1978 440 timing

[Barry_Calgary]

Hi all,
Found the engine serial code by the starter.
I wrote it down as 4906630 but I think it
Should be 4006630 as it is a little hard to tell.
If it is 4006630 that would make it a 1978 440 if
What I read on the internet is correct.
It also has a stamp by the water pump
See attached but I'm not sure what this means?
Any help is appreciated!
I would like too check the timing as the engine
Seems a little sluggish, it won't even spin the
Tires so I'm hoping you guys can give
Me some pointers in where to start. It runs great
But seems underpowered.
Thanks for any advice.
Barry

 

[earlyrides]

low-tech approach

there are many factors that will affect the amount of timing that a particular motor can handle.
a small book could be wriiten to cover them including fuel feed, altitude, cam specs, stretch of aged timing chain, octane in fuel and such.
but in the end I have always just done it the good ol' fashioned way.
it takes a bit of tinkering and a few times of pulling over but I have had pretty good luck with this low-tech approach.

- make sure all of the tune up parts are fine: plugs, wires, cap rotor etc.
- warm up the car and adjust the idle so that it sounds good to you
- loosen the distributor clamp so that with a bit of effort you can rotate it.
- bring a flathead screwdriver with you to adjust the idle if needed and take the car out for a drive.
- in the low end of 3rd gear; dump into the throttle.
- did it ping?
- if not pull over and move the distributor ever so slightly in the direction that the vaccuum advane is pointing until you hear the idle speed rise a bit.
- now use you screw driver to lower the idle back down.
- repeat the heavy throttle load test.
- did it ping?
- if not repeat sequence until a slight pinging is noticed.
- if so rotate the distributor back to previous point.
- retighten the distributor clamp.

you have now given you engine all of the timing it can swallow.

now I am sure there will be several others out there that have all sorts of high tech advice siting the page number in the service manual and such but in the end your 440 will only take as much timing as it will take before some detination begins to occur.

good luck and have fun blistering your tires.

 

[69hemibeep]

That might be a low compression truck motor but tuned up it should still pull stumps out of the ground