JSaladino Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 It's been a few years since I sold my LGT, but I still visit here quite often, and I figured I'd share my recent project. About 4 years ago, my father-in-law got this '77 Chevy Cheyenne short bed from a friend of his. Originally a California truck, my FIL brought it to his place in Florida, and it was in pretty good shape. Life happened, and it sat for most of the last 4 years. Now that I've finished my Master's, I've got a little more free time, so I convinced my FIL to let me do something with it. A mutual friend towed the truck up from Florida for me, and this is where our journey begins. http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170119_124112_1.jpg http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170119_124109.jpg http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170119_124127.jpg http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170119_124136.jpg As you can see, this thing has been sitting outside for a few years, and has accumulated some growth on the body, with some surface oxidation on the hood and visible rust on the calipers/drums. However, this was a wonderful sight. http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170119_133408.jpg According to the VIN, this truck started out life as a 350 V8, which has received some upgrades. Unfortunately, the previous owner didn't leave behind a mod list, so I'm just going with what I can see. It's got an Edelbrock 1407 750CFM Carb with an electric choke, Edelbrock RPM intake manifold, 202 heads, Mallory Unilite distributor, Mallory electric coil ignition coil, new plug wires, Holley fuel pump, full exhaust, and a few other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Of course, since it had been sitting so long, the battery was dead. So, that got replaced. Also added 10 gallons of fresh premium gas, 2 cans of Seafoam, and changed the fuel filter. Checked the oil and coolant, and everything was good there. At this point, the main priority was to get it up my driveway and out of the street. http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170121_111650.jpg Still wouldn't start, and it wasn't getting fuel, so I changed the fuel pump. And still wouldn't start... typical. However, I was getting fuel to the carb, it just wasn't actually going in. Time to rebuild the carb. http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170121_124109.jpg What an enormous pain in the neck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I love those trucks. They make a beautiful low rider. A good friend of mine had one for years. His was on airbags, had a pretty radical mid-90's paint job, a phantom grille, and tons of billet goodies on the interior. "Striving to better, oft we mar what's well." - Bill Shakespeare - car modder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Finally got the carb rebuilt and reinstalled, and now it'll idle, but only when the choke is all the way closed. again, typical. Finally got it to where it would idle with my foot on the gas, and managed to get it up the driveway. Next, the ignition coil decided to start puking oil... So, I replaced that, and I'm in the process of adding a smaller tach, and replacing the brake master cylinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 I love those trucks. They make a beautiful low rider. A good friend of mine had one for years. His was on airbags, had a pretty radical mid-90's paint job, a phantom grille, and tons of billet goodies on the interior. They definitely do make a great low rider! Sounds like your friend's was pretty sweet. Unfortunately, this is my first Chevy, first truck, first V8, and first carb'd anything, so there's a bit of a learning curve Pretty stoked that everything is relatively easy to get to, as opposed to my LGT! (with one notable exception of one spark plug being behind the headers) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 This was how it was idling before the ignition coil pooped out on me. http://vid54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170122_104149.mp4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Ditch the carb and put a single plane intake manifold on with one of the new self learning EFI carburetor look alike throttle bodies. It will run better, be more reliable, and make more power. Then lift the truck, put 33"s under it or maybe 35"s and install 4 wheel drive and air lockers. Low riders are a dime a dozen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdmayne Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I love old SBCs. I've had my hands on and in many of them throughout my life. And Pontiac V8s. Good looking project. Enjoy it John Hancock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Haha, Penguin I had looked into the EFI systems. Not a bad way to spend a grand or so. Any other suggestions? birdmayne, thanks! I'm really enjoying how easy everything is to work on. I replaced the brake master cylinder today, which took a grand total of 30 mins, not including bench bleeding. Any tips or tricks on tuning a carb? This one's being difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 In order to really jet that carb and get it running right you're probably going to need to know the cam specs. If it is a real lumpy cam with a lot of lift and over lap it will not want to idle at low RPM's. Also this might be a good time to check the timing and make sure the distributor is aligned properly and the points are in good shape. May also need to check grounding wires too. Fuel, air, and spark. Get those dialed in and it should run. Sounds like clean fuel is making it to the carb and you rebuilt the carb. Did you replace the jets? Might have picked up some crud in those. I am guessing you don't have obstructions in the manifold so air should be getting there. So you have fuel, and spark. Did you pull the plugs? Might be worth doing to look at them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snm95ls Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Finally got the carb rebuilt and reinstalled, and now it'll idle, but only when the choke is all the way closed. again, typical. Finally got it to where it would