Hello all, we are almost 3 weeks into our trip and doing well. Some ?'s maybe you guys can answer. My 240 has had a vibration since I majored it, I never heard it run before the work was done, dont know it's history. I bought a reconditioned damper from Damper Dr and I installed at one of our visits along the way. Vibration still there. Installed a tach, vibration starts around 1700/1750, that why i thought it was the damper.
Started trip with fresh tune, stock timing, 6 deg BTDC, I have the dizzy that is all vacuum advance, no centrifical, may have been called Loadamatic dizzy, I think. Checke vacuum unit at home and working well. Truck was real lazy and dead on hills, fuel mileage 16.5 at best. No time light with me, marked dizzy and block as ref then advanced timing by ear, we detect no ping or spark knock. In Canada last 2 fill ups, Litres have not calc mileage yet but performance is much, much better. Any comments from anyone?
TOD trans I installed is as one of you stated, ratio's stink. but the OD is good, 65 mph at 2,000 and it was bad on grades until I advanced the timing and pulls pretty good now, tho it still falls off some.
Thats it for now, in process of lining up installing AC in the State of WA. which i will do at a multi day visit there.
Thank you for all your info / help
Richard

 

Well I think you managed to do the only thing I would have suggested based on the comments. If it's cleaned up the vibration and now it's just a matter of some slight lugging on hills (assuming steep grades) then most likely octane is the issue. Buy a bottle of the booster and add to the gas or a gal of Xylene from a box store is about $8.00 sorry I cant suggest a positively proven ratio for the Xylene to pump gas but would think a pint in a full tank is plenty safe. Keep it off your hands. Should get you up around 97-100 octane if filling with premium. The fuel they sell us now simply isn't the fuel sold when these thing ruled the roads.

 

Asking around it seems that 1 gal of (117 Xylene/114 Toluene) to 15 gal of 92octane will net approx 93.4% octane fuel. Also not to exceed 20% Xylene/Toluene. Also by adding 4oz of marvel mystery oil to 1 gal of xylene/toluene helps with lubrication and degradation of fuel system parts.

 

Drop me a note when you get near Seattle or just south of there...Im always up for meeting fellow FTE members


- cs65

 

If he detects no ping or spark knock, then the octane rating he's running is sufficient. None of these trucks had high compression engines when new. Vibrations felt at a certain RPM can be caused by many factors. Have you tried getting to up to the speed where the vibe is and putting the clutch in, or putting the trans in neutral while you're clipping along, and vary the engine speed with the throttle. This may help isolate a driveline vibe that could be caused by something as simple as a recent clutch change where it may thrown the balance of the reciprocating assembly. Were the engine components balanced during overhaul? If so, were they balanced with the flywheel?, with the flywheel with clutch mounted? All of these things will make a difference. When I overhaul an engine, I have a paint mixing scale that is accurate to .1 gram that I used to measure all my pistons and connecting rods separately. I also make sure all the rocker arms weigh the same. Any components that I can make weigh the same, I try to make the effort. It may seem like going overboard, but it all makes a difference in building a smooth engine that hopefully has no phantom vibes. BTW, if you're in Canada the Husky or Mohawk stations have 90 octane regular and I use it in my 390 and tow a trailer and it runs fine on it. I realize you're on a trip and don't have a timing light, so it's hard to confirm total advance. Is the vacuum source to the distibutor ported or manifold? With high gearing, it may be lugging the motor down and the advance is coming in too soon. Some advance diaphargms are adjustable with a small allen wrench inserted into the hole where the hose goes on. Are you certain there are no weights and springs in there? That seems strange to me. Perhaps try driving the truck with the vaccum source on a ported barb, then a barb off the manifold tree, then finally with no vacuum at all. You might find it favors one over the others. Good Luck, and have a great trip.

 

Thanks to all for your replys, try to answer all here. Not always easy to get on line at these camp sites. Vibration is still there, will have to live with it for now. Truck parked in neutral, clutch out, rev thru up to 2500, no need to go higher, vibes as stated earlier. Step on clutch and hold down, put in gear, rev again, same vibes. Will address after trip. Even if I take it out and apart again for Balance Job. No time to be a Chemist out here and be risky, I want to drive it back home, but thanks for the info on chems and higher octane regular. The engine is as built, only manifold vacuum is for PCV, dist vac is ported and steel line from carb to dizzy. Definately NO centrifical advance. Bill ND if you see this, maybe a comment, in 66 did the 6 cyl engines in 100's and 250,s possibly have different dizzys acording to there GVW? To all along the west coast, after Alaska we will be coming down to Bellingham Wa, down thru OR and CA, keep an eye out, Plain Jane is Shara Beige(or tan, I'm old an can't remember) a white cap on the bed and the license plate says IICAP. we might be going thru your neighborhood.
Thanks again to all, we are having fun, and you guys add to it for me, it truly is a beautiful country.
And finally, " GOD BLESS AMERICA", Richard

 

Thanks to all for your replys, try to answer all here. Not always easy to get on line at these camp sites. Vibration is still there, will have to live with it for now. Truck parked in neutral, clutch out, rev thru up to 2500, no need to go higher, vibes as stated earlier. Step on clutch and hold down, put in gear, rev again, same vibes. Will address after trip. Even if I take it out and apart again for Balance Job. No time to be a Chemist out here and be risky, I want to drive it back home, but thanks for the info on chems and higher octane regular. The engine is as built, only manifold vacuum is for PCV, dist vac is ported and steel line from carb to dizzy. Definately NO centrifical advance. Bill ND if you see this, maybe a comment, in 66 did the 6 cyl engines in 100's and 250,s possibly have different dizzys acording to there GVW? To all along the west coast, after Alaska we will be coming down to Bellingham Wa, down thru OR and CA, keep an eye out, Plain Jane is Shara Beige(or tan, I'm old an can't remember) a white cap on the bed and the license plate says IICAP. we might be going thru your neighborhood.
Thanks again to all, we are having fun, and you guys add to it for me, it truly is a beautiful country.
And finally, " GOD BLESS AMERICA", Richard

 

Boy oh boy; that road trip sounds great; I really wish i could view God's finest creation in and old Slick. What a memory trip...
Good luck & keep us posted...
I'm no mechanic by any means; but it could be something as simple as a worn out engine mount or drive train bearing or joint. Just thought I post that comment to stirred up some more thought.

Mitch

Mitch

 

If you happen to be through Oregon this weekend we are trying to get a meet and greet in Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast Saturday August 9th. If it looks like you can make it send me a PM and I will give you the particulars. Have a great "adventure"..........Ross

 

Thanks Mitch and Ross, When I put the OD trans in for the trip, rear shaft was shorten and the driveshaft shop balanced the complete ***'y and all is good even the support bearing. Ross, thanks for the invite, but we won't be coming your way another 3 weeks at least.
Richard