seems to be absent. If you have enough momentum, like before a hill or something, she doesn't do it as bad. She just doesnt have any umph.
Here's what has been done to try and help:
Plug wires were laying all over each other, used zip-ties to make spacers.
Cleaned up plugs I could get to at the time without the right tools, about 4-5/8. They were black and carboned. Couple had a little white with mostly black, and one was oily. They were bad. Can't afford decent new ones, current ones are auto lite cheapos, put in less then 3k miles ago.
Fuel filter- replaced last week, helped for the drive home from the parts store, kinda. It was also really bad, had what looked like sand, and black specs from the hose I'm assuming all over it.
Air filter- was getting pretty dark, replaced 2-3 weeks ago. At this time, iirc, it was after a friend helped adjust the carb, and oil leaks on the covers were being addressed. Vickie would screrch tires with little effort, and we didn't run her hard. Lasted for about a day. Air filter still getting dark from header leak I'm sure
Header gaskets- got one replaced today, the one I took off was blown out every cylinder. Other is planned to be done tomorrow. I believe this was the cause of my new air filter already getting crummy. And as well as the old. Hell, on the other side we have been missing a header bolt for a month or so that I know of.
1 week ago, Tested for vacuum leaks with carb cleaner and gauge, ,found two big holes in the hard line to the vacuum mod. On tyranny. Fixed that, temporary. Cleaned out line, patched it. This is when she started really acting up. Retested for leaks, couldn't determine any leaks anywhere.
Running strictly 91 w/o ethanol. Had sat this winter with 10% ethanol for a bit. Ran some type lucas cleaner through it when changed fuel filter. Have yet to test psi of fuel.
Found brace for t-case to motor was missing bolt on motor, planned to be fixed.
Timming adjusted with vacuum gauge, And rotation of cap. advanced a little and vacuum went to be 14-15 hgs. From 11 hg. Had to up idle speed to up vacuum as well. Adjust carb a bit, believe she's sitting at 15-16, has the ever so slightest flicker in the needle. Can hardly tell. This is at 6,800 ft elevation, btw.
With e brake on and in neutral, driveshaft moves about 1/4 rotation between back and forth, with clanking comming from t case. U joints seem to be decent shape.
Carb seems to be a little weird, don't know if the secondaries are opening. Could just be a symptom too, thinking they ain't when something v else is robbing the power and they are working. Idk.
She also has a chirping whistleyy sound when you press the throttle, trying g to locate the source of it.
Took cap off couple days ago, missing gasket at the bottom, I replaced it about 3.5-4k miles ago, looked in good shape, no cracks, no black trails, fireing order checked and double checked and it's right, 99% sure of that.
Could the violent shaking and motor movement be as simple as plugs, and header gasket?
Could the carb have gotten gummed up from the exhaust leak and sitting with ethanol fuel? I plan on taking it off and rebuilding it, or at least cleaning it up. Can't afford a kit atm, can the gaskets be reused until I can? The carb has been said to be brand new when I got the truck about 4k miles ago.
Harmonic ballencer had a hair line short tear in it, is that a possible culprit?
Could it be trajny/transfer case related? Motor seems pretty close to being in good running condition.
What about the trimming chain? Who knows when it was replaced, if ever, I haven't checked for play in it yet.
I've done plenty to this truck, and I'm frustrated because she has recently ran great, and then all of a sudden it seems like, trash. Idk what direction to go in at this point, and don't have much funds to keep throwing at things that honestly seem to help for a day, and then overall she gets worse. Next few days she won't have to move much, so I really hope to figure this out. She shakes at times so bad that I would like to park her till I figure it out. But atm, she's my only daily. She went from a rare occasion when she needed to be drove but started every week, last resort vehicle to the only daily. I can't afford to lose this one too, or any expensive repairs. Any help or insight will be appreciated, like I said I'm at a loss rn. Ill see if I can't get a video or two to show what's she's doing.
81k20 4x4
350 w/ 1406 eldelbrock carb, some off brand or homemade headers, t400, np208 case
Here's what she's doing:
Starts right up, usually. If not, she will with a little throttle.
She's got a rough-ish idle. Can't tell if it's the idle for sure though, motor might just be shaking.
She will drop idle when put into gear, not without a large metallic clank when shifting from park to reverse, bigger clank when going from r-n-d, or d-n-r.
