somethings just not right.

[ram50bam]

ok I snapped some pics yesterday of my engine bay, while I know a few things are off I figure the smart ones can point out what to do with this thing. it has almost no power, since I put a can of b-12 chem and a tank of 93octane yesterday Ive driven roughly 30 miles, it already seems to be a little better but maybe im just hoping a lot. flooring it is actually backwards, seems when I just barley press the pedal is where shes happy, if I floor it it hardly even does anything. when I press in the clutch it revs higher for a few seconds before dropping down, sometimes when she comes back down shell cut off(not so much since the few things I did on Monday)
im not or sure but don see all this vacuum needed.and its a jungle.

[royster]

First, 93 octane isn't necessary: 89 max.

Second, take the money you saved from not buying 93 octane and get a real can of Seafoam. Seafoam-treat that intake...remember that "more" is not better: some 4 or 5 ounces is all you need. Suck it in through the brake booster vacuum line, and when it is all sucked up, stall or shut off the engine. let it sit for 15 minutes, then start the motor and blow that crap out with some high RPMs. They recommend you take a drive after most of the smoke clears, get on it some, blow crap out.

Third, I'm not sure but the holes on the side of the air cleaner canister might be defeating some sensors.

Fourth, make sure the vacuum line under the air cleaner canister (connected TO the canister) is connected. I see what I THINK is an open vacuum port, but since i don't have a carborated engine, I'm not sure (and my 2.0 engine is disassembled so I can't look).

There: we went through four gears on Half Moon Beach (a real place, in nearby Strasburg, BTW).

Couple other notes:
. inspect the vacuum lines, look for dried-out cracking. Remember the cigar test for vacuum leaks.
. you provided a list in another post about what you've done, so I don't remember if you replaced the fuel filter or not. You really aught to create a 'build" thread and keep all that info in one place...sort of like your personal blog. That way, you're not conducting 10 threads for the same engine, scattering information. It's true that a lot of people don't even remember info on the same thread...but I try to.
. not sure if you have a coolant temperature sensor or not. I have found those things...simple though they seem...really affect the performance of the vehicle.
. Remember: chocolate-iced doughnuts ARE "health food", as the chocolate coating keeps pesky germs and doughnut-mites away from the cake goodness of the donutocity within. BECOME the doughnut, Grasshopper.

[ram50bam]

lol, yeah replaced almost all my vacuum lines. ill have to do the real seafoam treatment. I wanted to make a build thread but wasn't sure where to post that at. mmmmm donuts..

[royster]

mmmmm donuts..

Great Homer Simpson immitation.

You would start your build thread in "2nd Generation"...same place I have "Roy's Garage".

Remember, too, that we have a Gallery, and you can download photos there to keep an album.

Likely you can ask a Moderator or Camoit to update your profile, if you can't do it yourself.

And, when you start your build thread, you could copy and paste the main items of your various other threads. Nice to keep them under one roof. Members can use the quote function to answer your questions and send doughnut coupons.

[royster]

8727

This photo doesn't show it well, but that EGR valve is cram-jammed fulla shit, crap, defication and poo-poo...from the valve itself all the way through the cylinder head and into the #3 exhaust chamber. Quite frankly, I'm not 100% sure of what the EGR valve accomplishes, but I do know it controls vacuum, and I do know Jimmy Hoffa WILL hide in there if you let him.

8728

[camoit]

A dumb question. Have you changed the fuel filter yet?

[ram50bam]

I don't have the intake, Roy.

haven't done the filter yet but its on the list.

[Malaking_TT]

These trucks have no power at all.

[ram50bam]

These trucks have no power at all.

im starting to assume that. for now im gonna go through the truck and do general up keep and just wait til fall and go 4g63t with it. but in the meantime ill get the cosmetics where I want.

[Malaking_TT]

I took my 2.6 out today for the first time and ran the dog crap out of it. 65mph in the 1/4 mile! Wont even get 2nd gear scratch. My old Toyota's with 22rs would destroy this thing.

[originalowner]

I took my 2.6 out today for the first time and ran the dog crap out of it. 65mph in the 1/4 mile! Wont even get 2nd gear scratch. My old Toyota's with 22rs would destroy this thing.

My advice to anyone with one of these carbed trucks is to not embarrass yourself by taking to the drag strip.

I thought about doing it for shits and grins but I never got around to it.

I have a 98% original truck, so if I ever want to build a hot rod and have the money I'll just find a rust free body and do a motor transplant.

They are what they are.

[ram50bam]

I still feel like mine shouldn't be taking up to a mile just to get to 65

[ram50bam]

some times it backfires when shifting gears if that helps?

[Kaos731]

Lol did you drill those holes in the air cleaner assembly, or was it the previous owner?

