Loss of power in drive

[elk4one]

Okay guys here it goes, this might be a little long.

I have a 76 351W out of a torino in a 82 F-150. Engine was re-built using all OEM parts less than 1500 miles ago because of loss of oil pressure and lower end knocking.

Currently I have a edelbrock performer intake, HEI distributor, full length header, 2 1/2 dynomax true duel exhaust no cats, edelbrock 600 carb, 14" K&N filter.

The engine runs great at idle, 19.5 hg vacuum at idle, 7 psi fuel, 60 PSI oil pressure cold and 32 warm, it will shake the truck when jumped on at idle in park. I put it in drive, it drives great but will not break the tires loose or put you in the seat. Am i missing something, with all this i should be really close to 300 horses and it feels like a freaking 2.3. No back fires, no misses nothing that I can tell visually. I just picked up a set of trick flow heads from some one who needed some cash, really cheap, but thinking about not putting them on if this going to keep happening, also looking at a cam but still. Getting really crappy mileage also, 10-12 if lucky.

Am I barking up the wrong tree, or what. The tranny shifts fine, just tuned it also and adjusted the band nothing. Still has the original rear-end w/ 3.55 l/s. Someone please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

[gearhead351]

Originally Posted by elk4one

Okay guys here it goes, this might be a little long.

I have a 76 351W out of a torino in a 82 F-150. Engine was re-built using all OEM parts less than 1500 miles ago because of loss of oil pressure and lower end knocking.

Currently I have a edelbrock performer intake, HEI distributor, full length header, 2 1/2 dynomax true duel exhaust no cats, edelbrock 600 carb, 14" K&N filter.

The engine runs great at idle, 19.5 hg vacuum at idle, 7 psi fuel, 60 PSI oil pressure cold and 32 warm, it will shake the truck when jumped on at idle in park. I put it in drive, it drives great but will not break the tires loose or put you in the seat. Am i missing something, with all this i should be really close to 300 horses and it feels like a freaking 2.3. No back fires, no misses nothing that I can tell visually. I just picked up a set of trick flow heads from some one who needed some cash, really cheap, but thinking about not putting them on if this going to keep happening, also looking at a cam but still. Getting really crappy mileage also, 10-12 if lucky.

Am I barking up the wrong tree, or what. The tranny shifts fine, just tuned it also and adjusted the band nothing. Still has the original rear-end w/ 3.55 l/s. Someone please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

You sound like you got plenty of motor to set you in the seat. I would start by checking your timing. If thats off, it effects the entire powerband.

I recommend doing the hill method on your timing. So you can physically push your timing up to its highest point.

Find a long hill. Drive up it in a low gear and then floor it all the way up the hill. Being as your is an auto, ride the brakes. You want to make a big load on the engine to induce pinging.

Keep going up and down the hill advancing the distributor a little bit each time until it starts to ping. Then back it off a little bit.

I'd put the trick flows on. You'd make a LOT of horsepower. With the proper cam. Im sure 380HP is achievable. Your fuel mialaege is not going to get any better. Im barley doing 6 with my 351W.

[elk4one]

Forget to say that the timing was at 10BTC, I have taken the distributor out and moved it two teeth to the drivers side, nothing. At 12 it runs strong but is really difficult to start after she is warmed up, at times not all the time but often enough. I am getting only 120 - 125 compresion in all cylinders. I thought I was loosing compression but obviously not. It is not 160 but still all are the same and that in it self is a little strang. I will try the hill but I drive a long hill everyday to and from work and it has never pinged. Would a worn timing chain cause this???

[Conanski]

What cam is in the motor? If it's a stock cam that's your problem, something aftermarket with 260/270ish duration and 0.450-0.500" lift will wake the motor up. If you want to see over 275hp the heads will have to go as well, they are the bottleneck on the Windsors.

[78fordman]

watch out for going too big on the cam with stock pistons, unless you are getting some small chamber heads to make up for the difference. Another thing that might help is a x pipe to create some more low end.