My 1976 project thread

[crazzywolfie]

i think the big blocks are pretty much the same as small blocks in a lot of ways which is why info seems so hard to find. it is most likely the same whether small block or big block.

 

[PCA4208]

thats a small block^^ and no you cant adjust valve lash on those. Will if you can remove a valve cover and take a pic, we can tell in one second. By a search on ebay though, it seems that they are non adjustable, and look exactly like the picture above.

 

[dodge dude94]

I have no idea when the covers will be coming off. Hopefully next week, I'm going to work on cleaning around them tomorrow as well as resetting the vacuum advance hose. But I think you're right, I had seen a budget 400 build where the rockers looked like the ones on Wolfie's small block.

 

[crazzywolfie]

well dodge did seem to keep things pretty simple. just like swapping a distributor. your usually dead on or 180* off.

 

[dodge dude94]

heh, funny you should mention that....instructions for the firing order on this engine are 180* off in the Haynes manual.

 

[crazzywolfie]

sounds like someone must have dropped the distributor in wrong. as long as you know that info that is all that matters. if you ever decide to fix it it should be a simple job.

 

[dodge dude94]

Nope, dizzy is in right as far as I can tell. I'm only aware of the advance pod pointing one way. lol

 

[crazzywolfie]

no. the distributor body is in the right spot. you need to pull the distributor, rotate the rotor shaft 180* and put the distributor back in to fix it.

 

[dodge dude94]

Well, that makes sense. Mark had told me the dizzy had likely been replaced at one point.

Thoughts on adjusting timing without a light?

 

[PCA4208]

Well, that makes sense. Mark had told me the dizzy had likely been replaced at one point.

Thoughts on adjusting timing without a light?

I wouldn't know how to do it on a BB due to the front angle mounted dizzy. But I'll say it does involve finding the TDC firing position of cylinder #1. After that I'm lost. Haha

 

[crazzywolfie]

Well, that makes sense. Mark had told me the dizzy had likely been replaced at one point.

Thoughts on adjusting timing without a light?

could have been replaced or removed for some reason. truck is 37 years old.

adjusting the timing without a light can be done. a light would make things more convenient. just make sure you mark your starting point before you start adjusting the timing just so you know where you started just in case you start having issues for some reason.

 

[dodge dude94]

I wouldn't know how to do it on a BB due to the front angle mounted dizzy. But I'll say it does involve finding the TDC firing position of cylinder #1. After that I'm lost. Haha

Same as a SB, just on mine it's 180* out.

could have been replaced or removed for some reason. truck is 37 years old.

adjusting the timing without a light can be done. a light would make things more convenient. just make sure you mark your starting point before you start adjusting the timing just so you know where you started just in case you start having issues for some reason.

True. If it's only valve stem seals I would be a happy man. Gonna see about getting a compression tester in the near future, I'm interested to know the compression. I was thinking marking with chalk. How different would the engine sound at idle if I increased the advance?

That dizzy looks like mine, only difference is the vacuum pod.

 

[crazzywolfie]

if you advanced the timing it would sound the same but idle a bit higher. also advancing it a bit might help with that off the line bog. if you advance the timing don't forget to adjust your idle screw to bring the idle down.

i think you have the older style vacuum advance distributor. if you were to buy one now it would look just like the one i posted a picture of.

 

[dodge dude94]

Got it. What if I left the manifold vacuum and just turned the idle down a tad? What would that accomplish?

 

[crazzywolfie]

i don't know. i think i have read that you can run with the distributor connected to manifold vacuum but you usually have to set the timing for it. i don't know what you would have to set the timing for to do this.

 

[dodge dude94]

In theory I'm running an advance all the time as it's got full vacuum. That's probably why it seems peppier than with ported. Manifold vacuum is the way they did it before emissions, and the automakers wanted as much power as cheaply as possible, so it can't be that bad, right?

 

[crazzywolfie]

but you only have vacuum at idle or cruising along. when you put the peddle to the floor you loose vacuum and all that advance is gone which is why you got to set your timing specifically for manifold vacuum instead of ported vacuum.

 

[dodge dude94]

True. But wouldn't the same effect happen on a ported system under the same circumstances?

 

[crazzywolfie]

i am not 100% sure. there may be some ports and valves in the carb to hold the vacuum when you floor it since you usually don't see any vacuum at idle. you usually have to rev the engine to see vacuum at the ported vacuum port on the carb.

 

[dodge dude94]

I have tested the port on the carb, it is dead at idle, but does work when you pick the RPMs up. I wasn't brave enough to see what it would do at WOT with the air cleaner off.