Thought I'd bring everyone up to date on my 390's progress thus far. I've had a number of issues, and would like to get the whole story out at once. So here goes:

Build details are as follows:
C6ME block, .030" over, TRW L2291 pistons
C7AE-A heads, ported, polished, polished combustion chambers, about 9.5:1 compression
Crane 343941 cam, 427 type adjustable valvetrain
Stock rods, crank .010" under
Performer RPM intake, hedman headers
Holley 700cfm TBI digital electronic fuel injection, Commander 950 series

This thing has caused me headaches. When I first fired it last October to break in the cam, there was this annoying little tick. I didn't know what it was. First I thought pinging, then I thought valvetrain maybe, then I finally settled on exhaust leak. When I thought it was pinging, I tried everything, timing, fuel/air ratio, everything, to fix it. Nothing worked. Then I thought it was in the valvetrain, so I took off the valve covers and rechecked that I had the adjustment correct on the adjustable rockers. No problems found, but I reset 'em anyway. No difference. Then I crawled under the thing, and found a nice black spot on one of my spiffy aluminum collector gaskets. Duh, i feel like an idiot now. So it's not pinging.

During the course of all that (which spanned the time between last october and now, I didn't drive it much) the heater core blew up. So I was without heat for the winter, which explained why I drove the Explorer instead.

During the course of driving it, I notice it pings at WOT a lot, and is using a lot of oil. I wonder if the intake gasket is leaking. So I get some washers for the intake bolts, and torque 'em down to Ford's spec of 35ft-lbs. Since, the oil consumption has stopped, and the pinging has been going away. I dont expect the pinging to go away completely until I get the new ignition, since I have the light springs in the current distributor.

Then on my way back from one of my brothers this spring, it started missing / backfiring. Now I didn't know what to think. I assumed it was the fuel injection messing up, so I put the carb (Holley 600) back on. I was also curious what it would do with a carb. It didn't cure anything, including the little noise I mentioned earlier. I thought it was not getting fuel, about to blow up, etc. Only to find out, it was the points burnt up. So I replace those, and put the fuel injeciton back on. I guess it makes sense, the fuel injection gets it's tach signal from the points opening and closing, and when they're not operating correctly, it feeds the computer false information, making it run lean.

So with a new set of points and a Mallory Unilite on order, I felt pretty good.

Then I got the Mallory Unilite. The module was bad out of the box. Dang. Send it back, put the original points distributor back on. It's been like that for about a week, and running good. Until the points burn up again.

During all this, I noticed the PCV valve was getting oil on / in it. I fixed this by taking out the fiber stuff inside the breather, and replacing it with those flattened landscaping glass marble looking things, like you'd use in a glass flower pot to hold your fake flowers. They work excellent. No more oiley PCV valve.

Also, a few weeks ago I discovered that the rocker adjusting screws were hitting the oil baffle under the valve cover. I removed the valve covers (again) and removed the baffle on the side with the open breather, and bent it up on the side with the PCV valve. It does run a little quieter now, but it still has the exhaust leak.

I do have some recent mileage figures to report, with the fuel injection.

City: 12mpg
Highway: 15mpg

I fully expect those to improve with the Unilite ignition.

So that's where I'm at now. I left about a 50ft (guess) black streak beside the gas station, along with a nice tire smoke cloud today, so I guess it's running happy now. Spun 'em through first, second, and part of the way into third.

Just thought I'd bring everyone up to date at the same time with the whole story to avoid confusion. Sorry for the book.

 

Well Kurt I am glad to hear she's all coming together.....I really was worried about that TBI system for some time....Glad to hear it was that at all...

I probably drive my Truck once or twice a week..for a beer run..or just go on a putt here in the country....And I DONT know why....Even at my Age...I have to do at least one Nice Burnout..... Crap I guess its just in the blood!!!

Congrats on getting your build Dialed in!!

Russ

 

Kurt I understand the frustration of the 'tick'. Sometimes those collectors never seal worth a dang. My wife's bronco has been doing it lately but because I know what it is and I'm in lazy mode I have just left it.
It sure makes a guy think weird stuff is happening under the hood though.
You know I never really understood points systems. It is amazing how the small things can make the whole truck run crappy. Mine was flat at 4000rpm and would buck and sputter just like someone was pinching the gas line. Burnt points. Man I fiddled with the carb for days before figuring that maybe changing them would help.

Oh well we all learn. Congrats on getting 'er going!!!