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'78 K20 - RootBreaker from 1990 - nov 2025 8.1L not runnin

Hell...I had a Dodge then...then a Ford...now back with the bowties.
 
sup all... yup i am sometimes on there... nothing to post as it is a dodge mainly site.. i got tired of posting questions for me to end up digging up the answers... ta boot rewiring the truck for 3.5 years doesnt help.. not wheeling or breaking it so nothing to post.... im really busy with 2 kids both in sports plus house repairs...


anywhoo... updates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
now this is not a ryoken build thread so it is lil dinky things here and there are getting posted... :haha:

someone i know knows someone who was going to my neighbors to work on a boat.... sooooo i walked over and we got talking..
he is a true gear head...

he has a grand national that runs 10's (10.5 he says consistantly)... as a daily driver!!!!!!!!! anywhoo we got talking and he had a chevy pickup on 44's, yadda, yadda... and i asked him if he can look at my truck...

so when he was done with the boat we headed over across the street... i fired up the truck... first thing he said... as he reached for my fan... then stopped it and flicked it backwards..... hey you need a new clutch fan... :whistle:... i told him im going electric soon and he said good choice....
so then he said.. hmm you got a vacuum leak....
so i jumped up.. put my hands around the carb.. got around and under the vac secondaries..and the noise changed.... so found the hole and plugged it with my finger (wasnt able to plug the hole more of a rip in the carb gasket im guessing).... truck idle came way down.. throttle response was a bit better.....

he laughed then said.. ok get a new gasket on there.. but hey while you are at it... you need to do more to that holley....

i said yeah im tired of trying to get it right... thinking of putting a qjet back on it.... he said.. DONT DO THAT!!!! holley will provide you the best power for a carb... but you need to do a few things...

1. replace power valve (think that is it).. he said i probably blew it out and is only $5
2. pickup 2 bowl gaskets
3. jet the carb.. told me to look and I should have a 71 jet or so... go up 2 or 3 sizes....

we got talking about it... and i told him about the pump cams like others have done here.. he said... yeah that does aid or mask the real issue....

he said holley made these carbs to fit a huge gammet of motors.. but me not being stock... it needs more parts... and he said it isnt bad to do..

so im going to get up the parts he told me to and see where we go from there.... im hoping this thing runs nice when were done.. he told me to get the parts.. put them in and he will be back over for the fine tuning and we will get it going!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bow:
 
Sounds like you need to make friends with this guy for sure. My dad's like that - I'll struggle with a problem for forever and just give up after I've tried everything I can think of several times and then he'll come over and just take a quick look and have the problem solved in no time. I wish I were one of those guys.
 
Sounds like you need to make friends with this guy for sure. My dad's like that - I'll struggle with a problem for forever and just give up after I've tried everything I can think of several times and then he'll come over and just take a quick look and have the problem solved in no time. I wish I were one of those guys.

im pretty good with ANYTHING.. quick learner... however when it comes to carbs.. i freeze up for some reason..

im a computer geek.. and weld (bird crap beads!!!), home repairs, etc... i can do anything!!!!!!!:pimp:
 
im pretty good with ANYTHING.. quick learner... however when it comes to carbs.. i freeze up for some reason..

im a computer geek.. and weld (bird crap beads!!!), home repairs, etc... i can do anything!!!!!!!:pimp:

Well I bet I can break any of that stuff faster than you can. :D
 
You used to be on pavement sucks correct? pretty sure i seen some pics of your truck there. looks like a solid build!

Yes he did.


Damn, now there's a flashback...

PS reuinion! I was Kevin108 there, with an 87 longbed. I'm actually Kevin108 here as well but I couldn't remember the login credentials. Glad to see I'm not the only one hanging on to an ancient POS. :waytogo:


yeah there are a few of us over here from PS.com ;) :haha:

I still check in over there from time to time anyways because I own Chevy & Dodge.:thumb:
 
I looked in the other day and it was deeeeee-ed.
 
not much to talk about.. truck still isnt running right but we got alot of head way!!!!!!!!!

a motor head came over today... we started with screwing in the air/fuel screws... they went in 3 turns... he told me back out 2.5 turns... so i did..
we fired it up.. he kept it running... and hit the truck with the timing light.. i moved the distro and we got her going... right around 12 degrees...
then we kept toying with the air fuel screws...
we ended up with optimal set at passenger side = half turn out and drivers side a little over .25 turns out... then adjusted the idle screw..... floats adjusted.... she purrrrrrrrrrrrrrred like a kitten @ 550rpms....
he hit the throttle and i didnt see a hesitation but he said something wasnt right..... he hit the timing with a light and hit the throttle.. he said that was wrong..

we took the distributor apart.. mind you.. here is the motor..
1991 caprice police 350 L05 block
1996 tahoe heads
1977 monte carlo distributor
weiand power plus+ dual plane intake
compcams extreme 4x4 hydro roller cam (.457" lift)
full tube headers
msd 6al box with adjustable rev limiter

the timing mark didnt move.. he rev'd to 4500rpm and it didnt move.. so we shut the truck off..
he asked me what did i do recently.. so i said..
msd 8.9mm wires
msd cap
msd wires
bosch dual platinum plugs

so we took the distro apart.. as we were he said.. your weights arent working..

so my 1977 monte carlo distro weights.. had the stock worn out bushings.. giving massive slop.. the stock springs were all loose... then we realized the one weight was jammed onto the other.. and when i put the new rotor on i locked it there... so the weights couldnt do their job.. but it was all bad... well replacement kit would be $20... i decided to scrap that..