idle with my foot on the gas, and managed to get it up the driveway. Next, the ignition coil decided to start puking oil... So, I replaced that, and I'm in the process of adding a smaller tach, and replacing the brake master cylinder. That is pretty typical behavior for a very large vacuum leak. I assume you didn't have any luck with getting it to idle via idle speed and idle mixture screws? I love me some square body GM truck goodness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdmayne Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 What penguin said actually. Check for vacuum leaks, timing, plugs, and grounds. Did you replace floats (if necessary) and jets? Carbs are simple in theory but can be tough to adjust by feel. John Hancock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted February 1, 2017 Author Share Posted February 1, 2017 Also this might be a good time to check the timing and make sure the distributor is aligned properly and the points are in good shape. May also need to check grounding wires too. Fuel, air, and spark. Get those dialed in and it should run. Sounds like clean fuel is making it to the carb and you rebuilt the carb. Did you replace the jets? Might have picked up some crud in those. I am guessing you don't have obstructions in the manifold so air should be getting there. So you have fuel, and spark. Thanks Penguin! I pulled the plugs and replaced 7/8 of them (can't get to the last one, it's hiding behind the headers). The plugs that I pulled out were black, and looked like they had some soot on them. I haven't had an opportunity to check the points and distributor yet, but I did manage to get a working tach installed, and that showed it's idling about 850 or so RPM. (That's after I had it running for an hour or so and was adjusting it.) Now it idles fine, both during the choke cycle, and also once it kicks over to the fast idle. Vacuum gauge hooked up the the driver's side of the manifold is showing about 20inHg (steady) while it's idling at 850 RPM. As far as the carb goes, I replaced the floats, didn't replace the jets though. I aggressively cleaned everything, and made sure that I could get carb cleaner to spray through all of the channels. Honestly, the only reason I didn't do the jets at the time was because I was trying to get it off the street and into the driveway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted February 1, 2017 Author Share Posted February 1, 2017 That is pretty typical behavior for a very large vacuum leak. I assume you didn't have any luck with getting it to idle via idle speed and idle mixture screws? I love me some square body GM truck goodness. Thanks for the input! I finally managed to get it to idle properly at 850 or so RPM, and have been searching for a vacuum leak, but haven't located one. That may be due to the fact that I replaced all of the vacuum/pcv/brake booster hoses though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted February 1, 2017 Author Share Posted February 1, 2017 Carbs are simple in theory but can be tough to adjust by feel. Yeah, like you said, they're very simple... in theory. Just another challenge, par for the course at this point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Thanks Penguin! I pulled the plugs and replaced 7/8 of them (can't get to the last one, it's hiding behind the headers). The plugs that I pulled out were black, and looked like they had some soot on them. I haven't had an opportunity to check the points and distributor yet, but I did manage to get a working tach installed, and that showed it's idling about 850 or so RPM. (That's after I had it running for an hour or so and was adjusting it.) Now it idles fine, both during the choke cycle, and also once it kicks over to the fast idle. Vacuum gauge hooked up the the driver's side of the manifold is showing about 20inHg (steady) while it's idling at 850 RPM. As far as the carb goes, I replaced the floats, didn't replace the jets though. I aggressively cleaned everything, and made sure that I could get carb cleaner to spray through all of the channels. Honestly, the only reason I didn't do the jets at the time was because I was trying to get it off the street and into the driveway. Yeah that last plug on a small block Chevy is a real bastard to get to. If your plugs were all sooted up you may have been getting some incomplete combustion from running too rich or having the ignition timing way off. Running rich could be carb jets that are too large (too much fuel), not enough air (vacuum leak) or other issue with the carb. Could also be they were just old and worn out. Have you driven it around now that it idles? How it performs under load will tell you a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted February 2, 2017 Author Share Posted February 2, 2017 I've driven it a little bit around the neighborhood, and it seems to run ok. However, I think one of the calipers are stuck, as it will only really go when in the lowest gear, and will come to almost a complete stop immediately after I let off the gas. This week/weekend I'm going to replace the calipers, brake lines, brake pads/shoes, and bleed the whole system. Hopefully then I'll be able to do some unrestricted driving around the neighborhood to see how it really runs. As far as timing goes, I'm going to get a timing light from Advance or somewhere and go from there. Any tips for adjusting the timing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snm95ls Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Make sure the vacuum advance hose is disconnected from the distributor, and blocked off so that you don't have a vacuum leak. Set base ignition timing to about 8 degrees BTDC as that is where most mild SBCs seem to be happy. With an auto trans, you will want to have total mechanical advance in before 3000 RPM. Ideal total mechanical advance depends on several factors, but if it is a typical iron open combustion chamber cylinder head, then about 34-38 degrees BTDC total timing should be a good starting point. Fast burn chambers like the 062 and 906 Vortec will like quite a bit less total ignition timing around 29 BTDC or so. Personally, I don't really trust the dial back type