Stopping this Old C10 From Spewing Fuel and Fire

(Pat)>> You're watching Powernation!

(Pat)>> Whether you want to go faster, stop quicker, or just get your old pickup back on the road we've got something for you today. [ MUSIC ]

(Pat)>> We have a little bit of a break with our engine building action around here. So we decided to take that opportunity to make an upgrade on one of our favorite vehicles here in Engine Power. This is our Test Sled. It's a rolling laboratory to test engines and driveline combinations on not only the dyno but the track or the road. Now if you're not familiar with how this car came to be here's a quick look. Our friends at Factory Five Racing delivered a new Type 65 Coupe-R chassis right off the race car hauler. We took it into the shop and we all pitched in to get it assembled. This included front suspension, steering, rear suspension, and the panels to make up the seating compartment. Next a fuel system from Holley including a brushless pump for the Mustang tank used in these chassis. A trans cooler was bolted in, a digital dash was installed in the center console panel, and the exhaust was custom built by Magnaflow's Richard Waitas. After a 427 cubic inch turbocharger LSX making 1,210 horses was installed we took the Test Sled to Holley's LS Fest, and it was a wild ride. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> Engine and transmission combinations will come and go in this platform. That's just the nature of the beast, but what has to stay consistent is excellent stopping power. So that's what we will be working on. We're gonna take and upgrade our current braking system with some high performance parts from EBC Brakes. EBC Brakes are based out of the UK and they offer the world's largest range of disc pad braking solutions. Anything from a bicycle all the way up to industrial machinery. We will be using some of their 2,000 series Green Stuff pads and GD Sport rotors. Starting with the pads they have a soft high friction formulation for high initial brake effect but have excellent fad resistance on cars like we are running. They also have a break-in coating that helps them seat into the rotors almost immediately and speaking of the rotors these are their GD Sport rotors. These are manufactured on c-n-c equipment and have the strictest tolerances for both size and runout. They are both dimpled and slotted to keep them clean and cool. Plus they have a thermic black coating to keep them looking good for a long time. [ drill humming ] [ MUSIC ]

(Pat)>> Our Type 65 Coupe-R was delivered with a front brake setup from a late '90's early 2000's Mustang GT. Excellent for the application but like any car component improvements can be made. The vented 11 inch rotors are designed to stop a 4,000 pound vehicle. Since the test sled only weighs about 1,900 pounds we know we will have plenty of stopping power. The components go on as easily as they came off. Because it's a factory setup all the engineering has been done for you. Everything fits as it should with no hassles. The factory caliper is made from aluminum with a two piston design. [ MUSIC ] The rear brake rotor is even beefier at 13 inches. Installation goes the same as the front brakes. So easy even an engine builder can do it. [ MUSIC ] [ metal clanging ] [ drill clicking ]

(Pat)>> Well that's all there is to it. A relatively simple job but something that pays huge dividends in both safety and performance. Up next getting all the h-p and torque we can out of a supercharged JK. Plus we help out around the farm getting this vintage Chevy ready to roll.

(Pat)>> Here is something you don't see in our shop very often, a 2010 Jeep JK. Did you know that Jeeps are the most modified vehicle on the road today? Well the owner of this one wheels it on a regular basis and has made several modifications to it, but those modifications add weight. So he has also helped it out in the horsepower department and that is why it's here.

(Mike)>> Now HP Tuners is the leader in vehicle tuning software. They cover so many different makes and models and they just keep adding them to their lineup. Now here's the big news. Jeep is the latest platform that they support. So we're gonna use HP Tuners to tune this supercharged Jeep with the help of Alex Pietz from Pietz Performance Tunes.

(Pat)>> We love to see a vehicle get put to good use. Just by looking at this JK we can tell it is no mall crawler. Not only is it loaded with trail upgrades, those components are developing the well-worn patina of an off road rig. The supercharger provides a good horsepower increase but we always want more.

