How to tune a mostly stock truck

[toby bean]

only mods I'm running are a external fuel pump, fuel regulator, 3"ATR exhaust w/ HF cat. It has a new tune up using the stock plugs and the fluids have been changed. I am running 45lbs BFP and am not overboosting but I still get up to 11* KR. What the F? I am also getting puffs of black smoke at times and sometimes black shit comes out of the exhaust pipe when I crank it up. Whats up with this? It stinks when you get out sometimes too but not under the hood. Should I be tuning to reduce just the knock retard? Is that the main thing? Please suggest anything to do or look for when trying to tune a stock truck.

TIA

 

[toby bean]

DAMMIT!!! On my way home sitting at a light my check enging light comes on. I go and it goes off. 1/2 mile up the road it comes back on and stayes until I get home. Try to pull codes and there are none. What the F???
I did change the fuel pressure last night from 55base to 45base and changed my thermo from 180 to 160 to try to reduce knock. I think that light had flashed at a stop light bfore though. I'm betting its a vacuum line. Damn 10 year old vacuum lines. They are out of there Saurday. Any more suggestions from you guys?

 

[Tooky]

Hi Todd. I say knock is the main thing to reduce first. You could try 47# BFP and see what happens. When you say new tuneup with stock plugs, do you also mean plug wires and cap and rotor? Send me one of your DataMaster files showing this 11* KR and I will look at it. As for the smoke, I don't know enough to tell you anything on that.

 

[toby bean]

I have found out why am getting 11* of knock. I just checked the timing and...you guessed it.....11* off. The only problem is getting to the bolt to loosen the distributer to adjust timing. I'll get to it soon. Just have to go easy on it until.... Sorry I didn't get back with you Tooky. Sy called for attention. I had a feeling that the timing was a problem and I'll let everyone know when I have got it adjusted. In the meantime any suggestions on getting to that bolt? Also the check engine light was coming off because the vac hose to the fuel regulator was loos at the regulator. THank God that was all.

_________________

Todd
NC SYCLONE 760

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: buckwheat on 2001-10-25 12:07 ]</font>

 

[Tooky]

Holy shit your timing was 11* off!?! If mine was 11* off I would shit myself in excitement. (Or is that excrement? heh heh). It would fix everything! I took a look at the job today, doesn't look so bad. I got the right stuff except a piston stop (for now). I can't wait to try it myself or to hear back from you how it worked on yours!! But I will need help on that distributor bolt too. Let's keep each other posted.

 

[myclone]

Im going to bed but I hadda throw out there how I get to the dist bolt...

Take a 9/16 open end/box end wrench outta your collection. Its gonna have to be a "good" wrench like snap on, MAC, or craftsman not some nakimichi cheapy one that came from the flea market. Now, put the OPEN end of the wrench on the dist bolt in a way that the wrench is vertical (or almost so) in relation to the bolt head.

Yes, I know you cant turn the bolt like this but bear with me for a minute. Sheesh, you guys are so immpatient...

Here's where the turning part comes in. All you need is a decent sized screw driver, punch, or whatever to put in the BOX end of the wrench to use as a handle. You'll end up with a kinda "T" handled contraption. Unless someone used an impact on the bolt (highly unlikely but stranger things have happened) you should be able to turn the bolt ~1/4 turn at a time. You dont need much to be able to move the dist. Less than a full turn.

This has worked for me MANY times until I just picked up a long craftsman 9/16 wrench and used my torch to put a 90 deg bend right next to the box end. Lotta good that did me as now I cant find the damn thing..

It might take some trial and error to figure out what Im getting at but if I can come up with that then anyone with more gray matter than a lawn ornament can too. Try it... It works.

Must sleep now.. Gotta try and put the carport back to a standing position tomorrow..

 

[Buster]

On 2001-10-24 22:53, buckwheat wrote:
I have found out why am getting 11* of knock. I just checked the timing and...you guessed it.....11* off. The only problem is getting to the bolt to loosen the distributer to adjust timing. I'll get to it soon. Just have to go easy on it until.... Sorry I didn't get back with you Tooky. Sy called for attention. I had a feeling that the timing was a problem and I'll let everyone know when I have got it adjusted. In the meantime any suggestions on getting to that bolt?

