Rebuild the 350, at last!!!

Just observing after following this thread from the beginning. Sir, you have asked for a lot of advice here and have gotten it. Some of it you used, some of it you didn't. I realize it is harder to get parts etc. where you are and has made some things difficult to do. But, you say your engine is doing good and you seem very happy.

So why wouldn't you take the advice from several guys on here that tell you to stay with 10w30 to keep your engine alive and going strong for a long time?

 

Hi all!!

well, you will be pleased to know that yesterday evening, after posting here, I was thinking about all this and the type of oils, being a freshly rebuilt engine...and, just as skylark mike says above, I've followed loads of good advice on here, so why not do the same now?
And now reading all the comments in regards to the oil pressure vs flow and viscosity makes even more sense that I made the right decision.

So last night I ordered one of the recommended oils before:

Amsoil 10/30
https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-162389-amsoil-z-rod-10w-30-fully-synthetic-engine-oil.aspx

And I wasn't sure if I had posted a video of the beautiful sound that cam does... this was one done shortly after the first few drives.
I'll get another video next time I take the truck out... thse TA-212 gives an awesome sound. Sitting on traffic lights in D, the lumpy idle is awesome. Loads of people have commented how good it sounds.

And above all..... my 6 year old little girl absolutely loves how it sounds. It was her love for this truck that has kept me going through this ordeal of fixing it, and seeing her smile when we drive about is the best thing in the world.



I can't thank enough to all the people who helped out in times where I was more inclined to give up. I have been battling in court since January for legal custody of my daughter, so why sometimes I felt just like giving up. But the thought of her smile when seeing the truck back on the roads kept me going.
In 4 days it's the final hearing, wining it would be the cherry on the top of the cake.

 

Truck sounds awesome. Good luck with your battle. Id add a zinc additive too, to be safe. Unless it already has zinc or the oil says not to.

 

JP,
After I posted, I hoped I hadn't offended you. I just wanted to get you thinking.
I'm glad you got your engine running and are enjoying driving your truck. Hope it continues to perform well for a long time to come.
Hope everything goes well with hearings with your daughter. Treasure and enjoy every moment you have with her.

 

Hi Mike,
no not at all, you didn't offend at all, what you said was what I got to realise. the advice has always been spot on, the truck is running well with that grade of oil... so.. why touch it if it's not broken?

that oil I ordered was one of 4 that was recommended on here, couldn't find the other 3 here in the UK, so got that one.

 

Hi all!!!!

hope you are all well!, since my last post (#322) on here, 3 posts above, I haven't updated this...

So, first the good news.
back on that day I was 4 days away from the court final hearing... I'm pleased to announce that I got that cherry on top of the cake! I have won against the mother and my daughter is to stay with me, permanently!. We have spent 20 days in Portugal on holidays (where I'm originally from) and have returned back to England not long ago.
Also, had a very proud dad moment, where I have taken her out for the first time on a motorbike! Used my 68 FLH slabside shovelhead and she loved it...she's hooked and she's only 6! Words cannot describe the feeling of seeing that little smile inside the bike helmet.

Now.. the truck!
still going strong thankfully! Haven't done the oil change yet as been working on the motorbikes and attending the bike shows.
But...
today I'm on the oil change! fresh oil going in today and I'm checking the timing as well.

Which, can someone advise where I should be at on the timing? last time I drove it I thought I could hear a ping when under heavy load going up a steep hill (was the first time I actually put my foot down a bit harder since the rebuild)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I should be at 8deg on idle, so line almost on the last marking on the balancer, right? or advance 8deg on the timing gun (I have a digital snap-on gun with advance) and line should be at zero on the balancer.. right? - I get confused with this as on the bikes I do all my timing by hand and dont use a gun...

what about advance? - am I correct I should increase revs to 1800, advance on the gun to 32 and the mark on balancer should be showing on the zero?

thanks!
JP

 

Thanks Larry!!!
I'm dumb! I had saved that thread months ago and inclusive I even printed it off and it's in my garage, completely forgot about it!!

 

I run my '70 SP engine (about 9.5-9.75:1) with 8 degrees at idle, ported vacuum advance, and a TA HEI with 22* of mechanical advance. All in by 2800 (really should be a few hundred rpm lower, but its in sooner than TA had it setup for), R45tsx plugs at .060 and runs on pump premium (91 octane, I think that's 100RON over your way) and I beat the poop out of it on almost a daily basis. Never heard a peep (or ping!) out of it. I do want to try 10* and see if it pings. You have lower compression than I, by a little bit anyway, so you could get away with more at idle. Really you just have to experiment and see what your engine likes. As detailed and helpful as that power-timing thread is, every engine is different.