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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => 73-87 Chevy & GMC Trucks => Topic started by: RcClockman on June 15, 2019, 11:59:02 pm

Title: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: RcClockman on June 15, 2019, 11:59:02 pm
Hello Forum!  I bought My stepdad a 1987 R20 Single cab, Utility bed truck, with Ladder Rack, Locking side cabinets, for his Plumbing Business.    It has the Fuel Injected 350, with A 4:10 Rear end and 3 speed TH400 I believe,.. Did a full Tune-up on it , including, Air Filter/Plugs/Wires/Cap/rotor/Computer water temp sensor/new 195 t-stat/Waterneck/ os sensor/rad flush/… Engine runs very stong and has about a 135PSI COmpression average..  My question is this... It Only Gets 8 MPG.. Is this what I can expect?   Is there anything else I can Do to Improve this...    It is a California Truck and has all Smog equipment hooked up including Pump...  It just passed smoq Inspection..Thanks for any help and suggestions...
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: Stewart G Griffin on June 16, 2019, 06:08:34 am
Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw6HG8-O008
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: zieg85 on June 16, 2019, 07:21:59 am
With easy driving and some timing you should be able to get higher mpg.  I got 12-13 out of the same combo but mine being a C30
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: RcClockman on June 16, 2019, 10:54:20 am
On my truck, the spec is for 0 Degrees timing... as the computer advances the timing..
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: Rapid Roy on June 16, 2019, 11:09:01 am
Welcome
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 16, 2019, 01:30:46 pm
did you set timing at 0° with the little est disconnected?
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: RcClockman on June 16, 2019, 05:56:27 pm
Yes I Did..
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: Irish_Alley on June 17, 2019, 01:39:17 am
i have a 91 v3500 crew cab. it has OD but pretty much the same thing as you. i got 12 MPGs with the gas motor, the biggest thing is not flooring it all over and keeping the speed down. the non OD trans you should still be at least 10 MPGs IMO
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: VileZambonie on June 17, 2019, 04:26:12 am
Hello Forum!  I bought My stepdad a 1987 C20 Single cab, Utility bed truck, with Ladder Rack, Locking side cabinets, for his Plumbing Business.    It has the Fuel Injected 350, with A 4:10 Rear end and 3 speed TH400 I believe,.. Did a full Tune-up on it , including, Air Filter/Plugs/Wires/Cap/rotor/Computer water temp sensor/new 195 t-stat/Waterneck/ os sensor/rad flush/… Engine runs very stong and has about a 135PSI COmpression average..  My question is this... It Only Gets 8 MPG.. Is this what I can expect?   Is there anything else I can Do to Improve this...    It is a California Truck and has all Smog equipment hooked up including Pump...  It just passed smoq Inspection..Thanks for any help and suggestions...

That would be an R20. If it is properly tuned then your best bet is an overdrive swap and a custom tune.
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: RcClockman on June 17, 2019, 10:09:39 pm
thanks for the sugestions...it just smells rich as   its running, but the plugs are not fouled and look good..
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: VileZambonie on June 18, 2019, 04:42:53 am
Do you have a scan tool?
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: RcClockman on June 18, 2019, 11:57:54 am
if it was running rich. it would throw a light and store a code right? 
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: VileZambonie on June 18, 2019, 02:52:44 pm
Not necessarily. Garbage in = Garbage out. You need a scan tool to analyze your data otherwise you will never be able to do anything other than guess
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: RcClockman on June 22, 2019, 11:58:33 pm
Put on a New Map Sensor (California version) now getting 11 MPG whoo Hoo!!
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: RcClockman on June 23, 2019, 12:17:26 am
Also, Have very Loud Popping noises coming from the Heater Core when the engine is Hot and when I come to a stop.. We solved the issue by bypassing the heater core... My mechanic say the fix to it is to put in a very small. mabee 1/4 inch size restrictor tube in the heater Hose lines to reduce the amount of flow through the heater core... Anybody heard of this??
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: JohnnyPopper on June 24, 2019, 02:13:49 pm
Sounds like you have a cooling problem.

Popping sounds usually come from water boiling in the block when it's real hot and your radiator cap is not holding pressure.

The heater core is the closest part of the cooling/circulation system, so you would hear it.

Bypassing it does not mean you've corrected the problem.

Check your cap for a cracked seal or other cooling issues.
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: VileZambonie on June 24, 2019, 07:53:49 pm
Quote
My mechanic say the fix to it is to put in a very small. mabee 1/4 inch size restrictor tube in the heater Hose lines to reduce the amount of flow through the heater core...

I think your best investment is a new mechanic.
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: bd on June 24, 2019, 08:02:29 pm
 ;)
Title: Re: New To this Forum, Bought a 1987 C20..
Post by: 75gmck25 on July 05, 2019, 07:30:48 am
Other than to resolve a leak, I've never seen a recommendation to bypass a squarebody heater core.  They are usually continuous flow (always have water running through ), so there isn't much of anything to fail except to start leaking.

One very common heater problem is that a lot of junk falls down the defroster vent and ends up in the plenum behind the glove compartment.  If you remove the glove compartment door you can access the screws that hold the panel on the heater plenum right behind the glove compartment.  Then you can see the blend door, move the controls to make sure it goes full travel, and pull out the pens, pencils, matchbooks, parts receipts and other junk that has fallen down there.  You might even find remnants of a mouse nest they made from the fluffy insulation on the firewall.

Bruce