On the road to recovery…
This morning I dedicated pretty much the whole morning to researching my ignition problem on my K5. I won’t be able to check it until later today, (after work) but I believe I have found the solution.
To put it in the simplest terms, here’s how the ignition system works: Basically, when a combustion chamber is filled with gas and air, and is compressed to the max, the spark plugs fires and ignites the mixture, causing power. Now, while engine speed can and does increase, the rate at which fuel and air burns does not.
That means, as the engine goes faster and faster, the ignition system has to fire the plugs earlier and earlier to keep up. This is called “advancing the timing”. As the engine slows down, the timing is slowly pulled back to it’s originating point, aka “retarding the timing”.
The problem I’m having is, when the engine revs faster, the timing retards rather than advances! This is apparently stumping even some seasoned vets in the auto-industry. It’s a terrible problem, and the engine is running like complete crap and even backfires through the carburetor! (not good!!)
So, I went to my favorite thinking place (smoking area) at work and thought about the problem. I realized that while reconnecting and replacing all that was destroyed in my engine fire, I may have reversed two wires. I researched that, and it turns out, the symptoms associated SPECIFICALLY with having those 2 wires reversed would be exactly the problems I’m having!
Rock on…
So now I can’t wait for the work day to be over with so I can get under the hood and swap out those two wires. Hopefully everything will work out well. If the truck runs good tonight, then I’ll try to have it towed to the transmission shop tomorrow.
Wish me luck…