When put into gear, the shake gets worse. When under load, she's at the worst. We have to park on a hill, and to leave for work my lady has to put it in reverse, up the hill, and Vickie (truck) does not like it, at all. once in a while if she's not warm she will try dying.
Other times under load, like trying to speed up, especially on an incline, and at speeds of >45mph, don't know much about higher speeds, she just doesn't want to go and you can feel her 'shaking' all the way through the janky ass seat, floor boards, etc.
When deceleration is occurring, seems to be absent. If you have enough momentum, like before a hill or something, she doesn't do it as bad. She just doesnt have any umph.
Here's what has been done to try and help:
Plug wires were laying all over each other, used zip-ties to make spacers.
Cleaned up plugs I could get to at the time without the right tools, about 4-5/8. They were black and carboned. Couple had a little white with mostly black, and one was oily. They were bad. Can't afford decent new ones, current ones are auto lite cheapos, put in less then 3k miles ago.
Fuel filter- replaced last week, helped for the drive home from the parts store, kinda. It was also really bad, had what looked like sand, and black specs from the hose I'm assuming all over it.
Air filter- was getting pretty dark, replaced 2-3 weeks ago. At this time, iirc, it was after a friend helped adjust the carb, and oil leaks on the covers were being addressed. Vickie would screrch tires with little effort, and we didn't run her hard. Lasted for about a day. Air filter still getting dark from header leak I'm sure
Header gaskets- got one replaced today, the one I took off was blown out every cylinder. Other is planned to be done tomorrow. I believe this was the cause of my new air filter already getting crummy. And as well as the old. Hell, on the other side we have been missing a header bolt for a month or so that I know of.
1 week ago, Tested for vacuum leaks with carb cleaner and gauge, ,found two big holes in the hard line to the vacuum mod. On tyranny. Fixed that, temporary. Cleaned out line, patched it. This is when she started really acting up. Retested for leaks, couldn't determine any leaks anywhere.
Running strictly 91 w/o ethanol. Had sat this winter with 10% ethanol for a bit. Ran some type lucas cleaner through it when changed fuel filter. Have yet to test psi of fuel.
Found brace for t-case to motor was missing bolt on motor, planned to be fixed.
Timming adjusted with vacuum gauge, And rotation of cap. advanced a little and vacuum went to be 14-15 hgs. From 11 hg. Had to up idle speed to up vacuum as well. Adjust carb a bit, believe she's sitting at 15-16, has the ever so slightest flicker in the needle. Can hardly tell. This is at 6,800 ft elevation, btw.
With e brake on and in neutral, driveshaft moves about 1/4 rotation between back and forth, with clanking comming from t case. U joints seem to be decent shape.
Carb seems to be a little weird, don't know if the secondaries are opening. Could just be a symptom too, thinking they ain't when something v else is robbing the power and they are working. Idk.
She also has a chirping whistleyy sound when you press the throttle, trying g to locate the source of it.
Took cap off couple days ago, missing gasket at the bottom, I replaced it about 3.5-4k miles ago, looked in good shape, no cracks, no black trails, fireing order checked and double checked and it's right, 99% sure of that.
Could the violent shaking and motor movement be as simple as plugs, and header gasket?
Could the carb have gotten gummed up from the exhaust leak and sitting with ethanol fuel? I plan on taking it off and rebuilding it, or at least cleaning it up. Can't afford a kit atm, can the gaskets be reused until I can? The carb has been said to be brand new when I got the truck about 4k miles ago.
Harmonic ballencer had a hair line short tear in it, is that a possible culprit?
Could it be trajny/transfer case related? Motor seems pretty close to being in good running condition.
What about the trimming chain? Who knows when it was replaced, if ever, I haven't checked for play in it yet.
I've done plenty to this truck, and I'm frustrated because she has recently ran great, and then all of a sudden it seems like, trash. Idk what direction to go in at this point, and don't have much funds to keep throwing at things that honestly seem to help for a day, and then overall she gets worse. Next few days she won't have to move much, so I really hope to figure this out. She shakes at times so bad that I would like to park her till I figure it out. But atm, she's my only daily. She went from a rare occasion when she needed to be drove but started every week, last resort vehicle to the only daily. I can't afford to lose this one too, or any expensive repairs. Any help or insight will be appreciated, like I said I'm at a loss rn. Ill see if I can't get a video or two to show what's she's doing.
