Tech Tip
Sometimes New Is Better
There were a few elements that no matter how much I scrubbed just wouldn't come clean. I picked up new radiator overflow and windshield washer tanks along with the upper portion of the fan shroud to complete the restoration side of the install.
 1a. To get the timing right...  1a. To get the timing right on this truck, the single brown wire under the glovebox area of the dash needs to be unhooked before firing the engine. |  1b. This will take the computer...  1b. This will take the computer out of the loop so my friend Bob Higgins could set the initial timing to 0-degrees. Once the timing was set, I shut off the engine and plugged the brown wire back in and re-started the engine. |  2a. The engine was running...  2a. The engine was running fine but something was amiss, so I drove it over to Bothwell Automotive to have Steve check it out. He hooked up his Tech II and found that my IAC (idle air control) and TPS (throttle position sensor) were a bit out of adjustment. |
 2b. He used his IACV Motor...  2b. He used his IACV Motor Tester to adjust the IAC without having to remove it, which was sweet. His Tech II showed the TPS reading on screen so that was set to .65 volts by rotating the sensor a bit. With that, the truck was running like a top. | | |
PART FOUR: AFTER BREAK IN
After putting 500 miles on the motor, I drained the oil and replaced it with Royal Purple Synthetic. I also picked up a top-of-the-line Tough Guard filter from FRAM. Just because I was curious, I cut open the old filter to see what was in there. Not even a speck of metal was in there, which is a true testament to ATK's cleanliness and attention to detail when they built the engine.
The Final Word
The last thing I did was install a K&N air cleaner assembly, which looks and performs better than the big stock unit. The job took me five days worth of elbow grease to complete, but it was well worth it. The truck runs better than new thanks to a few performance parts, a very well-built engine, and the help and knowledge my friends provided. I also have to throw a big thanks to my dad Sam who helped out a bunch. Besides the truck running like a top, the best thing about finally doing this job is that I'm not embarrassed to pop the hood anymore.