Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Newly rebuilt engine. New Pistons, heads, Edelbrock 3790 cam kit, timing gears & chain, distributor, carb. Rings & bearings, and headers.
Did proper break in, and drove it about 2mi.
It took for ever to get up to 55mph and it acts like it won't go any faster. Had more pickup before rebuild when only running on 5 cylinders. Initial valve adjustment on engine stand was "0" lash then 1/2 turn more as per Edelbrock instructions. Timing at 8 before TDC.
Starts right up, and idles smoothly without touching accelerator. What are your thoughts on not enough lifter preload?

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

I'd assume it's the same, but on the F bodys the base timing is 10 degrees BTDC. I'd try adjusting the timing somewhere between 10-12.

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

what break in oil did you use?

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

hopefully it has high zinc like these flat tappets need.

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Camaro, not Camero

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

yeah i see it spelled in for sale ads incorrectly more often than correctly.

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Me too, still doesn't make it right, lol

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Good point, I found that out the hard way before I swapped my cam in my 3.4, that oils didn't come with that anymore. It's not really a well known thing unless you're up on your oils.

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

yes, and many of those who are up on it still think rotella has enough zinc in it but it doesn't anymore.

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Would love to help but I don't know anything about the carb set up lol how's the carb set ? Fuel pressure and metering, and how the advance on the dizzy is so controlled ? Vacuum ?

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)
 

You can check the cam from the pushrod rocker movement, just in case . I'd check the comp ratio ? After a rebuild ? Def bump the timing maybe the dizzy isn't acting how it should ? Just some ideas.

Re: Very sluggish 1983 2.8L S10 4x4 (freshly rebuilt)