1976 Resto and Modernization

I recently bought a 1976 M880 from a car wholesaler in North Georgia for $1200. It sat for a year and it ran but didn't quite roll so the seller delivered it to my house. For trucks, I have owned a 1993 Dodge D350 (Cummins) and a 2006 Dodge 2500 (Cummins). I have NEVER owned a carb vehicle before and I feel the water just under my eyebrows. Unfortunately, the previous real owner (not my seller) used it as a hunting rig and really made some modifications that are now outdated which also took it away from true restoration being an option at this time. It has some 9 year old mud tires on it with 16 1/2 rims which I hate due to the lack of options.I will turn it into a nice truck that does what I need but going all out finding original parts to bring it back may be difficult right now. My focus is under the hood, going for reliability and updating. First, I am going to list the things I have done, then continue with the parts I already bought and plan to put on. I appreciate any suggestions, especially with the wiring which is so far cobbed, I am not sure where to begin or just take it all out and start anew. 1. oil, wires, plugs, cap, rotor, battery, battery connectors 2. idled good, checked timing, drove and stalled intermittently with acceleration, read this forum. 3. drained cleaned and refilled rear differential and other obvious areas. 4. Bought Edelbrock 4bbl 1406 carb. Do I need an adapter plate??? What else should I get to put this in? I did get a edelbrock fuel line kit, breather, air cleaner already to go with the carb. 5. Bought an ignition coil and fuel pump. 6. After going through this forum, I am going to buy a ignition control module tomorrow. 7. Bought stock mirrors. 8. Probably going to buy a dual exhaust system with headers from summit racing, seems like a good deal. 9. Will replace all hoses while putting on these parts as well. -I seem to have bought a lot of parts right? Well, I am still on budget below 1000 dollars to get it running tip top before I look at appearances. I have a lot of fun work ahead of me before I show up in uniform next month for an Airborne operation. I sure would appreciate any advice, I would love to pull up in this truck then. It would be great if someone could give me an order of operations for these parts and if I should replace wiring before/during anything else. Thanks.

No 4bbl will fit that intake without a serious adapter. Start looking for a 4bbl intake and be done with it. Make certain you DO NOT use one of those cheap Edlebrock triangular foam air filters. Gas fumes like to get into the foam and then light on fire with the odd backfire.

Check timing and the fuel system for water/bad gas first. Odds are it has some fuel issues. You might even get her purring like a kitten with some fresh gas.

As for the electrical... don't start cutting yet. Zip tie everything in a neat a bundle as you can given the circumstances and tape up anything bare. It runs, and we don't want to deal with anything that might change that.

Why was it not rolling? Trans? Tires? Brakes?

Rolled but stalled often. Yeah, diesel owners sometimes like to throw money at things with performance parts, etc. so excuse me for that. Gas is probably the biggest issue I never even discussed but think about more and more. I was able to adventure drive to the gas station but it took me 20 min to pump 10 gallons. Why? Gas gauge doesn't work but I thought it pretty empty. Should have drained it right away, wasn't thinking properly with my new beauty. Should I just drain all of that? It also had a broken off oil dipstick sitting on the pass side. Old owner JB welded the hole shut to include the rest of the metal shaft for the dipstick. Any suggestions on this cluster? And no, I didn't get the silly looking triangular air filter. Thanks for any help.

I think you can still get a cheap aftermarket dipstick/tube in chrome. Just do an oil change at the same time and mark the new stick with a valid "Full" line yourself.

There is at least 15% ethanol in that gas you just purchased... it should be enough to soak up any water that was in the tank and raise the octane level to something that 318 can run on.

That carb can be rebuilt... or if you want the Edlebrock you can use that with a cheap Performer 318 intake. (They used to be $130... now they are $230... not so cheap anymore. Check fleabay for a used one. )

Honestly, I will wager it was just bad gas. Modern fuel goes bad quick, and you described the perfect scenario for it. Check/change the fuel filter soon. Check the timing and look for any vacuum leaks when you tune it up. Run her for a while and she might clear up.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/dcc-4349628?seid=srese1&gclid=CILXtrm79LcCFehAMgodfREAfQ

http://www.jegs.com/p/Edelbrock/Edelbrock-Performer-Manifolds-for-Chrysler/751399/10002/-1

Rebuild the carb, the stalling is due to that, ethanol kills the accelerator pump.
the fuel tank vent line is clogged, likely buy a mud dauber.
The ports & valves are too small for a bigger carb.
check that the Ignition control module has a good ground, it grounds via the attaching screws.
original 76 W200 parts are widely available.

dipstick clogged with weld

A new dipstick is not such a big deal, but when the previous owner jb welded the entire remaining shaft which is cut off right at the surface. Don't know how far down it goes but I am afraid of drilling which was suggested to me. I am prob going to buy that manifold, thanks!