(Mike)>> We're ready to start tuning this supercharged Jeep and we have Alex Pietz from Pietz Performance tunes linked in to do this remotely. Alex tell us about the new Jeep platform and how this is gonna help not only the off roaders but the guys who drive their Jeeps on the street.

(Alex)>> Being able to put this product in Jeep owners' hands really helps a lot because it gives you the ability to not only be able to diagnose your Jeep if you're having an issue but also if you change your mile drive ratio, if you change your transfer case ratio. If you change different things in your Jeep, especially tire size, you now have the ability to take one of these guys, which is an MPVI-2, and plug it into your Jeep, use your laptop, and interface and communicate with your Jeep. You can open up the VCM editor, which is part of the VCM suite, and you can make modifications to your tune, which allows you to get more power or extract the most power out of your Jeep as possible.

(Mike)>> For the guy that doesn't feel comfortable tuning his Jeep this is where you come in. So let's talk about how that works and how beneficial it is for you, and how much you actually do it.

(Alex)>> If you're not comfortable tuning your Jeep or you don't really know where to start you can absolutely give us a shout at Pietz Performance and we can certainly get you setup with an MPVI-2. I can get you set up with a wide band and kinda show you how to go step A to Z and to get everything setup and ready to go. Also we do email tuning. Depends on what's best for the customer and everybody involved. Granted if you guys want to get specific times or know if your adjustments are making a good effect then the best thing to do if you don't have a dyno is go to the track and get elapsed times, gear mile per hour, and then make adjustments and see if it gets better or gets worse. Then kinda go from there. There's a lot of different ways to do it but we make accommodations for any type of situation.

(Mike)>> Very cool, so with the Jeep on the dyno the process we did this morning was I pulled the tune that was in the e-c-m out and sent that to you. You made some changes just for a good base to start up and get going. So now we're at that point. What's the next step?

(Alex)>> So initially I'm gonna have you start it up and idle it while I'm using the VCM scanner. If start up and idle is good, and I see good data we're gonna move forward to part throttle adjustments. So I'm gonna have you vary r-p-m starting in second or third gear, maybe even fourth depending on how many speed transmission you have, and I'm gonna have you collect data, and ideally it's gonna be steady state meaning we're not varying our throttle position a lot. We're keeping steady throttle, constant throttle, and then we're gonna vary load potentially and r-p-m, which is good because we need all the data that we can get, and once that's good to go then we can start transitioning into the fun stuff, which is your wide open throttle. That's what everybody's waiting for. That's really like a very small part of the process. It's the setup, it's getting the correct parts together, getting the MPVI setup, getting the scanner setup, everything like that, and then that just really lays the foundation for being able to make good power.

(Mike)>> Well let's get started. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> 203 horsepower, 198 pound feet of torque. That's pretty good for something with this kind of gear and that size tire with this little tiny engine.

(Alex)>> If memory serves me I want to say they're like 130 horsepower, 140 horsepower to the tire.

(Pat)>> Then we're doing really well. So what did you see and what kind of adjustments can we make now?

(Alex)>> We're definitely gonna need to make some adjustments to the fueling. It leans up a little bit up top. So we're gonna need to adjust that. Also might need to advance ignition timing to get a little more power on the top end. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> It definitely sounds cool.

(Alex)>> There we go!

(Pat)>> 206 horse, 198.91 pound feet, that's looking good my man.

(Alex)>> Making the adjustments I made, essentially advancing a little bit of time up top, maybe two degrees. If you advance two degrees and you pick up no more than 10 horsepower you're pretty much there. There's not really a whole lot that can be done.

(Pat)>> It sounds great, runs great, data looks great, we made some good power, and this was a complete success and we really appreciate it.

(Alex)>> Absolutely, it's always a pleasure to help you guys out. I can't thank you enough for having me on and letting me help you out.