I see the intent is to get more air flow to the carb, but doing that isn't going to help. if you wanted more air flow should have found a hose that connects to the air-cleaner inlet and attach it to the air damn port that is behind the grill. that would force air in the carb as you drive improving you MPG and a slight HP bump. I havn't done mine yet as I do not want to spend money on a hose to fit. I am saving my pennies for the weber conversion in a months time.

Also did you check the PCV, and made sure your plugs are gapped to .040 as they should. any one of this to will rob you of HP and MPG.

did you change the oil? and if you did, did you ad the ZDP addative in also? These engines need that as newer oil omits that because of the Cat's in newer cars.

Don't use Fram oil filters! They are junk and will collapse in on them selves when they are near their end of life causing a ton of problems with oil flow through your engine. I've seen it happen to many of my customers that swore by fram. (I work for Advanced Auto and I don't sell fram to anybody Period! Even if the store has them I don't. LOL)

I've been struggling with power issues myself if you haven't seen my thread yet. But i tracked my issue down to the carbs age and it is on its last legs.

[royster]

Timing.

[royster]

Timing.

And on second thought, these symptoms are identical to ones I've seen attributed to a plugged catalytic converter...now you have my 2 cents twice, that's almost a nickle. In the 50's, that would buy you a donut.

OOOooooOOoooh, a fresh, delicious doooooonuuuuuuuuttttt

[ram50bam]

PO did those holes. yeah plugs are gapped to 40 and I haven't done a proper oil change yet, oil is leaking from my valve cover so im putting a new gasket in and while im in there ill clean up everything I can. ive added oil but haven't put my filter on yet, but I do have it sitting here.

timing, yeah that's what several people have told me. my harmonic balancer is shot and he said until that's changed we cant get timing right. Monday im going to order my timing belt and tensioners. once the belt, balancer and VC gasket are on im hoping itll act right then ill prolly order the weber.

right now It basically wont run. my max speed home was between 15-25. and 3 people had to push me up my road and into the driveway, it was runnin but 1st gear wouldn't do it.

[ram50bam]

how hard is it to gut my cat? im thinkin bout the same thing on that part of my problems cause it sputters and backfire a bit like the exhaust is clogged

[royster]

how hard is it to gut my cat?

This is royster bait if I've EVER read it and therefore I cannot resist:

. There's more than one way to gut a cat

. Why? Are you going to make violin strings?

. Just wait for the baggie to pass: the pot should still be good inside. You need not kill your cat.

. In the State of Virginia that's considered "cruelty to animals". In [fill in the blank] it's simply "preparing dinner".
___________________________

On a serious...or Sirius...note:
I'm thinking it's the catalytic converter, and I've had VA mechanics wink at me and say that ramming pipes through them is something annual inspection couldn't detect. In other words, (indeed) gut them and leave the shell.

Before you remove the old timing belt, please get all the timing aligned and see if it's been off a tooth all this time. In fact, since this is getting progressively worse, it may be continuing to slip (expert members may disagree and I will yield to their expert experience).

One more joke: Very few are converting to Catalyticism anymore, regardless of the exhaustive door-to-door campaigne that church is conducting. Most refuse to even open their door, saying "Blow it out yer ass!". It's a heated debate that is fueled by speculation. Most Catalytic Converters are being re-educated in tougher evangalical tactics.

:)

If all else fails you, I have a harmonic balancer I can ship you. PM me if you get desparate.

[ram50bam]

pm sent, and I haven't looked under my truck yet but im hoping the cat is bolted on(hopfully not rust and end up breaking) but if I can just un bolt it and gut it SHHWEEEETTT!!

[royster]

Saturate the bolts with PB Blaster for a couple days first, and have replacement bolts and nuts at the ready (they'll almost certainly break) and just shove it, RamBam :grin:

Be sure to check an exploded view of the assembly to see if you need gaskets or...exhaust...doooonuuuuts.

[royster]

Maybe wait for another member to agree, but I'd say you also need to plug those holes in the air filter can. I predict that by next week you'll be reporting some great results.

If you haven't already named your truck, "Pumpkin" (or a variation) would be about perfect. "Punkin'" or "Ponkin'" are 2 variations.


IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN!

[BradMph]

Use anti-seize fluid on them. or just grab the torque wrench and if they snap they snap. Your going to want to replace them anyways. A hacksaw works also.

Also higher octane does nothing good for your truck. It's all a myth about that stuff. There is no boost with raising the octane and it doesn't clean anything. Waste of money. Seafoam could help clean internal parts and be sure to follow directions. It can go in oil or fuel tank. All you want to do is the required octane in the manual. If your knocking and pinging, you have other issues and they should be corrected immediately before you crack a piston.

8754
click on image for larger view

As for the holes, I have seen others do that , but they drilled them under the cleaner. IT may effect your heat risor flap a little but I really don't think there is any issue besides the air cleaner getting dirty faster since the intake hose going to a specific place for cleaner and cooler air is now been compromised with holes.

