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Quality parts list for 350 engine tune-up and recommendations for some other stuff.

handloader90

handloader90

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I have a '78 K10 that I picked up 2 weeks ago. Ran fine til the other night, I was going 75 or 80 and started hearing a weird noise, pulled over and the radiator was smoking a little, then the engine started missing and stalled out at a stop light. Now when I start it up it sounds like ^&@* when I get up past 30 mph and starts missing and feels like it's loosing power. I'm not very engine savvy, but I had a buddy who is came and looked at it. The block isn't cracked, no bad leaks. Need to cut a radiator hose and put it back on and clamp it.

Just looking for some people to recommend parts for me to grab from autozone for a tuneup. I know I need new spark plugs, distributer cap and do an oil change, but all recommendations are welcome.

Also a buddy said my cat might be clogged and I can get it cut and straight piped for $40 and he recommended getting the timing "Advanced 4".

I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations that yall have.

Thanks in advance.
 
All of the above. I'm used to the truck shaking and I'm fine with that. But it doesn't shake anymore, like the engine is weaker. I have a little knocking, but it isn't too bad and it's definitely missing when It's running and starts missing bad when I get up to 30 mph or so. I know I have at leat one burnt out spark plug.
 
When I get up to 30 mph and try to accelerate it feels like the engine wants to go into the next gear, but it's having a hard time doing it and starts making this crazy noise.
 
I just want to get it running good right now because I'm using it as my daily driver. I plan on going to a local machine shop and turning it into a 383 stroker within a few months.
 
I would take the valve covers off and check for bent push rods. That could make some noise and cause it to miss.
 
n_martin said:
I have a '78 K10 that I picked up 2 weeks ago. Ran fine til the other night, I was going 75 or 80 and started hearing a weird noise, pulled over and the radiator was smoking a little, then the engine started missing and stalled out at a stop light. Now when I start it up it sounds like ^&@* when I get up past 30 mph and starts missing and feels like it's loosing power. I'm not very engine savvy, but I had a buddy who is came and looked at it. The block isn't cracked, no bad leaks. Need to cut a radiator hose and put it back on and clamp it.

Just looking for some people to recommend parts for me to grab from autozone for a tuneup. I know I need new spark plugs, distributer cap and do an oil change, but all recommendations are welcome.

Also a buddy said my cat might be clogged and I can get it cut and straight piped for $40 and he recommended getting the timing "Advanced 4".

I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations that yall have.

Thanks in advance.
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Did you look at the gauges to see what they were telling you? Can't really make an educated guess without some more info. Where was the sound coming from? Front, back, side, top of motor? Under you? What does it normally run at for temp/oil pressure? Smoke any?

If you have a cylinder that is missing or dead you can have it sitting and idling and pull spark plug wires one at a time and listen for the motor to get worse then put it back on and move to a different cylinder. If you pull one and it doesn't have any effect on the motor running then that is your problem cylinder(s).

But if you say it is making some "crazy" sounds and there is knocking or metal banging sounds then it isn't looking like a tune up will fix anything...
 
The temp and oil gage doesn't work. There's a small knocking noise on the right side of the engine, not bad though. But it sounded like there was a sound coming from the back too, not sure. The only thing that smoked was the radiator which I have a quick fix for (one of the hoses is dry rotted a little, just need to cut it where it's rotted, reattach and clamp it back down). I'll admit that the sound isn't as bad as I make it out to be, but it isn't a "regular" sound and to me it sounds bad mainly when I get up to 30 mph though.
 
n_martin said:
The temp and oil gage doesn't work. There's a small knocking noise on the right side of the engine, not bad though. But it sounded like there was a sound coming from the back too, not sure. The only thing that smoked was the radiator which I have a quick fix for (one of the hoses is dry rotted a little, just need to cut it where it's rotted, reattach and clamp it back down). I'll admit that the sound isn't as bad as I make it out to be, but it isn't a "regular" sound and to me it sounds bad mainly when I get up to 30 mph though.
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First and foremost get those gauges working. Check your fluids/replace any that need it. Then I would do the spark plug wire thing and report back.

If you have a big long screwdriver you can put the handle end to your ear and the other end to different spots on the motor and try to pin point where the sounds coming from. Works better with the actual stethoscope(spelling?) tool they make for it but still might help locate the sounds.
 
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