Bob is right.

Honestly, you will have a stronger truck if you don't buy that manifold.

A 2bbl has high intake velocity. It gives much better power where you need it lower in the RPM range. The 4bbl sounds good, but only improves power above 5000 rpm (give or take) and in some cases actually REDUCES the power you make at "normal" 1500-3500rpm.

If you want a truck that has guts on the street and pulls like a mule, keep the 2bbl and check out "RV" cams. They come on early and make a truck feel like a powerhouse.

You might have less work to do than you think.

Oh yea, put the fuel filter before the fuel pump, the steel lines in these tended to rust when sitting for years, the rust wil destroy the fuel pump diaphram.
I learned that one the hard way.

Agreed on the header option... on a work truck/hunting rig, its just not worth the hassle of constant exhaust leaks (expect to tighten all the bolts weekly, if not more). My 2 cents, if it were mine... I'd be on the lookout for a Mopar 360 long block at the local u-pull it. a refresh with an edelbrock performer cam and intake would seriously wake up the truck and work wonderful with the carb you got. Plus, it would bolt right up to the existing drivetrain. That being on the wish list, just start with simple tune parts... cap, rotor, wires, plugs... and yes, rebuild the carb! as to the gas, i would hate to drain it too! you might pour some heet (water remover) in there and just run it for a bit... I had the same issue with a '95 chevy 2500 that had sat for 15 months... just knuckled down and ran it till it ran right!
Bottom line on gasser recovery order of ops... If it even LOOKS like it might leak, replace it(hoses, etc). If a fluid is in any way questionable, change it. Ignition parts for optimal efficiency, and a carb rebuild to deal with the bad gas issue (and the heet!). Accessory drive belts would not be a bad idea. If you have a timing light, set the timing to stock (not sure of spec for this vehicle) and then advance till you get pinging, then retard about 3 degrees. If you have a vacuum guage, you can tune the carb (looking for appx. 14" vacuum). Check brakes for safety, and do a full bleed for fresh fluid once all leaks are addressed. This is just an off the cuff list of what I've done pulling some old hotrod out of a field in the past. If you have some more specific questions, feel free to PM. Best wishes in getting it on the road ASAP!
JP

Yeah, I have now seen that you posted this a few times. It is very sound advice.

Bob H said:

the fuel tank vent line is clogged, likely buy a mud dauber.

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I agree, this is likely the case. Sitting for almost a year, there were hornets nests all over this thing. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

Heath_h49008 said:

If you want a truck that has guts on the street and pulls like a mule, keep the 2bbl and check out "RV" cams. They come on early and make a truck feel like a powerhouse.

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The Summit K6900 cam is roughly the same specs as most big name RV cams, and considerably cheaper.

Just a useful tidbit that I picked up over at Ramcharger Central.

Other than bored .020" over ('cause the cylinders were wore out), a K6900 cam, and a double roller timing set, the 318 in our M882 is going back as original as possible.

Thank you all on my various posts with this truck in helping me accomplish my goals. I really like the old beast, but I do want to get into a '80s chevy diesel instead. It is late in the hour, but I was told that I could post the auction. If anything, at least some of you get to see my best effort on this new hobby. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1976...649&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&forcev4exp=true

CaptainGeorgia said:

Thank you all on my various posts with this truck in helping me accomplish my goals. I really like the old beast, but I do want to get into a '80s chevy diesel instead. It is late in the hour, but I was told that I could post the auction. If anything, at least some of you get to see my best effort on this new hobby. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1976...649&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&forcev4exp=true

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Good luck with the project! Had a couple 880's myself till I moved on to the 715 and 725.