[LordNatedawg]

Sort of an update and a warning of what is to come. I'm excited for this one.

First. I haven't had much time to work on Papa Smurf. So the u-joint is still shot and my blinkers aren't fixed. However, I think I found where my blinker issue lies. While moving my truck in the driveway I happened to bump the connector for my steering column and my blinker relay suddenly started clicking. That tells me I have a short in that connector. Poor pin fitment, bent pins, or similar. I need to pull the connector apart and take a gander.

Second. While doing some spring cleaning in the backyard shed, I found an old Rochester carburetor. My dad says it came off his 74 GMC and "never quite ran right". It was not the original carb for that truck though. The markings suggested that it originally came off of a 1977 Ch*vy.

Anyways. I sent that carb away to Sean Murphy Induction for a Stage 1 rebuild. That should be done in about 15 weeks. Continuing on, I decided that I want to pair that carb with a computer.

I'm a mechanic on modern vehicles, so I understand computer controlled fuel injection fairly well (I am far from an expert though). A friend of mine showed me how to control the AFR of my carb with an oxygen sensor. A product called the Carb Cheater allows the carburetor to self adjust to a set AFR based on readings from an oxygen sensor by inducing a controlled vacuum leak. I am oversimplifying it a lot. It does so much more. And the best part is that install is easy and non-invasive. It will not ruin your carb if the system were to die. This product is similar to a feedback carburetor, but updated with superior modern technology. This product is also on a 15 week wait time.

My Edelbrock runs just fine. But my goal is to have a truck that is more powerful and more fuel efficient. I think a computer controlled Rochester is the way to go. When the carb and computer arrive I will install both at the same time, but I won't turn on the computer until I have verified that the carb is tuned perfectly. That way I know I'm getting the most out of the system. The computer is an enhancement, not a band-aid. The carb needs to be in good working order first. That means a solid tune with the proper settings.

And just to finish off, my truck is finally registered. No smog required in Nevada for any vehicle older than 1967 which means I can get normal license plates.

it's gonna be a long 15 weeks waiting for my new toys to arrive. In the meantime I still have plenty of work left to do on my truck. Stay tuned!