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Old Feb 13, 2009 | 06:15 PM
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Cool no power

hi,
I recently rebuilt my 400 with alot of stuff, cam, MSD system (dist. coil, ing box) edlebrock intack Holley 670 Truck Avenger and a timing gear set. All really good stuff however it seems as thow i dont have much power. I set my timimg (15in) going off the vacum gague and it seems then my timimg is at 30 btdc yeah that is my inital too.... but it runs better at 12 deg. oh and it seems to be running rich
My truck is an 78 f250 4.10 gears w/40in ground hawgs.
so what is the chance my dist. is off? or could it be valves or just sticking.
thanks
jim
 
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Old Feb 13, 2009 | 06:17 PM
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oh MSD said to change my spark plug gap to 45-50 not done it yet, would that make this much of a differnces?
 
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Old Feb 13, 2009 | 06:49 PM
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From: chicago burbs
first, what intake?

2nd, you can't set ignition timing with a vacuum gauge. a vacuum gauge measures vacuum and a timing light reads ignition timing.

what's the chance the timing gears are off?

did you change the cam?

if your valves are sticking you'd have bigger problems.

the stock plug gap should be around .045" anyway.
 
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Old Feb 13, 2009 | 07:48 PM
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intake is a preformance 400
sorry didnt word it right i used a timing light and all so went off a vacum gauge that is were i got a 30 degs and 15in vacum.
I changed the cam to a wolverine cam from Crane cams
as for the plug gap if i am running a high voltage system why not open up the gap?
 
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Old Feb 13, 2009 | 10:39 PM
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From: chicago burbs
some guys really do set timing to highest vacuum, it comes out WAY advanced.

what's the cam number so we can take a look at what you put in there?

if the ignition system is capable of running .050" or more, the way to do it right is to choose a spark plug that is designed for that much gap. yeah you can open up the stock plug but the ground strap is not perpendicular to the center electrode. the gap doesn't stay at what you set it at very long, as it wears, it gets bigger. there are plugs for bigger gaps, but all the posts that i've read say they didn't gain anything past .045", just problems.
 
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Old Feb 14, 2009 | 06:58 PM
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Two things.

Originally Posted by skunktruck
hi,
I recently rebuilt my 400 with alot of stuff, cam, MSD system (dist. coil, ing box) edlebrock intack Holley 670 Truck Avenger and a timing gear set. All really good stuff however it seems as thow i dont have much power. I set my timimg (15in) going off the vacum gague and it seems then my timimg is at 30 btdc yeah that is my inital too.... but it runs better at 12 deg. oh and it seems to be running rich
My truck is an 78 f250 4.10 gears w/40in ground hawgs.
so what is the chance my dist. is off? or could it be valves or just sticking.
thanks
jim
First you also need a premium spark plug and don't forget to take the resistor out of the wire that goes to the positive side of the coil, also use a TFI Ford Coil like in a 1990 f150 5.0l efi.

Second set the engine timing to factory and the carb to base as well don't pay so much attention to vacuum, get the ignition and timing and carb and idle set first then you have a base line to work from.

Don't try and make all your adjustments at one time do them one at a time and check your outcome.

If you change everything at once you will never do anything but give yourself head aches.


Rick.
 
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Old Feb 14, 2009 | 11:25 PM
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so one of the guys at work seem to think that the meters are to BIG stock are #68 and that i should drop down to a #64 due to the Colorado elevation, any takes on that?
 
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Old Feb 14, 2009 | 11:52 PM
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From: chicago burbs
Holley says reduce 1 jet number size for every 2000 feet above sea level.
 
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Old Feb 15, 2009 | 06:36 AM
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Originally Posted by grclark351
Holley says reduce 1 jet number size for every 2000 feet above sea level.
Holley calibrates their carbs for sea level. I live in Ohio and dropped two sizes to get mine tuned.
I also went to college in Golden and had to re-jet. That was 37 years ago and I don'y remember the numbers.
 
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Old Feb 15, 2009 | 01:22 PM
  #10  
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so when you re-jet the carb does it improve low-end respons?
 
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Old Feb 16, 2009 | 05:20 PM
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I'm not going to be to much help to you, but I just rebuilt my 400 (now a 408) motor with ALOT of higher performance parts from Tim Meyer and have an edelbrock intake, holley carb, and pro comp ignition. This thing runs terrible at higher speeds lately. It idles fine and takes off good in low RPMs, but is pretty power less. I just took off the carb and changed the jets, power valve, and diaphragm spring, and i think it is better now than it was before, but its still not right. I think the problem is in the carb. I've heard those damn holley's are a P.I.T.A. to get right.
 
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Old Feb 16, 2009 | 05:37 PM
  #12  
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lol well i am going to re-jet it and if that dont work......i think i will go back to Edelbrock i see that they have a off-road carb. This holley so far has yet to impress me!! I took a plug out today and it was black i kind of knew it would be after how rich it has been running.
 
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Old Feb 16, 2009 | 06:40 PM
  #13  
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From: Erie Pennsylvania
Originally Posted by skunktruck
lol well i am going to re-jet it and if that dont work......i think i will go back to Edelbrock i see that they have a off-road carb. This holley so far has yet to impress me!! I took a plug out today and it was black i kind of knew it would be after how rich it has been running.
haha well I probably don't HAVE to have a Truck Avenger, but I love the cool factor of telling people "it has a 670 CFM Truck Avenger Holley Carb". I don't go on trails or off road too often because I have to much money in restoring it, but I do occasionaly mess around on the big dirt piles behing our landscaping business warehouse. Anyway, I guess I'll mess around with it for a couple more weekends and go from there. And yea...my plugs are black too.

TheBlueMule
 
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Old Feb 16, 2009 | 06:45 PM
  #14  
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well it sounds bad, but atleast yours are too lol. hummmm Holley?!?!?!
 
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Old Feb 18, 2009 | 10:36 PM
  #15  
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update....
so i removed that holley truck avenger and installed a edlebrock #1404 i guess it is a 500cfm. the response seems better and it has a bit less of a smell. but however i got 4mpg now this could be due to CO windy day (40mph) and me doing 60-65mph. I just got my jets for the holley and installed them....tomorrow i install the holley and open the gap on the plugs to .55 from .44. Edelbrock tech said 10-15 so i will add .11 and pray tonight lol
 
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