ordered a new msd distro from jegs
msd - 8362 http://www.jegs.com/i/MSD+Ignition/121/8362/10002/-1
advance curve kit http://www.jegs.com/i/MSD+Ignition/121/8428/10002/-1

so the motorhead (ron).. said he will get the truck running great afterwards!!!!!! so cant wait.. orderd from jegs due to if ordered by 9pm ships same day... cant wait....

he is telling me that lil blunder of old parts lost me about 75hp!!!!!


side note im going to post this in the truck avenger section..

the motorhead guy i know... named ron.. has a 10.5 second grand national as a daily driver... he also knows his stuff!!!!!!
but we got looking at the truck avenger..
he said holley cant make a carb that will fit on every motor out of the box.. so my minor mods listed above to the motor...he suggested the following:

jets 3 sizes up so stock = 68 + 3 = 71
replace power valve as my truck backfired alot and he said i probably blew it. so i put a stock back in 2.5 power valve.. i told him today that it was a 2.5 and he said buy another.. a 10.... 2.5 is for when vaccuum gets below 2.5 then it kicks in so that is for a radical cam... definitely not for our trucks...

more to come... im going to update the truck avenger side once i get the truck running next week.....once new distro and everything is in... ill do a rootbreakers truck avenger settings notes...
 
everything he said sounds like the truth, power valve is def wrong, and jets are prolly small.
 
I've heard Holley has redesigned the power valves in recent yrs so it doesn't happen.. but older ones where notorious for it, one little backfire out the carb would wipe out a power valve...
 
I've heard Holley has redesigned the power valves in recent yrs so it doesn't happen.. but older ones where notorious for it, one little backfire out the carb would wipe out a power valve...

yeah but when i told him i put a new 2.5 in.. he said... the point of a power valve (cuz i didnt know and he has been my teacherm:thumb:) is for when vacuum drops down below 2.5 then it opens.. to feed more fuel? did i get that right? so he said im pushing out way more as i dont have a radical cam... so i have to put a 10 in he said... but he said we will have this thing running great!!!! cant wait till next week as my next friday she should be running great.. so now i have to fill out the title reconstruct and get that done.. then on the road!!!!
 
I believe the rule of thumb for a power valve is to take your vacuum at idle, divide it in half then add one.

For instance: I get 14" at warm low idle, divided in half is 7 + 1 = 8 The available power valves are 7.5 and 8.5. I went with 8.5, so at 8.5" of vacuum the power valve opens and increases the fuel flow to the engine by something like 5 or 8 jet sizes (cant remember exactly how much).
 
sounds like the idle screws are set to lean. I've always experienced 1 turn out minimum, and up to 3 for best idle.
The PV should be protected on a Truck Avenger carb, they have a check ball in the base plate to prevent blow out, but check it out anyway.
Good luck, nice to have a tuning guru handy.
 
sounds like the idle screws are set to lean. I've always experienced 1 turn out minimum, and up to 3 for best idle.
The PV should be protected on a Truck Avenger carb, they have a check ball in the base plate to prevent blow out, but check it out anyway.
Good luck, nice to have a tuning guru handy.

that is a rule of thumb.. yes.... i did that... turned 2 out... and we adjusted out and in... the true set is what the motor likes.. the guy said he was shocked my truck liked it lean more than rich... my neighbor could smell the fuel out the exhaust as it was aiming at his house....

so you have to see what the truck likes...

here is how my distro looked.. old one of course... 1977 monte...
see all the wear spots? you can see the tips of each weight.. how they were locked...


DistroWeights by TeleFragger / RootBreaker, on Flickr
 
well an update...
i just went to the dmv to get my monstrocity fixed...


1. had to have title for cab donor put in my name.
......ended up costing me a penalty cuz you have to do title swaps in 10 days
......end result was $70... not bad
2. had to turn tags for truck in
3. need to provide some things i didnt have on me..
....... old insurance card, old reg, title, proof of new insurance and a letter stating when the truck came off the road, date, vin, etc and that it is going back on the road.
4. registration for my truck halted due to this... i could have provided #3 and paid 3 years x $85 or get a letter from my insurance company stating proof of me cancelling insurance so then im only charged a new insurance fee....

so no way it get it on the road sooner than i wanted to... but SOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
wow new jersey sucks

True statement. I hate living here. It's a hassle to do anything fun haha.


On another note, glad you're getting the truck worked out. Hopefully you're able to get it running right and on teh road soon.
 
True statement. I hate living here. It's a hassle to do anything fun haha.


On another note, glad you're getting the truck worked out. Hopefully you're able to get it running right and on teh road soon.


yeah jersey sucks...

on the running part.. she is running great... we got her tuned/dialed and im itching to get some rubber on the street!!!!!!!

side note.. i cant find my NJ lift papers.. no biggie as they will give me new ones.. but i want the old ones on me to show proof of the tilt test and stuff.. cuz now i will have to take that again.... :doah:
 
yeah jersey sucks...

on the running part.. she is running great... we got her tuned/dialed and im itching to get some rubber on the street!!!!!!!

side note.. i cant find my NJ lift papers.. no biggie as they will give me new ones.. but i want the old ones on me to show proof of the tilt test and stuff.. cuz now i will have to take that again.... :doah:

Good to hear! What is this tilt test you speak of :whistle::whistle:

(I didn't do mine....)
 
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