Well if you have been following the TRS roundup thread you know I made it out there, if you haven't, I pulled a sneaky on you.
Shortblock pic was of the E7 head swap circa 2012 to keep the heat down on us going out after all. Summer didn't quite go as planned so our big trip to Texas kinda got pushed back (hoping to still go) so we figured if we could fly under the radar and go to the roundup great.
So it was a fury getting the truck thrashed together. Note the fuel system and carb tinkering. Carb tinkering continued until 11:00 the night before we left. I changed the rods, fattened up the power side and leaned the cruise side and adjusted the accelerator pump. Truck runs really nice and got better mileage on the trip, averaged 17 and was getting dangerously close to 18mpg on the interstate running 70 which is kind of surprising. Only one tank on that run so hard to call it super concrete though. Sucks pretty good for an old engine though.
Angle testing the carb on the approach to my barn, didn't falter a bit.
Then the stinking heater core. When I put my GMRS in I noticed the carpet was really wet. So I snug up the heater hose clamps and drive it a bait, still doing it. Running down the firewall. So pull the cover off the bottom of the core after driving it, core is dry. Figure it must still be leaking at the clamps so I replace those, still leaks while the core itself stays dry. Really not wanting to throw a core in it because they are now $50. End up throwing a core in it, can't help but wonder if this was my problem. If it would leak out and hit the firewall and just run down the firewall.
Ok, making headway now... but wait the stupid cruise starts surging again! It hasn't done this in years! I almost threw the towel in as this was happening during the heater core debacle and with the deadline approaching I seem to be losing ground. Resealed the barb into the intake manifold to no avail. Deleted the barb and plugged into the carb port with no improvement. Eventually pulled the hose off the servo and stuck it back on and it has worked perfect since...
Ok, progress is being made, saturday before the trail ride I ask and am told to text before I leave the house and my boss will turn on the A/C in the shop for me to rotate tires. So rotate tires I did.
Did my wife's car too.
And at 2am the night (or morning) before we were to leave both rigs were ready to go: