fuel efficieny questions/issues

[muddnutz]

  I have a stock 305 with dual flows, stock exaust manifold,edelbrock intake and carb(1407?) lucky to be getting 10 mpgs wich really sucks on a 16 gallon tank and family lives 180 miles away. what can I do to improve  it.   my truck is a 86 k-10 no lift on 31's stock gears

[choptop]

Check your rear gears. It should be ok with 3:73's. but it could have higher gears which wouldlug the engine. Other than that, it may be a tune up issue

[82Shortbed]

1407 seems like too much carb for a 305, its a 750 manual choke.

[muddnutz]

may have no. wrong it is a 600 electric choke ..new plugs ,wires, cap and rotor-timing marks are hard to read on balancer  also 700r4 tranny  whatever the factory gears are in a stock plain jane k-10.they have never been changed i got thee truck from my dad he bought it new in Oct 85...also no emissions on it anymore

[VileZambonie]

check your carb # to be certain of what it is.

[eventhorizon66]

Well you need to know your ignition timing.  Even if it's where it should be, you can usually advance it a few degrees without consequence to improve efficiency.  The find the TDC mark (groove) on your balancer, clean it, and paint it (steal some of your GF's/Wife's white nail polish).  That will make it clear as day.

[muddnutz]

  CARB IS A 1406---600CFM ELECTRIC CHOKE  ILL HAVE TO BORROW NEIGHBORS TIMING LITE TONITE.  DOES IT NEED TO BE ON THE LINE OR OFF TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT? NO BEFORE OR AFTER MRKS JUST A LINE ON THE DAMPER--NO TAB ON TIMING COVER

[VileZambonie]

how can you time it using a timing light without a pointer?

[enaberif]

how can you time it using a timing light without a pointer?

With skills!

Or perhaps he overlooked it as I did!

[eventhorizon66]

I bet he did.

Look straight down behind the water pump.  It should be at the 12 'o clock position on the dampner.

[muddnutz]

 i see the pointer  what I'm asking is should it be dead on with the mark or a few deg btdc or aft? you cant tell on the pointer just a few jagged edges which line is which

[rockable]

'86 should be 4 degrees BTDC with the vacuum disonnected from the distributor and plugged.  That truck should get 15 city/20 hwy thereabouts, if it's tuned and carbed correctly.  You've got a lot of room for improvement, assuming the long block is up to snuff.

As I recall, each "tooth" on the marker is 2 degrees.  TDC is to the right.  You really need to clean it off, so that you can read it.

[muddnutz]

  it is a rebuilt 305 haven't checked comp or sure on mileage since dist is also aftermarket pos box fried a while ago.. don't mean to sound like such a dumbarse but timing pointer isn't marked which is tdc, it has several points and a tube beside it? does this make any sense my camera died or i would take a pic

[Jims86tpisub]

If its an 86, I wonder if it came with the computer controlled q-jet....If he changed the carb., that may be his problem....no tps to tell the computer what throttle position the carb is at.

[muddnutz]

 no more comp. or comp controlled dist.