What have you done to your square lately??

[SirRobyn0]

Shades of @SirRobyn0 here. Changed # 8 with a good used plug I had as I thought I was feeling a slight miss at idle. Plug had like a white glaze on the electrode arm that appeared to have reduced the gap by half. Put the feeler gauge to it and off came the glaze.

Fired her up, still a bit of a miss, so# 6 gets the treatment. Same glaze.

Not a perfect idle, but for a 122K oil burning SOB good enuff.

Thanks for tagging me. That's about where I'm at. What plugs are you running if you don't mind me asking?

So as an update, and also for those that haven't seen my thread on it, I discovered my sudden inability to keep #7 from fouling in less than 100 miles was due to the anti-ash additives in the diesel oil I'd started running. Going back to conventional gas oil I've now got several hundred miles on #7 and I've looked at the plug a few times, it has that gloss black oil burning coating on the insulator but is no longer getting impacted with wet oil deposits in less than 100 miles. So I consider that a win. I've even towed my trailer without getting a severe rough idle.

Is my idle perfect, no but it's back to where it was before these shenanigans and I'm quite happy about that. Like you for an engine with a lot of miles on it, and using some oil I'm perfectly happy.

I asked about plugs because I've currently got a full set of NGK UR4's roughly the heat range off ACDelco 44 or 45's depending on the cross reference sheet I look at. Previously I was running ACDelco CR43TS plugs, as it was what was in the truck when I bought it. Not sure if I'll go back to the CR43TS in the future or stick with the hotter plugs, but either way I'll probably go back to ACDelco's I'm running the NGK's because that's what was in stock at the parts store when I needed them on short notice.

 

[Goldie Driver]

Thanks for tagging me. That's about where I'm at. What plugs are you running if you don't mind me asking?

So as an update, and also for those that haven't seen my thread on it, I discovered my sudden inability to keep #7 from fouling in less than 100 miles was due to the anti-ash additives in the diesel oil I'd started running. Going back to conventional gas oil I've now got several hundred miles on #7 and I've looked at the plug a few times, it has that gloss black oil burning coating on the insulator but is no longer getting impacted with wet oil deposits in less than 100 miles. So I consider that a win. I've even towed my trailer without getting a severe rough idle.

Is my idle perfect, no but it's back to where it was before these shenanigans and I'm quite happy about that. Like you for an engine with a lot of miles on it, and using some oil I'm perfectly happy.

I asked about plugs because I've currently got a full set of NGK UR4's roughly the heat range off ACDelco 44 or 45's depending on the cross reference sheet I look at. Previously I was running ACDelco CR43TS plugs, as it was what was in the truck when I bought it. Not sure if I'll go back to the CR43TS in the future or stick with the hotter plugs, but either way I'll probably go back to ACDelco's I'm running the NGK's because that's what was in stock at the parts store when I needed them on short notice.

R45TS, if memory serves - whatever GM called out for a 1980 350 light duty emmissions.

I found the ash theory interesting as I had been running diesel oil for a while there. Right now it's Super Tec semi syn 10W40 - and wonder how the rest of the plugs look.

But, just decided to play with my trouble makers last night.

The TVS switch is still doing its thang - EFE works, and more importantly, shuts off now, and the Auto Thermac opens the flapper in the air cleaner door like it should when its warm outside air temps.

Amortizing my 30 dollar investment.

 

[SirRobyn0]

R45TS, if memory serves - whatever GM called out for a 1980 350 light duty emmissions.

I found the ash theory interesting as I had been running diesel oil for a while there. Right now it's Super Tec semi syn 10W40 - and wonder how the rest of the plugs look.

But, just decided to play with my trouble makers last night.

The TVS switch is still doing its thang - EFE works, and more importantly, shuts off now, and the Auto Thermac opens the flapper in the air cleaner door like it should when its warm outside air temps.

Amortizing my 30 dollar investment.

This is a little mystery for me. The 305, which is what I have, calls for R45TS, or CR43TS, but not 44's. The theory I've heard is that the 45's were the originally called for plug and later on GM ok'ed the 43's for engines with plug issues. So my truck had 43's in it when I bought it but why? Did he step the heat range down when it starting plugging because the vapor canister had rotted out causing a huge vacuum leak? Or had he always run the 43's. GRRR I'd like to know, but never will. I've had to decarb the engine a few times while I've owned it. So for now I'm leaving the hotter (45 equivalent) NGK's in. Eventually I'll pull them all and see what they look like and decide if I want to drop the heat range on the normally firing plugs.

I have to wonder how many more miles I'll get out of my motor.

 

[Goldie Driver]

This is a little mystery for me. The 305, which is what I have, calls for R45TS, or CR43TS, but not 44's. The theory I've heard is that the 45's were the originally called for plug and later on GM ok'ed the 43's for engines with plug issues. So my truck had 43's in it when I bought it but why? Did he step the heat range down when it starting plugging because the vapor canister had rotted out causing a huge vacuum leak? Or had he always run the 43's. GRRR I'd like to know, but never will. I've had to decarb the engine a few times while I've owned it. So for now I'm leaving the hotter (45 equivalent) NGK's in. Eventually I'll pull them all and see what they look like and decide if I want to drop the heat range on the normally firing plugs.

I have to wonder how many more miles I'll get out of my motor.

I know I need one, and want one ( motor ) , but I am being a cheap azz and just buying plugs and oil.

The power level is just pathetic.