(Pat)>> We appreciate big horsepower and so does Powertrain Products. This is their 4-L-80-E automatic transmission that can handle up to 650 horsepower and has a ton of upgrades for great performance and reliability. The updated force motor and pressure regulator provide excellent pressure control. Plus the torque converter and e-p-c solenoid undergo rigorous quality checks. The valve body is fully remanufactured and several wear items such as bushings have also been updated. Each transmission receives comprehensive dyno testing designed to simulate real world usage. Every transmission is cold and hot tested as well. Powertrain Products' 5 year promise warranty is included in the price. To find out more go to shop engines dot com. Up next, when a vintage truck calls your name sometimes you just have to make it yours. When it's not running right you call the Driveway Rescue crew.

(Pat)>> Kelli Smotherman is fascinated by old cars and trucks.

(Kelli)>> There's just some sort of classic nostalgia that draws me in with them. I enjoy driving them with windows down and not having to worry about air conditioning. There are certain things that you don't want to loose from the past and I feel like vehicles are one of them.

(Pat)>> She was driving past a 1963 C-10 for sale when the thought struck her.

(Kelli)>> I need to find some place to turn around to get a closer look. She was literally like in a curve. Couldn't read the phone number from the road. So I had to get closer.

(Pat)>> Given her love for vintage rides and the allure of this Chevy you can guess what happened next.

(Kelli)>> So I bought the truck three and a half years ago. She sat unfortunately. I was building a house at the same time. So my priorities were kinda spread and I just didn't give her enough time.

(Pat)>> Like any old truck it had some problems.

(Kelli)>> She started shooting fuel from the carburetor. My first thought was stuck float but I wasn't gonna dig into it and find out. So she just sat.

(Pat)>> Kelli wants her truck to be reliable and safe.

(Kelli)>> No more spewing fuel preferably. Fuel and fire, I don't like those two together. I'm just hoping she'll become a smoother running truck. Honestly I bought her to go to the grocery store in and I just want to be able to go to the grocery store.

(Pat)>> We heard her story and wanted to help. We headed out to her place with a van full of parts from Rock Auto dot com and a mission to get this C-10 running right. We found a farm with chickens, goats, and a really cool pickup protected by swarming wasps. Brandon Burke, one of our friends from around the shop, offered to help and we couldn't say no to this young man who likes old trucks. Alright now allegedly this ran. I see it's got an electric fuel pump. Is that two fuel lines?

(Brandon)>> It looks like it's a double pumper on this side at least.

(Pat)>> When they tried to run it before she said it was leaking fuel profusely, hence this rag. I don't think this is going to be too bad. Distributor, that's h-e-i already. Take the air cleaner off and see what we have. Dual feed vacuum secondary. I don't know if that's a 650 or whatever. We'll know when we get it off.

(Brandon)>> I'll just use the combo wrenches cause my friend makes fun of me for never using power tools.

(Pat)>> Okay! [ MUSIC ] Got her? Here we go! Any critters in there?

(Brandon)>> Looks pretty clean.

(Pat)>> I know this sounds weird but anytime I have anything open like this as soon as whatever comes off that plugged I'm gonna tape that off because that will absolutely keep anything from going back in. So let me grab some tape real quick. There's a decent amount of wear on the electrodes but a ton of rust on the exterior of these spark plugs. We'll definitely want a new set. [ MUSIC ] Anytime you're working on an engine it's a good idea to vacuum off all the little bits of detritus that could fall into it. Besides a clean engine bay is more enjoyable to work in. That's why you have that stuff in the van. [ MUSIC ] The gear looks like it's got normal wear on it. It's a little chewed up but it's not horrible. Would it still run, sure, but we've got a brand new one. [ MUSIC ] Oh it'll turn over. What do you think about that? An easy way to find t-d-c on a compression stroke is to cover the spark plug hole with your finger and have someone turn the engine over. When the compressed air forces your finger off you're there. The distributor we got from Rock Auto dot com is new, not a re-man. Goes in like that, we're gonna mark our number one. [ MUSIC ] So what we're gonna do is take our rag out. Rock Auto dot com features a wide selection of automotive fluids including this Permatex Ultra Slick assembly lube we're using on the distributor. It helps prevent wear and tear on the gears during initial startup. [ MUSIC ] Like that! Ah yeah that's glorious! Okay now stop. If it doesn't engage into the oil pump drive people will drive themselves crazy doing it. As long as you get your rotor in the right position you can just drop it right back in, turn the engine over, and then just double check it on the other side. Always double check that you're on a compression stroke. What's the biggest thing you always see when people drop a distributor in?

