merc, i was wrong about the coil. it's red and says blaster 2 msd. does this tell you anything?

 

Yes. It's the correct one for your MSD 6A box and ignition setup. You should be good to go there.

 

idled it up to around 900 in park and 700 in drive. sounds way better.
where i had it it sounded like it backfired when you first cranked it here it just starts up like it should.
not sure if that's from better gapping or from higher idle or both.
checked a few of the plugs this morning after the little ride i took last night and they have tan color to them. not white and not black.
i'll go out and run it in a while and see how that goes.

 

Hey Heavyhitter,
The fact that you can run out & try driving your's to test out the different sparkplug gaps is way too cool. I'm hoping to do something very similar within the next couple of weeks - I can't wait. It's been a long time since I heard mine running. Jealous but in a nice way.. Hoping to join you soon... (I like your beast)

Ben in Austin

 

thanks ben. it's a pain to try to chase problems. but there have been times in my life where i would have been struggling with this and need the truck as a daily driver.
the worst case now is i get stuck maybe 5 or 10 miles from home. i would like to get it to where i can go 50 or 60 miles without worrying about getting back.
so, far i've made it back every time. but i have had to let it cool and i have had to get a jump.
if it makes you feel any better i've had my other project for a few weeks and won't get to drive it for at least several more. looking for a 302 for that one.

 

Well if you're finding a tan color on the plugs, you're doing good. That's what you want.

I't be night to hear a video of it. might be able to determine if it's got a healthy cam in it or not. Another thing you can do is toss on a vacuum gauge and see how many inches of vacuum you're getting.

 

just drove it like i stole it. i'm giving it at least a 9. the idle started creeping up on me got closer to 900 in drive and 1050 to 1100 in park.
if it has a cam it's very mild. the leak at the collector may be throwing me a little.
it's in a terrible spot and i may pay someone with a rack to change the gasket just because i don't want to fight it.
i'll take it out over the next few days and if it runs right every time i'll move on to the next issue.