76ChevyTrucker

No problem Vipes, just trying to share my knowledge to those that don't know. It works better than guessing over and over again.

When a Check Engine, or Service Engine Soon light flashes, it is detecting a misfire condition (spark plug not firing as its supposed to). IF you don't have O2 sensors hooked up on a vehicle that is supposed to have them, then its probably switching excessively from Lean (too much air, not enough fuel), to Rich (too much fuel, not enough air), causing the engine to possibly seem more powerful, but also ruining a perfectly good set of spark plugs. If I were you, I'd at least install an O2 sensor simulator so that the computer has SOME form of reading, even if it is a fake one so that you can have a more "proper" fuel/air ratio.

You wouldn't really have to change anything. The intake will bolt right up, the injectors fit into the intake. The only thing that would hinder you is that if you DON'T reprogram the computer, then you'll end up with about the same power as the 305 that you originally had. The difference is in the PCM programming between the two engines. Otherwise, everything will be exactly the same.

Fuel pump pressure on a Sunfire, or any vehicle with FI should be around 40 psi. 12 psi is good for carbureted engines, but not for fuel infection. It sounds like either the fuel filter is clogged up (part is about $, or the fuel pump has gone bad. When you turn the key to the ON position (NOT CRANK, JUST ON), can you hear the fuel pump run as it primes the system up? If you can't, get the fuel door open, take the gas cap off, and have someone else turn the car ON. If you hear the pump run, then you know its getting power. If not, start looking at something simple, like the fuel pump relay (should be located under the hood, in the underhood fuse panel). Easy way to test that, look for a relay that looks exactly like the fuel pump relay, and SWAP them. If the fuel pump begins working, then you KNOW that the relay is bad. However, if the pump runs, then you need to invest in a fuel pressure gauge. There'll be a schrader valve (tire valve stem looking piece) on the fuel pump supply line. Hook the fuel pressure gauge up, crank vehicle and read fuel pressure. You should get about 35-45 psi at idle. If not, invest in a fuel filter, check it again, and THEN, and ONLY THEN, replace the pump if fuel pressure isn't any better. (all right, I'm all done ranting about this one, y'all read and ask all the questions you can)

cheapskate

I'll do the C&G Coaster set.

Yeah, but still that isn't that hard to do. Baffling a tank is actually easier than it sounds (although it is a little time consuming), and upsizing the lines won't be too hard either since you're going to have to replumb the entire thing anyway.

Electric pump is the easy part. You can pick up one up that'll produce the 60 or so psi needed to run a fuel infection system for about 130-150 (hell of a lot cheaper than the in-tank sending unit and pump on most vehicles today).

road sign

I'm not really sure what'll happen to the HV engines. I'd say that the 3.9 is goiing to leave pretty soon, but who knows, look at how long GM has kept some engines around.

Sly, I've mentioned that International more than once.

The stock intake on your 305 and a 350 crate engine from the same era of engines (87-up) will bolt right on. All you have to do is remove the 305 from under the intake and exhaust manifolds, and bolt the 350 right up to it. Remember, they're the same engine essentially.

well, you can always make something painfully quiet not so quiet if you so desire. All it takes is the proper application of a punch and a hammer to the muffler to easily free up much needed engine sounds.

Out Standing! Have fun with the '38 Dodge. I think I'm going to seriously enjoy driving the truck. Nothing in the world like four 2.5" exhaust pipes bellowing the mellow notes of a bored .040 over 350 with 675cfm of 4-bbl Holley strapped to the top of it.

Well boys and girls, I haven't had my truck running very well for quite some time. I tore the carburetor off, tore it apart, and well, the power valve was blown out. So I replaced it, put the carb back together, snotted it back onto the truck, got the adjustments back together, and cranked it up. It ran like a bloody top! It feels so wonderful to have my truck back in proper working order. It runs, purrs, roars, snorts, and well, I have to curse it every now and again, but it works GREAT! I'm going to be driving it to the local cruise in this Saturday night (by the way, also my birthday), so y'all wish me luck, I should have lots of pictures of the event, and of course the truck. I kinda wish that I could bring the '66 International 1600 to the show, that would probably turn a few heads, but the dump body isn't complete yet. Oh well, I'm just glad that my truck is back in one piece!

You can use a crate engine, everything will bolt up. The 305 and 350 are the same block, with the exception being the bore that the pistons and rings ride in. From what I know, you can actually bore a 305 block out and make it into a 350, but from what I know its fairly costly to do so. Another thing, upgrade the transmission, you can easily pick up more power. Other things would include investing in a power programmer so you can adjust things like the transmission shift points, along with other points of interest to gain more power, but they run about 400-600 for one, but its a good investment if you want to make it into more of a play toy than a daily driver.

Holy Crap, I won! I won! I think I won!

I would go with Mobil 1 since it is one of the oldest Synthetics out there.

I was doing some thinking about this issue. I know that the 2.4L engine in your car has the water pump driven by the timing chain. Since it is, I would check the tension of the timing chain. If the chain were too tight, then it would put undue stress on the water pump nose, causing the bearing and seal to go bad in the pump and allow it to leak. If the chain is too loose, it could cause a "grabbing" effect on the pump, also causing undue stress on the water pump nose, leading to eventual leaks. And yeah, you're right. Dex-Cool does cut into a lot of technician's pockets since they can't flush and refill the cooling system every couple of years like you did with the green stuff.

Yeah, I still am looking for a '73-'91 Suburban that I could do some customization work to like my truck and use as a daily driver. How about just let me drive what the hell I wanna drive. If it gets 8 miles per gallon, it gets 8 miles per gallon and I pay for it, just like if it gets 80 miles per gallon, I still pay for the thing. Its my CHOICE! As far as the weather thing. Its weather, the man upstairs (you guys know what I mean), created it. We can't predict it, and we can't exactly control it, so lets just stop f@#king trying.

Hell, you could go back and forth between synthetic and dino-juice per oil change if you wanted. Its never the TYPE of oil, its always the weight of oil that makes the difference.

Haven't heard of too much trouble with water pumps failing on these cars. I work for a parts store, and we sell maybe three, or four of them a month, with MAYBE one unused return a month. Most go in, stay in, and don't come back. As far as Dex-Cool, there aren't any problems with it. Treat it like anti-freeze. Flush it periodically and refill it with a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and water. I've run 4 cars with Dex-Cool, and had problem number 0 out of them. I happen to disagree with mechanics that tell people to ditch Dex-Cool because the good ole green stuff is more likely to allow electrolysis to occur between all the different metals in the engine.

My truck...it lopes, LOUDLY, and when you punch it, well I've got 2.25-in quadruple exhaust pipes running out of it, so its SUPPOSED to be loud. Then again, it is a 350-cid punched .040 over. The 2.2 in the Cobalt is deadly quiet until you put your foot into it. The 4.3s in my parent's '03 S10, dads 92 C1500, and granddad's '89 S-10 Blazer, are all a little loud, but I don't care about them, they pull, and pull, and pull (just like any small-block, or small block derivative). The 5.3 in my dad's new '05 Silverado is EXTREMELY quiet, except for HARD acceleration, otherwise it just kinda hums quietly along. And finally the 350 in my granddad's '83 C20 kinda purrs, really it more or less just burbles all the time.....only gets louder under acceleration, but doesn't really make a whole lotta noise, but then again, its bone stock.

Yeah, I know that flying is artificially cheap, I held my private pilot's certificate up until May 2005, and you're right, its cheaper for the airlines, but flying privately is kinda like getting raped sometimes.

I just simply point to 278,000 miles and 30 years when people ask me about my GM pickup.