(Brandon)>> It's 180 out.

(Pat)>> It throws a big fireball out and everyone freaks out. With the distributor properly installed the hardest job of the day is done. Up next Kelli wanted a grocery getter and now she's got the coolest one in town.

(Pat)>> Welcome back! We're tuning up the engine in Kelli Smotherman's C-10 and we're pretty close to firing this thing up.

(Brandon)>> What we're gonna do is we're gonna replace these two sections of fuel lines cause this one goes kinda underneath the frame rail, which is not really that big of a deal but these ones, since we're gonna put new fuel rail on the carburetor we might as well just go ahead and do a new fuel filter, and new lines, and clamps.

(Pat)>> There's nothing wrong with that other line. That's actually brand new. In an old vehicle new hoses are an affordable upgrade and good insurance. Rock Auto dot com carries a full line of hoses in multiple sizes. [ MUSIC ] Kelli had already purchases a new carburetor for the Chevy. It's a Holley 41-50 HP series double pump. While we're here we'll install it. [ ratchet clicking ] [ MUSIC ]

(Pat)>> As always with new fuel hoses use new clamps. [ ratchet clicking ]

(Pat)>> These are pre-gapped and the gap is probably 60. Yeah well the thing is with something like this once it's running you forget all the stuff that you had to do to get it running once it's running cause then it's just straight fun. Be sure when you tighten them you get the gasket smushed. Sometimes people will slightly under tighten them and then they'll wonder. They'll come loose later and they're like what happened? [ MUSIC ] Do you know the firing order of a small block Chevy?

(Brandon)>> I do not.

(Pat)>> You failed the test immediately. Plus it's right on the intake manifold back there. [ MUSIC ] The final piece of the full ignition upgrade is a set of A/C Delco spark plug wires. It's always a good idea to change the wires if you're changing the plugs. While they don't show it like spark plugs do they can wear out over time. [ engine squealing ] [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> It runs! It's running but the engine is making a loud clacking sound. Probably a couple of stuck lifters. A common problem for engines that sit for a long time. We decided to go ahead and check the timing and idle speed since we were confident the valvetrain would quiet down. The more it ran the quieter it got. What happens is when a lifter set collapse, if it gets sticky. More than likely it'll free up. After a couple of minutes the clacking sound disappeared all together and the engine ran smoothly. Alright Brandon give it a little gas. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> I like it! That quieted right down.

(Brandon)>> We've got like 30 pounds of pressure.

(Pat)>> I think that's back rocking and rolling right there man. [ MUSIC ] You can find all sorts of helpful items on Rock Auto dot com, including quality of life things that just make owning and driving a vehicle more enjoyable. We found an owner's manual, service manual, and just for fun an old sales brochure for the C-10. Covering the bare metal brake pedal with a new rubber cover will make braking smoother and safer. [ MUSIC ]

(Brandon)>> Sweet!

(Pat)>> New floor mats will give the interior a quick and easy refresh. All in all a successful day. The goats are back in their pin and Kelli's C-10 has a clean running power plant. One of the toughest things to do when a project sits is getting it back running. We were very successful at getting Kelli's '63 up and going again. now the tough part is done. Now it's up to her to get it back to where it's supposed to be. Now thank you very much Brandon, I appreciate the help.

(Brandon)>> It was a long and hot day but I had a lot of fun.

(Pat)>> That's part of working outside, but you did a great job and I really appreciate it. The only thing that's left is for Kelli to take it for a test drive.

(Kelli)>> I don't want a trailer queen. I specifically bought her because she wasn't one. I want to be able to drive her. So that's the ultimate goal is just to be able to enjoy her.

(Pat)>> For more information on anything you've seen on today's show visit Powernation TV dot com.