As many of you know i just got done redoing the heads. I have a lack of power. It seems to be in the low end. My thoughts are the timing belt could be off a tooth. I have messed with the ignition timing (advance 2 deg.) to no avail. Thinking it could be engine timing. Either way, i have put new plugs, filter recharged, new wires, new cap and rotor. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Ignition timing should be 10 degrees BTDC when the TE1 & E1 pins are wired. Should drop to 8 degrees when you remove the wire. If the timing was off a tooth, you'd likely get a lot of sputtering WAY up in the RPM range (4500+). Both ignition and valve timing become more critical as the RPMs increase. Do you have a vacuum leak? (someone is going to eventually call me on this as it is my stock question when someone is having a problem, but there is a mile of vacuum line on these trucks & they ARE getting on in years! )

 

vacuum lines are all right. i was at 10 deg with the jumper in, didnt run right. Have it at 12 right now. going to bump it back down and see where the cam pulleys are at.

 

When I did my timing belt I noticed that the right bank cam gear was retarded one. Truck idled fine and ran good, but was sluggish in 2500-3000 and gas mileage suffered. Other then that, I couldnt tell a difference.......regards ....Rick

 

did you advance that one tooth. cuz that is EXACTLY what im dealing with. Gas mileage SUCKS and its way sluggish

 

It's easy to leave a little bit of slack under the top idler pulley & be off one tooth on the driver side cam gear. You MUST start at the crank, move to the driver side pulley, kick it SLIGHTLY to the right then back into the belt teeth where it lines up with the mark. THEN come under the upper pulley, & do the same SLIGHT right kick with the pass. side cam gear & pull it back left into the teeth of the belt. ALL your slack will then be on the lower idler (where it's supposed to be). This is MUCH easier with 3 hands or a buddy.

 

well it turns out that i was out of time. anyways, im back in and shes riding good (except for rod tick)