How on earth was my Chevy running ?

[DaveB]

Last August we had a memorable trip back from the Gorge after spending three days at Hideout Canyon. We came back to the truck to find that the full tank of premium that I had just put in was gone. We luckily made it to the gas station and headed home. The 502 was smokin the hills until we hit the canyon just outside of Wanship when it started chugging badly. It acted like it wasn't getting enough gas. I checked the filters and they seemed fine so we limped it back home. I barely made it over Parleys after taking the frontage road. It ended up getting parked over the winter because I didn't want to fix the tank leak in the snow. It was due for inspection so I decided to get it going again. It failed emissions so I knew something was up. So last Friday I picked up a carb kit and plugs, wires, cap and rotor. While the carb was in the carb cleaner I took off the distributor cap and found the real problem. The contact for the coil on the rotor was bent out of place and one of the coil wires had melted. When the wire melted it burned a hole in the distributor cap. What I can't believe is that his thing still ran at all. Here is a picture of the messed up parts. How on earth did this thing stay running ?

 

[Greg]

Wow, that's some interesting carnage!

You have a 502?! :freak: :chris: :thumbs:

 

[DaveB]

Wow, that's some interesting carnage!

You have a 502?! :freak: :chris: :thumbs:

Yeah I have a 502 in the old Chevy. It is fun to blow away newer trucks pulling my boat up Parleys. It can pass most anything except a gas station. The truck was my dad's truck and it had a very good 454 in it that had some overheating issues. After taking it to a bunch of shops a place convinced him that he needed a new motor. When he got the new motor in the heating issues were still there. I found that someone had leaned the carb out too much and another shop had hooked up the vacuum control on the heat riser backwards so it was closed when warm and open when cold. Luckily I saved his old 454 and it has been in my garage waiting for a project to go in.

 

[Rot Box]

Weird. I've actually had that happen to two different vehicles. One didn't run bad or anything--it was just very underpowered :-\

 

[Tacoma]

Like I said, Dave, give me a call when you want to get rid of that 502.

 

[DaveB]

Like I said, Dave, give me a call when you want to get rid of that 502.

Its purrrrrring now after the tune up so I'll keep it a while longer. I should sell off the 454 however.

 

[zukking01]

Its purrrrrring now after the tune up so I'll keep it a while longer. I should sell off the 454 however.

Dave pm me with specs and a price on that 454. Remember I was nice and GAVE you a efi harness??? LMK if you are serious in getting rid of the 454

 

[DaveB]

Well my wife took it in for a smog re-test and they failed it again. They say it has high CO on idle. I find it hard to believe that after a total tune up it still has issues. I did monkey a bit with the idle mixture jets but I went a bit leaner than what it was. I guess I need to find someone with a tester that will let me adjust it and see what it does. I may also need to check the timing and smog pump. Trouble is now they are going to charge me for another test.

 

[jdub]

I always lean out the jets and turn up the idle. You can run up to 1200 rpm, that pushes more air through "what i've been told" and have passed every time.

 

[zukking01]

Well my wife took it in for a smog re-test and they failed it again. They say it has high CO on idle. I find it hard to believe that after a total tune up it still has issues. I did monkey a bit with the idle mixture jets but I went a bit leaner than what it was. I guess I need to find someone with a tester that will let me adjust it and see what it does. I may also need to check the timing and smog pump. Trouble is now they are going to charge me for another test.

I thought shops now do multi tests within 30 days, Not just a single foolow-up test. Did you ask them is you can get another no cost test on the same failed test? Could be wrong but that is what the guy at jiffy lube said, maybe it is only jiffy lube of maybe he is smokin crack.

 

[DaveB]

I got it to pass with no problem. I found that I forgot to hook the vacuum advance line back up after I checked the timing and I also took the carb apart and made sure the power valve was working correctly.