The M-715 is up and running again - sort of. The engine is back in,  but I need to get rid of the carburetor and upgrade the ignition a bit.

After sweating it out for a couple days in the driveway, I've finally got the upgraded GMPP 290hp installed. Did I meet my goal of adding another 100hp? Yup - almost. Regardless, it's pretty sick and idles like a beast. I love it.

Since my Holley Truck Avenger has some major issues that even a full disassembly and cleaning didn't cure, I nabbed an Edelbrock RPM 850cfm Q-Jet out of the shed and slapped it atop the Professional Products Hurrican manifold. Believe it or not, I still had room under the hood for the massive 5-inch K&N air filter.

The new intake manifold didn't work with the old alternator bracket, so I fabbed up a new upper tensioner arrangement with some angle iron, a little welding, and some left/right hand thread rod ends. The new mount is actually more secure and easier to adjust than the old stock-style one.

Unfortunately, the first test drive didn't go so well. I had some major exhaust leaks at the header flanges. Cappa gave me some rebuildable Earl's header gaskets, but the new-in-box inserts were crushed and cracked when I opened 'em up, so I nabbed a pair of FlowTech aluminum gaskets and they sealed like a charm. The engine pulls like a train up to 3,000rpm but then the world comes to an end. It misses, sputters, and belches dark smoke out the tailpipe. I'm gonna replace the cap and rotor as well as the plug wires since they got a little damaged on the dyno headers. Maybe I'm gettign some arcing. Also, I think the honkin' 850cfm Q-Jet is glugging the engine, so I'll get on the stick and try to get the Professional Products injection installed sooner rather than later.

The only thing holding me back on the injection install is the stock gas tank. Given the amount of rust particulate that had gotten past the twin filters I run and accumulated in the bowls of the Truck Avenger, I think I'd be better off ditching the stock steel fuel tank and replacing it with a poly fuel cell. But that's fodder for another blog.