timing lights, and would rather use a non- adjustable one with a properly degreed damper or one with the appropriate timing tape applied. You will be able to get it in the ball park with a typical dial back light though. Also, keep tabs on your idle speed while adjusting base ignition timing. Small changed won't really affect it much, but as you advance the timing, the idle speed will pick up which can alter your base ignition timing reading. Also, that truck would have originally came with an HEI ignition, but you stated that it has a Mallory Unilite distributor which if I recall correctly is an electronic pickup distributor, so no need to check and adjust points. Just my $0.02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Youtube will be your friend on instructional videos on how to actually do all this stuff. If it's running well enough to move despite a sticking brake, you know you're at least making progress. Sitting idle that long is bad for a vehicle as you have now discovered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dga Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Nice project. I've always loved the old school trucks, just a no frills honest machine, and have had a few and still have a newer one as an extra vehicle. Great part about them is that they were built in huge numbers, parts are abundant and very cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted March 9, 2017 Author Share Posted March 9, 2017 Sorry for the lack of posting, been busy with other things. So, I borrowed my neighbor's pressure washer, and gave it a good cleaning. http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170222_145832.jpg Then, I was having some trouble getting the truck to idle properly so I can check the timing. After hours of tweaking, tuning, throwing wrenches and/or screwdrivers, I still couldn't get it to run more than about 5 minutes before it would die. Solution: FiTech EFI system http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170302_095024.jpg Out with the old, in with the new. http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170302_094955.jpg Also has a surge tank that allows you to retain the mechanical fuel pump (which feeds the tank), and houses a high pressure fuel pump to supply the 'carb', and also eliminates the need for a fuel return line (and a new fuel tank). http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170302_183437.jpg http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170302_183428.jpg Had to drill a 7/8'' hole in the exhaust for the O2 sensor, which was an enormous pain in the neck... http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170308_111948.jpg http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170308_113224.jpg Also sanded and painted the hood with rustoleum's primer/flat black paint combo. http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170308_173353.jpg http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g88/jsaladino/20170308_173338.jpg After a few weeks of work, here's the final result! Now I've just got to finish the brake lines, do a little tuning and check/set the timing, and it'll be drivable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Damn, you really didn't screw around making driveability upgrades. EFI is not only working better, but I'll bet it will make more power across the operating range than the carb ever could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 The truck cleaned up nice. I would have a bung welded into the header for the O2 sensor. A custom exhaust shop should be about to do that for minimal cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted March 11, 2017 Author Share Posted March 11, 2017 I had considered taking it to an exhaust shop, but I wanted to make sure that the whole system was working properly before going down that road. As is typical with this project, nothing is easy. I replaced the brake master cylinder, front hard brake lines (from proportioning valve to front soft lines), front soft lines, front calipers, and front brake pads. Tried to bleed the brakes yesterday, starting with the passenger side front. I used one of the one man set ups (plastic tube and zip tie over the bleeder screw with the other end submerged in a bottle with some brake fluid in it), cracked the bleeder on the passenger side front, and started pumping the brakes. Nothing. No air, no new brake fluid, no old brake fluid, and no change in volume in the MC chambers. After 5-10 mins of pumping the pedal, checking the MC fluid level, checking the bleeder screw for obstructions, and checking the tubing, there was still nothing... Switched over to the driver's side front, just to make sure fluid was making it through the system. Pumped the brakes 3 times and got good flow of new fluid. So, I moved to the passenger rear, pumped a few times, and was rewarded with a bunch of nasty black/brown fluid, followed by some air bubbles and new fluid. Moved to the driver's side rear, pumped for a few minutes... and nothing. Pulled the bleeder valve to check for obstructions, a little dusty, but no rust or obstructions. Hmm... Decided to start the truck and let it run a bit, and now the brake pedal is extremely soft, and goes almost straight to the floor with light pressure. Anyway, I'm going to re-bleed the MC, and see if that makes a difference. Other than that, anybody have any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSaladino Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 After several weeks of messing with the brakes, I finally decided to pull the MC and go get another one. Talked to the manager at Advance (where I got the replacement MC), and he immediately said, "You've got the wrong MC, that's your problem right there. That MC you had on there doesn't come on your truck, and probably got put in the wrong box." They swapped master cylinders with me for no charge, and away I went. Just got home and painted the new one black. Once that's dried, I'm going to bench bleed it, get it installed, and wait impatiently until tomorrow to get the new high pressure fuel pump replacement from FiTech so I can drive it around some more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.