However, it runs decent, does not overheat, and for what it is gets decent milage.

For example, during my 1.5 or so hour rain induced slugfest on the way home Tuesday , sitting in bumper to bumper traffic w/ the AC on, I got 9 MPG for that round trip.

LOL - probably 11 on the ride in and 5 on the ride home, but ...

 

[SirRobyn0]

I know I need one, and want one ( motor ) , but I am being a cheap azz and just buying plugs and oil.

The power level is just pathetic.

However, it runs decent, does not overheat, and for what it is gets decent milage.

For example, during my 1.5 or so hour rain induced slugfest on the way home Tuesday , sitting in bumper to bumper traffic w/ the AC on, I got 9 MPG for that round trip.

LOL - probably 11 on the ride in and 5 on the ride home, but ...

I know what you mean, and that's just were I'm at. It's like 2K at minimum for a motor and moneys tight. It's hard to throw away a good runner just because it uses oil and I could really use the extra power of a fresh 350 when I tow. My truck with the 700R4 if I keep the speed around 60 on the highway and I'm empty I can get 15MPG which I think is pretty impressive for one of these truck. She's never left me stranded either. And then I think about the 700R4 my motor sits in front of and if that thing goes I'll need money for that so I just kind of end up holding off on everything lol. But I love the old truck and so does my dog! She loves to lay down on the seat and look out the windshield lol.

 

[78C10BigTen]

Well i finally got to puting on my calipers from @AyWoSch Motors today after work and a very long story short the locked up caliper was not bad it was the rubber hose, wich is on order right now. But also im glad Ayden sent me the brake pads too as my driver side was almost to the steel! Had to jump start it off the s10 too. So at the end of today its got "new" used calipers and brake pads but the wheel is still locked up due to a collapsed rubber line. Also can anyone tell me why only my pass side rotor has those 3 big holes?

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[78C10BigTen]

More pics. Drivers side pads when i pulled them off! Plus ive found that my truck has 43 year old factory riveted ball joints still!! (Forgot to take pics after cleanin off dirt n grease)

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[CRM]

I wonder if the three holes are there for balancing.

 

[Grit dog]

I wonder if the three holes are there for balancing.

That would be my guess as well. Or those holes would be enough to throw it off balance.

 

[SirRobyn0]

Yes, you guys are correct those holes are for balancing, or at least that is what brake reps use to tell us back in the day when brake manufactures would send reps to shops.

 

[t44e6]

Installed a set of Bilsteins, the whoop-de-doos on my gravel road are smoother but not sure if the ride on pavement is as smooth. Need to check my tire pressures. Had to modify the front shocks slightly as the top mount was about 1/8" wider than the bracket. Had to play musical chairs with jacks and jackstands to compress the shocks and line up the bottom mounts. I do not like working on the floor but that is where I'm at! In typical GM fashion I needed 3 different size sockets for the rear shocks, 3/4", 13/16", and 15/16". The front was all 3/4". I had pulled my cowl off to repair the common under dash leak. No rust, just failed sealant. I scraped as much as I could off and blew it out with compressed air. Wiped it down, used brush on roofing sealer. On the drivers side the access is limited and where the panels curve downward and drop away I couldn't get to it to make sure that the sealer flowed around the corner and there is still a very slight leak which is annoying. I may experiment with thinning it down and trying to improvise something to get it to flow further along the seam.

 

[Grit dog]

@t44e6
On the cowl seal thing, in your quest for something flowable, cross off spray on bedliner from your list. Seemed like a good idea to me and I piled in on that seam. But it’s not high solids and it just shrunk up and cracked after it cured. I had no leaks but the original seam sealer had cracked or come off in places. I went back over the bedliner stuff with seam sealer…go figure, that worked. Lol.
For something flowable, there are flowable seam sealers although they may be too thick? Or self leveling RV roof sealant from Dicor or similar mfgs.
Just a suggestion.

I also have a full set of bilsteins waiting to go on. I’ve gotta find new bushings for the steering stabilizer as the correct P/N (different application but fits squares) has the wrong size bushing sleeve. Comparing to the one ORD sells, they include different bushings.
Just a FYI for those considering Bilstein stabilizer. I saved $10 by not buying from ORD and I’ll waste more time or money than that making it fit now….

 

[Redfish]

Replaced the Ignition Control Module. Again. This time I ordered AC Delco parts, but I am suspecting I have something else causing these things to fail.

I have a new AC Delco distributor cap and rotor on the way but I didn't want to wait. I want to be able to drive the old truck anytime I want and didn't like that it was "broke down".

 

[SirRobyn0]

Replaced the Ignition Control Module. Again. This time I ordered AC Delco parts, but I am suspecting I have something else causing these things to fail.

I have a new AC Delco distributor cap and rotor on the way but I didn't want to wait. I want to be able to drive the old truck anytime I want and didn't like that it was "broke down".

Just out of curiosity how many modules have you been though?

 

[SirRobyn0]

@t44e6 & @Grit dog I like the self leveling RV roof sealant idea. I've worked with that stuff quite a bit not surprisingly on RV roofs. To bad I didn't think of that when I found my cowling seal not in the best of shape but not leaking either. I used some type of spray on rubber sealant, similar to flex seal but I don't think it was that brand. I had it in a spray can and intentionally ran it down the sides as best I could. Last time I was in there it still looked good, but like the RV roof sealant idea better. Heng's still makes a RV sealant formulated for old RVs with metal roofs BTW