ADVANCE your timing if you havent youll be happy you did
 

so i ve been debating when and how much to advance the timing lately. mine was stock so i decided to bump it 1/8th of an inch. The truck is way more responsive and rips a lot better. Also i took the nylon washer out and rotated the pin to the deepest point. The truck straight up rips now and blows a little particulate. It is a little noisyer but that is fine with me. Also i had the valves adjusted recently and most of them were 8 thousandths off. For those guys who haven't done this maintenance and mods or are just scared to do it get it done you will be impressed with your brand new truck!!!

I know there is a sticky for advancing the timing, but how exactly did you do it? Did you take the front timing cover off to access the front of the injection pump or just do it by loosening up the mounting bolts on the backside of the front timing cover and bump it there? I do believe it's a good mod, I'd like to do it, and I know it should be free too. Thanks for your reply.

No need to remove the front cover unless you are going to jump the gear a tooth - and that's only needed with really big injectors.

I could only get mine to move about 1/16th of an inch. Is it safe to put a jack or pry bar against the pump to move it? I want more!

Strap wrench works good.

I use a carefully placed rachet strap to rotate the pump. just be carefull you don't bend or brake anything.

It also helps to loosen your injector lines just a little and a few of the brackets on them, lets them move instead of bend makes it a lot easyer. I maxed mine out against the head with POD's, 3200 GSK, and lots of pump mods and I like it.

If it won't move make sure everything is loose (3 nuts up front, one bolt on the bottom out back, and the AFC banjo bolt) before resorting to brute force.

My "brute force" method is a ratchet strap to the exhaust manifold (use a chunk of 4X4 lumber on top of the rocker covers to clear all the injector lines) and whacking the AFC with a rubber mallet. Moves 'em all. :) I use the ratchet strap on every truck, it makes controlling the pump while adjusting and locking down the timing a snap. The mallet only comes out if the truck decides to be stubborn. [laugh]

i lubed up every thing a lot before hand made a bent wrench out of a 1/2 inch wrench and they came loose. 13mm works to the truck honks a lot better now i used the ratchet strap method. i made sure the nuts were really loose because it wouldn't budge with it just breaking them loose. ratchet strap the top of the pump and go to town do 1 click and then check to make sure everything fits good and you arent binding any lines. i had to bend 1 line took about 15 minutes start to finish

Does it help with a Stock Truck? And if so how much would be good?

Yes, you will get a little more pep and better mileage. Do 1/8".

how safe is this to do without a pyro? Or is this one of the mods (like most) that you need a good set of gauges?

Advancing the timing will lower EGT. There's no danger in advancing the timing without gaues.

thats good to know! Im planning on doing a good tune up/service next weekend. I might have to give this a try.

Hey, thanks for the informative advice guys! I'll have to give this mod a definite on the to do list. Nothing wrong with a little more pep and especially a little better fuel mileage.