Did you disconnect the tan lead under the dash before checking the timing?

 

[adam92]

Doesn't a regular dist. wrench work for turning the dist. bolt?

 

[toby bean]

On 2001-10-25 08:39, Turbo Sy wrote:

On 2001-10-24 22:53, buckwheat wrote:
I have found out why am getting 11* of knock. I just checked the timing and...you guessed it.....11* off. The only problem is getting to the bolt to loosen the distributer to adjust timing. I'll get to it soon. Just have to go easy on it until.... Sorry I didn't get back with you Tooky. Sy called for attention. I had a feeling that the timing was a problem and I'll let everyone know when I have got it adjusted. In the meantime any suggestions on getting to that bolt?

Did you disconnect the tan lead under the dash before checking the timing?

yes.

 

[StonesKid]

Hey buckwheat, dont feel bad, I have all the same problems, plus white smoke on startup. I think I am about to give up.

Good luck

 

[myclone]

On 2001-10-25 09:59, adam92 wrote:
Doesn't a regular dist. wrench work for turning the dist. bolt?

Yes, it will but in my case I looked at the dist wrenches for sale and thought... Hmmmm, why cant I make one in about 10 minutes from one of the extra half dozen 9/16 wrenches I have in the tool box just taking up space?

A dist wrench works fine as long as the bottom leg of it isnt too long and makes the upper part hit the intake, valve cover, etc..

If youre in a pinch and dont have a dist wrench handy then the combination wrench/screw driver/T handle contraption will work.


Stoneskid,

Is that stone skid or stones kid BTW???.. :smile: White smoke on start up is kinda normal at times. Condensation. On the other hand it can NOT be normal if there is a freakin cloud that blocks out the sun on start up. The while smoke on start up is hard to diagnose without seeing how severe it is and when it happens.

Is your coolant in the rad going somewhere but you cant find a leak/heater core busted? If so you may have intake/head gasket issues. If the coolant level stays constant and the white smoke is minor then I wouldnt worry about it.

HTH..


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: myclone on 2001-10-25 15:00 ]</font>

 

[Tooky]

Dude! I got the hook up today, I got 2 distributor wrenches. Hopefully my timing is woefully off!

 

[toby bean]

I hope thats your problem too tooky. Let me know how big of a pain it is to get to that bolt. I may tackle mine this weekend. I'm also getting a laptop for Datamaster. :grin:

 

[Syclone#892]

I think that Sears used to sell dist. wrenches. I know they make a lot of them, my dad has like 5 or 6 of them from Snap-On. Snap-On has there own website now maybe if you check there catalog and see which one it says will work and then you could buy it from there or go to Sears and see if they have one like it. Myclone that is a very interesting way to get at it, I know I will use your method if one of my dads doesn't work.

 

[JoeLutz]

sometimes you can use stubby wrenches to get to the dist. bolt. You can also use "crows feet" Its a tool that looks like the end of an open end wrench, but with an opening to attach a ratchet extention.

 

[UNIsackV6]

You're definitely heading in the right direction, setting the timing back to zero is good :razz: Get a decent manual one the electric ones are poo. Check out the various archives and remember that ignition problems are notorius on these trucks. If you see more than 7 or 8 degrees of KR GET OUT OF IT!!! and your motor will last. Keep in mind that black smoke generally denotes fuel being burned off which is better than seeing white or blue smoke as those generally denote oil or coolant being burned off which is bad mmmmkay? The puff at start up is no big deal as long as it goes away shortly after that, if it only gets worse you may have worn valve seals or worst case scenario torched piston rings...

 

[JoeLutz]

If your exhaust smelss kinda like a rotten egg, then you could have a bad catalytic converter. If your converter is almost stopped up, it can also cause knock.

 

[Windedv6]

The sears dist. wrench works great for me...
Go in from the fuel regulator side.

John