What have you done to your square lately??

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

ChuckN

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2022
Posts
1,460
Reaction score
4,662
Location
Bellinham, WA
First Name
Chad
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
350
How perfect does it need to be? Would you actually know it wasn't right if you did not have that new monitoring system in place?

I know that we all want our trucks to run the best that they can but sometimes close enough is...well, close enough. Of course if you can feel it stumbling or bogging or whatever it is doing then you would absolutely need to fix it. I would guess that there used to be a bunch of carbureted vehicles that were not Perfect at all throttle openings or RPM. There are still quite a few out there actually, I can smell them at pretty much every car show I attend.
Well, it’s “not-perfect “ enough that it falls on it’s face until the power mode finally catches up with it.
 

ChuckN

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2022
Posts
1,460
Reaction score
4,662
Location
Bellinham, WA
First Name
Chad
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
350
@Redfish think I’ll spray around and double check for vacuum leaks, but it seems unlikely that the one spot it runs lean and everything else is good. Time to go back to the drawing board.

There is a procedure that a guy can do to partially decrease air flow to the bleeds- but it’s a little witchcraft-like and I’ll probably give Edelbrock a call before I do that.
 

legopnuematic

Licensed Junk Dealer
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2016
Posts
2,832
Reaction score
7,634
Location
MO
First Name
Spencer
Truck Year
1971, 1̶9̶7̶4, 1976, 1979,1̶9̶8̶5, 2002
Truck Model
Dart Swinger, Sierra 10, C10 Cheyenne, C10 Big Ten, Silverado 10, Ram 2500
Engine Size
225/6, 350 c.i., 350 c.i., 5.9l Cummins
Well, it’s “not-perfect “ enough that it falls on it’s face until the power mode finally catches up with it.

What CFM carb is on your truck? Engine specs? Heads, cam, intake, etc? Base timing? Are you using a vacuum gauge along with the wideband?

What can happen is too big of a cam and not enough engine, or too big of a carb can create symptoms like you describe. Off idle lean spot.

What happens is when the throttle blades open, there is too much air and not enough response to properly draw fuel and atomize it. Low velocity.

Then begins the attempt to correct it by adding more and more fuel from the accelerator pump typically.

Just something to consider. Also, remember carbs are pretty forgiving, ignition is not. Idle speed is to be set by timing, then using the idle speed screw to fine adjust. More base timing will increase idle speed, allowing idle speed screw to be lowered, keeping things in the idle circuits at idle.
 

ChuckN

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2022
Posts
1,460
Reaction score
4,662
Location
Bellinham, WA
First Name
Chad
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
350
What CFM carb is on your truck? Engine specs? Heads, cam, intake, etc? Base timing? Are you using a vacuum gauge along with the wideband?

What can happen is too big of a cam and not enough engine, or too big of a carb can create symptoms like you describe. Off idle lean spot.

What happens is when the throttle blades open, there is too much air and not enough response to properly draw fuel and atomize it. Low velocity.

Then begins the attempt to correct it by adding more and more fuel from the accelerator pump typically.

Just something to consider. Also, remember carbs are pretty forgiving, ignition is not. Idle speed is to be set by timing, then using the idle speed screw to fine adjust. More base timing will increase idle speed, allowing idle speed screw to be lowered, keeping things in the idle circuits at idle.
Hey, well, maybe you can shed some light.

355 SBC, about 10:1. Cam unknown, runs about 15-16 mmHg at 750 rpm. Timing is set to 35 total at about 3000, initial is 14 deg. Edelbrock 650 CFM AVS2. 461 60s era Camelhump heads.

I bought the truck with the engine already set in and not running, fresh rebuild. The guy I bought it from (of course) swore he was confident that he knew what it was but then confessed that he bought it from someone else already done and didn’t know what was in it.

It may very well need a smaller cam, but I can’t vouch for whatever is in there. Truth gone ahead and been told, I’d planned on getting some 195cc AFR heads this year and while I had the heads off, pulling the cam and looking at the number to see what it is.

I do have a dial indicator that I haven’t used yet, but I don’t think it would tell me any useful information that would be accurate enough.
 

TotalyHucked

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
Posts
4,031
Reaction score
13,190
Location
Auburn, Georgia
First Name
Zach
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
Sierra 1500
Engine Size
5.3
I'm just getting caught back up here on the gas tank discussion. Are you saying your senders are under the bed? Every shortbed 16 gallon tank I've ever seen has the sender under the cab like soundmound's truck. Mine are that way as well. Only the longbed trucks got had the sender under the bed (20 gal tank, not sure where it landed on longbeds optioned with the 16gal tank/tanks)
 

TotalyHucked

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
Posts
4,031
Reaction score
13,190
Location
Auburn, Georgia
First Name
Zach
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
Sierra 1500
Engine Size
5.3
Hey, well, maybe you can shed some light.

355 SBC, about 10:1. Cam unknown, runs about 15-16 mmHg at 750 rpm. Timing is set to 35 total at about 3000, initial is 14 deg. Edelbrock 650 CFM AVS2. 461 60s era Camelhump heads.

I bought the truck with the engine already set in and not running, fresh rebuild. The guy I bought it from (of course) swore he was confident that he knew what it was but then confessed that he bought it from someone else already done and didn’t know what was in it.

It may very well need a smaller cam, but I can’t vouch for whatever is in there. Truth gone ahead and been told, I’d planned on getting some 195cc AFR heads this year and while I had the heads off, pulling the cam and looking at the number to see what it is.

I do have a dial indicator that I haven’t used yet, but I don’t think it would tell me any useful information that would be accurate enough.
I have never done it so take this with a grain of salt, but I've seen several videos (youtube and on whatever PowerBlock is called these days) showing how you can get rough cam specs with a dial indicator off the rocker arm rolling the motor over by hand. Then you can google and see if you might get lucky and find the cam you probably have. Might be an option
 

legopnuematic

Licensed Junk Dealer
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2016
Posts
2,832
Reaction score
7,634
Location
MO
First Name
Spencer
Truck Year
1971, 1̶9̶7̶4, 1976, 1979,1̶9̶8̶5, 2002
Truck Model
Dart Swinger, Sierra 10, C10 Cheyenne, C10 Big Ten, Silverado 10, Ram 2500
Engine Size
225/6, 350 c.i., 350 c.i., 5.9l Cummins
I'm just getting caught back up here on the gas tank discussion. Are you saying your senders are under the bed? Every shortbed 16 gallon tank I've ever seen has the sender under the cab like soundmound's truck. Mine are that way as well. Only the longbed trucks got had the sender under the bed (20 gal tank, not sure where it landed on longbeds optioned with the 16gal tank/tanks)
Ditto, long bed with a 20 gallon tank puts the sender right in the gap of the bed and cab (great place for it lol), the front bracket location should be the same from long to short (not 100% on that however), with the rear of the tank being the difference.
 

Frankenchevy

Proverbs 16:18
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Posts
6,146
Reaction score
7,907
Location
USA
First Name
Jeremy
Truck Year
Square
Truck Model
CUCV
Engine Size
Small
But spectra off rockauto.com an google a 5% code if there isn't one floating around on the forum. Doubt you'll find a better deal.

LMC should be last resort for something only they carry. You can usually get anything they have cheaper somewhere else. Just my .02
I used 20% off coupon at advanced when I bought my spectra tanks. Less than $100/tank and ahipped to store for free.

That was five years ago or so…
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
44,722
Posts
966,349
Members
37,396
Latest member
Alfonso
Top