[ram50bam]

i wasn't sure if 93 octane would help clean anything or not but was thinkin it couldn't hurt anything other than my wallet lol. im thinkin ill just break the cat botls and replace them anyway, andyea theres a smll ticin goin n in thr somewhee

[ram50bam]

damn this screwed up typin thing that's goin on. -theres a small tickin goin on in there somewhere, that's what was suppose to type.

[pennyman1]

use some aluminum tape that is used for hvac work (the true duct tape) to cover the holes in the air cleaner until you get the weber. I would wait until you get a new harmonic balancer, then change it and probably the timing belts and tensioners, and check the silent shafts for play. The egr valve should be pulled off and either clean it and the passages, or make a blockoff plate and forget it. Clean or replace the pcv valve, and gut the cats - there may be a cat in the exhaust manifold besides the one below it - look up into the manifold to be sure there isn't one in there.

[Malaking_TT]

My advice to anyone with one of these carbed trucks is to not embarrass yourself by taking to the drag strip.

I thought about doing it for shits and grins but I never got around to it.

I have a 98% original truck, so if I ever want to build a hot rod and have the money I'll just find a rust free body and do a motor transplant.

They are what they are.

Not at the drag strip. There's a country road around here where its marked out.

[ram50bam]

im hopiong to gut my cat tomorrow and im going in the morning to finally order my timing belt and tensioners, he said if i order tomorrow itll be here on the 2nd!! and im gettin my valve cover gasket(leaking oil), royster and I are working something out on the harmonic balancer(he has one) so hopefully ill have that done asap too. ill have to check funds but i dont think i have enough saved back to get the weber for another month. but im hoping with the balancer and the timing belt i can set the timing properlly and ill be good hopefully for a while without the weber. and ill see how much the pcv is in the mornin when i order my other stuff and instead of cleaning ill just throw a new on in. and egr? ill have to figure that one out. if it can be deleted ill prolly just go that route.

[royster]

royster and I are working something out on the harmonic balancer
Since RamBam lives no more than an hour from here, I'll likely take a day trip and help out...we're working that out, now. I'm sure many of the older members sympathize with a college student who's constantly broke, and all of us here know what it's like to have these trucks, but not get to drive them.

I spent a month of that not-driving thing myself. I know.

[ram50bam]

had dreams of cruisin the parkway last weekend but that was shot down on saturday when she stopped runnin the first time :( but yeah im gettin up(unless im still up) in the morn to go order my timing belt and tensioners woohoo im stoked just in hopes that ill be cruisin sometime next week!

[Kaos731]

ill see how much the pcv is .

Where I work I was able to get mine for $3 and some change. Retail for about $4 - $5. It is pretty cheap. no reason why you shouldn't swap it out anyway.

[Kaos731]

Here is the PCV where I work.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/purolator-pcv-valve-pv1021/5851858-P?searchTerm=pcv

[ram50bam]

heading to advance when they open here in a little bit, is that part number correct? if its that cheap yeah im gonna order one of those too.
so far my list is:
timing belt/tensioners kit
valve cover gasket
pcv

can anyone think of anything else thats within reason on price and should be addressed,
might as well get the fuel filter, couldnt hurt.

[camoit]

The problem you have is you are loosing timing on the belt. It's 30 years old and the belt is slipping. Replace the timing belt before it breaks and you lunch the thing.
Take a picture of the belt when you find the missing cogs. I want to see it.

[royster]

use some aluminum tape that is used for hvac work (the true duct tape) to cover the holes in the air cleaner until you get the weber.

I was really glad to hear an expert chime in on this.

As RamBam is coming here to my home for parts, I'm giving him the intact air filter canister from my parts truck. He can just pitch the old fulla-holes contraption.

Change of plans, he's doing the work by himself this weekend (I'm sending him home with some much-needed tools) so everyone keep your fingers crossed as one of our own resurrects (we hope) back into an appreciated life. He'll have plenty of questions, I'm sure, as he's conducting surgery.

EDIT:
He just left here with a big ol' box full of tools, solvents, parts and goodies...a real care package. I was also able to show him the 2.0 engine and point out things he'll need to know...the timing jumper connector, for one. I had the 2.0 head on the bench, so he was able to see the jet valves (and how to eliminate them) and get a feel for his engine.

He got to ride in Pony all of 100 feet but it was enough to set the hook: he's enthused about getting his own Little Tin Can morphing into a BLT...bitchen' little truck.

Good luck and we're here when you need us, RamBam.

[Kaos731]

heading to advance when they open here in a little bit, is that part number correct? if its that cheap yeah im gonna order one of those too.
so far my list is:
timing belt/tensioners kit
valve cover gasket
pcv

can anyone think of anything else thats within reason on price and should be addressed,
might as well get the fuel filter, couldnt hurt.

yes that is the part number for the PCV for a 1988 D50 with a 2.0 4 banger carburated engine.