2.8L Power? Why is my rebuilt 2.8L so slow...

['84 Bronco II]

Also, I will try and take a look to see what size jets are currently in my carburetor.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Do not attempt to time it by earball use a timing light and set it at 10 degrees btdc with the advance disconnected and plugged. Then adjust the idle air needles for the highest rpms or vacuum pressure. You should have 10 degrees advance when you hook manifold vacuum up to the dizzy. Use the pointer not the round thing to set the timing. with a flashlight and a socket get under the front of the engine and rotated the crank clockwise until you see the timing marks the wide groove marked TC is TDC the next numbers are twelve. with a yellow crayon mark it one line back toward TC that is !0 degrees. Allways adjust the idle air needles after you change the timing. Before you pull the float to check the jets check your wet float setting you want 3/4 inch center of the fuel in the bowl to the top of the float bowl. Pull the float to bend the arm and then soak up some fuel with a rag. Disconnect the coil wire and crank on it unitl the fuel stops and check your level again. Do not try to adjust the float in the carb you will damage the needle and seat. If your careful you can run the motor with the top off the carb to check the wet float. If you do these thing in order I can almost guarantee you will bring that engine to life.
1-Put smaller jets in #43 to begin with
2-confirm 3/4 inch wet float setting
3-turn the idle air needles out 3 1/2 turns pre adjust
4-Start motor and bring up to temp then adjust idle to around 700 rpms
5-adjust base timing at 10 degrees (DBTDC)
6-Set idle air screws for the highest lean vacuum pressure (where vacuum drops as soon as you turn them in)
7-Connect the vacuum advance to ported vacuum on the carb.
8-Take it for a beat
I do this for every tuneup except check wet float with great results the base timing has not moved in four years I run autolite single platinum plugs and the stock TFI coil it jumps a gap around 7/8 inch with a wicked snap. I was messing with the vacuum for my tranny and knocked a plug wire up and my whole arm went numb in a split second.

 

[bobbywalter]

i forget about the lil backwards fawkers having gears sometimes...

some of the high power modified 2.8s i have been around have had belt drives and custom cams for tuning and adjustment, 12 to 1 screamers making nearly 250 hp. whoop my fresh 5.0 out of the hole to 80 mph easily..but that was also its top speed. the truck (stock class race 2wd) i am referring to run up at bark river years and years ago. it was a 10 year old build back then...would be a 25 year old rig now.

go to the store and look at a few more dizzies. i have had gear problems with the dizzies to and have had them slip and just fail at the teeth as well with these.

i have had the advance on the wrong port, or the port was blocked ect....

one step at a time...all part of the fun.

Do not attempt to time it by earball use a timing light and set it at 10 degrees btdc with the advance disconnected and plugged. Then adjust the idle air needles for the highest rpms or vacuum pressure. You should have 10 degrees advance when you hook manifold vacuum up to the dizzy. Use the pointer not the round thing to set the timing. with a flashlight and a socket get under the front of the engine and rotated the crank clockwise until you see the timing marks the wide groove marked TC is TDC the next numbers are twelve. with a yellow crayon mark it one line back toward TC that is !0 degrees. Allways adjust the idle air needles after you change the timing. Before you pull the float to check the jets check your wet float setting you want 3/4 inch center of the fuel in the bowl to the top of the float bowl. Pull the float to bend the arm and then soak up some fuel with a rag. Disconnect the coil wire and crank on it unitl the fuel stops and check your level again. Do not try to adjust the float in the carb you will damage the needle and seat. If your careful you can run the motor with the top off the carb to check the wet float. If you do these thing in order I can almost guarantee you will bring that engine to life.
1-Put smaller jets in #43 to begin with
2-confirm 3/4 inch wet float setting
3-turn the idle air needles out 3 1/2 turns pre adjust
4-Start motor and bring up to temp then adjust idle to around 700 rpms
5-adjust base timing at 10 degrees (DBTDC)
6-Set idle air screws for the highest lean vacuum pressure (where vacuum drops as soon as you turn them in)
7-Connect the vacuum advance to ported vacuum on the carb.
8-Take it for a beat
I do this for every tuneup except check wet float with great results the base timing has not moved in four years I run autolite single platinum plugs and the stock TFI coil it jumps a gap around 7/8 inch with a wicked snap. I was messing with the vacuum for my tranny and knocked a plug wire up and my whole arm went numb in a split second.

by the book as it gets.

i would add, to double check and verify that all of the marks and pointer is not damaged and in the correct position. thats another thing easy to overlook.

 

[drgrcr]

if you suspect something is wrong with cam timing, do a compression test. That engine should pump at least a 125 psi @ 4000' elevation.

Another method to set timing, old drag racing trick. Disconnect vacuum advance, connect a timing light, tricky part, while watching the timing with the light start bringing the rpm up until the timing quits advancing, usually around 3k, note what the timing advance is. The 2.8 that I beat around like's 38' max advance, I don't know what the timing is while at idle, because it runs really good using this method. The elevation where I drive most of the time is around 3700', no pinging. I have another 15' of vacuum advance all in @ 10'' of vacuum, you adjust that with a hand held vacuum pump connected to the vacuum pot on the dist. Use the pump to pull a vacuum and check the timing, to adjust it stick a 1/8" allen wrench in the hole where the vacuum line connects, you will feel the wrench fit into a hex, turn the wrench clockwise to reduce and counter clockwise to increase. This is for a duraspark dist. of course.

I run 42 main jet, idle speed set @ 700 rpm, idle screws adjusted for smoothest idle. Usually can squeeze 15 to 18 mpg around town, and I'm not nice to it. The carb is a 1.08 with the metering rod idle system.

I am getting real close to rebuilding the engine in this truck, just got the heads back from the machine shop. They are 78 Mustang II heads with 2.9 valves, harden exhaust seats, moderate porting, cooling holes drilled, combustion chamber volume is 37 cc's. Piston deck clearance will be .010'' with a .057'' head gasket compression ratio will be 10.5 to 1. and it will run on 87 octane fuel....